Isadora Cruz has the kind of beauty that makes you stop for a second—and possibly forget what you were doing in the first place. Consider yourself warned.
She has the elegance of royalty, the unmistakable allure of a Latina, and the sort of charm that could make falling head over heels seem less like a bad decision and more like an unavoidable plot twist. It’s quite the combination.
But enough staring at the metaphorical red carpet. There’s more to Isadora than a pretty face. So, read on and get to know the woman behind all that effortlessly captivating charm.
Who is Isadora Cruz
Isadora Cruz is a Brazilian actress who shot to national fame as Candoca, the determined protagonist of the telenovela Mar do Sertão. The role put her firmly on the map—and, judging by the attention it brought her, she clearly wasn’t planning on staying there quietly.
Her Early Life
Isadora Cruz Rocha was born on February 4, 1998, in João Pessoa, Paraíba, to Victor Hugo Rocha and Rachel Cruz. She has two siblings, Tercilio Cruz Neto and Sophia Cruz. As a child, Isadora lived in Miami, where her journey into the arts began with ballet classes.
When she returned to João Pessoa in 2002, she kept dancing, studying contemporary dance and jazz. But at 15, she briefly took a very different route, passing the administration course at the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB). The grades were excellent—straight A’s, no less—but the career choice clearly wasn’t winning her over. She eventually dropped the degree after realizing she wanted to be an actress. Fair enough. Excel spreadsheets had lost to the stage.
At 16, Isadora packed up and moved to Paris, France, where she studied French at Sorbonne University and theater at Cours Florent. So while most teenagers were figuring out their weekend plans, she was learning a new language and studying acting in Paris. Casual.
Career Journey
Isadora Cruz made her television debut in 2016 in Haja Coração, playing Cris, the sweet and gentle half-sister of Felipe, played by Marcos Pitombo. It was a modest start, but she clearly had bigger things in mind.
Her major breakthrough came in 2022, when she landed the role of Candoca, the protagonist of Mar do Sertão. The telenovela turned her into a nationally recognized name and firmly established her as an actress to watch.
Then came 2024 and Volta por Cima, where Isadora took on Roxelle, Chico’s lover, played by Amaury Lorenzo. What began as a rivalry with Madalena, played by Jéssica Ellen, eventually grew into a much bigger storyline. After breaking up with Chico, Roxelle became increasingly important to the plot through her friendships with Gigi, played by Rodrigo Fagundes, and Neuza, played by Valdinéia Soriano, as well as her complicated relationship with bookmaker Gerson, played by Enrique Díaz. Basically, Roxelle went from “the other woman” to “someone has clearly been promoted to main-character territory.”
While working on Volta por Cima, Isadora also appeared in a new opening sequence for Fantástico, created as part of Rede Globo’s 60th-anniversary celebrations. Because apparently appearing in one production at a time would be far too easy.
In June 2025, she took on another major role in Love Is a Knife, which premiered on Globoplay. Isadora stars as Rosa Pellegrino, a fearless woman living in the Brazilian sertão during the 1920s and 1930s. She serves as both the central character and narrator of the series, created by George Moura and Sergio Goldenberg. She had actually been chosen for the role in early 2023, following the success of Mar do Sertão.
And she wasn’t done with the sertão just yet. In May 2025, Isadora accepted director Carlos Araújo’s invitation to play Agrado Garcia, one of the protagonists of Coração Acelerado, written by Maria Helena Nascimento and Izabel de Oliveira. Agrado has dreamed of becoming a successful sertanejo singer since childhood and comes from a family with a strong tradition of female musicians.
The role required Isadora to master the accent of Goiás, which is quite different from her natural accent. But the biggest challenge? Singing and playing guitar. She looked to powerhouse sertanejo singer-songwriters such as Marília Mendonça and Ana Castela for inspiration while building the character.
From ballet to Parisian theater, soap operas to sertanejo music, Isadora Cruz’s résumé is starting to look less like a career plan and more like someone enthusiastically ticking off every item on the acting challenge list.
Facts and Trivia
Isadora Cruz has also used her platform to shine a light on serious real-world issues. She took part in a project designed to give visibility to the true stories of women who were victims of femicide at the hands of their partners or ex-partners—a powerful reminder that sometimes the most important stories are the ones that need to be heard, not entertained.
On the lighter side, Isadora stepped into the world of advertising in January 2021, portraying fortune teller Madame Colorama in a campaign for L’Oréal’s Colorama nail polish brand. Because apparently, predicting the future is just another item on her résumé.
In 2025, she became the face of Arezzo’s Christmas campaign, titled “Presença é o Presente Perfeito.” The campaign also featured her mother and grandmother, turning the family affair into a particularly glamorous holiday gathering.
Her career hasn’t been without a few unexpected detours, either. On July 17, 2023, while filming Guerreiros do Sol, Isadora was hospitalized in São Paulo after developing acute pyelonephritis, a kidney infection. She was forced to return to the hospital on July 25 following a relapse. Not exactly the kind of plot twist anyone asks for.
Then, on June 17, 2025, Isadora made her relationship with Norwegian-Brazilian skier Lucas Braathen public. From acting to advertising campaigns, family appearances and an international romance, her life off-screen certainly knows how to keep the storyline moving.
Isadora Cruz Photos
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