When the Olympics begin in Rio during the first week of August, the eyes of the world will be watching Brazil. The eyes of Brazil, meanwhile, will be watching Camila Pitanga.
A veteran of Brazilian soap operas, Ms. Pitanga is typically cast as a willowy damsel who makes terrible choices when it comes to men. Over the decades she has swooned for a gangster, a conniving executive and an assortment of feckless playboys. Currently, she is falling for her father’s sworn enemy on “Velho Chico,” which airs at 9:15 p.m. on Rede Globo, by far the country’s largest free TV channel.