Quick Facts
CapricornBiography
José Eugênio "Jô" Soares (born January 16, 1938) is a Brazilian comedian, talk show host, author, theatrical producer, director, actor, painter and musician.
Soares was born in Rio de Janeiro. After being educated in Switzerland and United States, Soares returned to Rio and worked at TV Rio in 1958, writing and performing in comedy shows for the station. He acted as an American in Carlos Manga's O Homem do Sputnik. In 1970, Soares started working at Rede Globo.
In 1988, Soares moved to SBT, where he hosted a talk-show, Jô Soares Onze e Meia ("Jô Soares Eleven Thirty"), until 1999. In 2000, Soares took his show's format (very similar to David Letterman's) back to Rede Globo, where it was then called Programa do Jô, and hosted the program until 2016.
His first novel O Xangô de Baker Street was published in 1995 and has been translated in several languages; it was made into a film in 2001. He has put out various jazz CDs. He has also produced many plays including a recent version of Richard III.
Personal life
Jô Soares is a Roman Catholic, being a devotee of Saint Rita of Cascia.
Books
- O Xangô de Baker Street (A Samba for Sherlock) (1995)
- O Homem Que Matou Getúlio Vargas (Twelve Fingers) (1998)
- Assassinatos na Academia Brasileira de Letras (2005)
- As Esganadas (2011)
TV shows
At Globo TV
- 1970–1972: Faça Humor, Não Faça Guerra
- 1972–1975: Satiricom
- 1976–1982: Planeta dos Homens
- 1981–1987: Viva o Gordo
- 2000–2016: Programa do Jô
At SBT
- 1988–1990: Veja o Gordo
- 1988–1999: Jô Soares Onze e Meia