The routine is exhausting, even when you love the format
Em sete anos, Chay Suede tornou-se o rosto recorrente das novelas das nove da TV Globo, carregando quatro produções de horário nobre com uma frequência que virou piada pública. Agora, às vésperas da estreia de sua mais recente protagonista, o ator anuncia que este será seu último ciclo nesse formato por um tempo — não por falta de oportunidades, mas pelo peso acumulado de uma rotina que consome mais do que entrega. É o momento em que um homem no auge de sua visibilidade escolhe, deliberadamente, recuar para o que não aparece nas telas.
- A estreia de 'Quem Ama Cuida' chega acompanhada de uma despedida: Suede lança a novela e, ao mesmo tempo, anuncia que não quer mais esse papel na vida.
- O ritmo implacável das gravações — dias longos, prazos semanais, meses de compromisso ininterrupto — foi corroendo o ator até o ponto em que a estabilidade do contrato com a Globo deixou de compensar o que ele abre mão para mantê-la.
- A internet já havia transformado a rotatividade de protagonistas masculinos da emissora em meme, e Suede era peça central dessa engrenagem — agora, ele mesmo decide sair da gira.
- Com três filhos e uma esposa também atriz, o ator sinaliza que a próxima fase será construída em torno da presença doméstica e de projetos ainda não revelados.
- O contrato com a Globo permanece vigente, mas a era de Chay Suede como protagonista fixo das nove horas está, nas suas próprias palavras, chegando ao fim.
Chay Suede escolheu um momento de máxima exposição para anunciar um recuo calculado. Na noite em que sua nova novela, 'Quem Ama Cuida', estreou no horário nobre da TV Globo, o ator confirmou à Folha de S.Paulo que esta será sua última protagonista no formato por um bom tempo. Em sete anos, foram quatro papéis principais no mesmo horário das nove — Danilo em 'Amor de Mãe', Ari em 'Travessia', Mavi na fracassada 'Mania de Você' e agora Pedro, um advogado que se apaixona por uma mulher desabrigada por enchentes. A frequência rendeu piadas nas redes: a Globo, dizem os internautas, simplesmente reveza Chay Suede, Cauã Reymond e Nicolas Prattes sempre que precisa de um herói romântico.
Mas o que parecia uma posição invejável foi se tornando um fardo. Suede admitiu que a rotina das novelas é extenuante — gravações longas, entregas semanais, meses sem margem para respirar. Ele já havia cogitado uma pausa antes, mas não conseguiu se afastar de verdade. Desta vez, a decisão parece firme: a partir do ano que vem, quer se dedicar a outros tipos de projeto, embora não tenha revelado quais.
Por trás da escolha profissional há uma motivação mais íntima. Casado com a atriz Laura Neiva, pai de três filhos, Suede está sinalizando que a segurança de um contrato fixo com uma das maiores empresas de mídia do Brasil não vale mais o que ele precisa abrir mão para honrá-lo. O contrato segue vigente, os próximos passos ainda são nebulosos — mas a mensagem é clara. A máquina das novelas terá que encontrar outro rosto para escalar.
Chay Suede is stepping away from telenovelas. The announcement came as his latest leading role, in "Quem Ama Cuida," premiered Monday night on TV Globo's prime-time slot—the network's most coveted time slot and the stage where Suede has become something of a fixture. In seven years, he has carried four major productions in that same evening hour, a frequency that has not gone unnoticed by viewers and internet commentators, who have turned the rotation of male leads into a running joke: Globo, they say, simply cycles through Chay, Cauã Reymond, and Nicolas Prattes whenever a new romance needs a hero.
In "Quem Ama Cuida," Suede plays Pedro, a lawyer who falls for Adriana, the female lead played by Leticia Colin. The setup is familiar telenovela terrain: Adriana and her family have lost their home in a flood, and Pedro's affection blooms in the wreckage. It is the kind of role Suede has perfected over the past seven years. Before this, he was Mavi in "Mania de Você" in 2024, a production widely regarded as one of the format's biggest failures in the prime-time slot. Before that came Ari in "Travessia" in 2022, and Danilo in "Amor de Mãe" in 2019.
But the pace has worn on him. Speaking to Folha de S.Paulo, Suede acknowledged the toll: the format itself, he said, carries a grueling routine. He had mentioned before that he wanted to take a break from telenovelas, and he managed something close to that—but not quite. Now, he is ready to make a real shift. Starting next year, he plans to redirect his energy toward different kinds of projects. He did not elaborate on what those might be, keeping his future plans private.
The decision also reflects a desire for something more fundamental: time with his family. Suede is married to actress Laura Neiva, and the two have three children together. The demands of telenovela production—the long shooting days, the weekly deadlines, the months-long commitment—leave little room for that kind of presence. Despite holding a fixed contract with Globo, one of Brazil's largest media companies, Suede is signaling that the security of that arrangement no longer outweighs what he is giving up to maintain it.
What happens next remains unclear. Suede has not disclosed specifics about his next moves, and his contract with Globo remains in place. But the message is unmistakable: the era of Chay Suede as the network's go-to leading man in the nine o'clock hour is ending. Whether that means film, theater, streaming work, or something else entirely, the telenovela machine will have to find another face to cycle through.
Citas Notables
Although I have love for this format, the routine is exhausting. I had said before that I would take a break from telenovelas, and I managed more or less, but starting next year I'm going to make a shift toward other projects.— Chay Suede to Folha de S.Paulo
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does it matter that one actor steps back from telenovelas? Isn't this just a career move?
It matters because telenovelas are still the spine of Brazilian television. They shape what millions watch every night. When someone like Chay becomes a fixture in that slot, he becomes part of the cultural rhythm. His stepping back signals something about the format itself—that even the people who succeed in it find it unsustainable.
But he's still under contract with Globo. How does that work if he's not doing telenovelas?
That's the real question. A fixed contract usually means he's obligated to work for them, but it doesn't necessarily mean telenovelas. He could do other things—miniseries, films, specials. Or there's negotiation. The contract is a cage, but it's not necessarily a telenovela cage.
The internet made jokes about him and two other actors rotating through these roles. Does he know that?
He almost certainly does. That kind of thing spreads fast in Brazil. It's not mean-spirited exactly, but it's a way of saying the format has become predictable, formulaic. When the audience notices the machinery that much, it's a sign something needs to change.
What about his family? Is that the real reason, or is it what he's saying publicly?
Probably both. The telenovela schedule is genuinely brutal—you're shooting constantly, week after week, for months. With three kids, that's real time lost. But he's also at a point in his career where he can afford to be selective. Not every actor gets that choice.
What comes next for Brazilian telenovelas if their stars keep leaving?
That's the harder question. The format is already struggling with ratings. If the biggest names start opting out, the networks have to either reimagine the whole thing or accept that it's becoming a smaller part of the ecosystem. Streaming and international content are already eating into that audience.