Chapter 33 – The News for the Family
Gustavo could barely contain his excitement.
That was, without a doubt, one of the greatest achievements of his career.
Playing Getúlio Vargas in a film directed by Fernando Meirelles was not just a new role…
It was proof that he was being taken seriously as an actor.
He needed to tell the three people who mattered most.
Walter. Nanda. Selton.
He picked up his cell phone, opened the WhatsApp group called "Clube dos Imortais" (a name created by Selton, of course) and typed quickly.
Gustavo: Urgent. Video call NOW.
Nanda answered first.
Nanda: If this is just another crazy thing of yours, I swear that…
Selton: For the love of God, Gustavo, are you going to announce that you're dating Megan Fox?!
Walter: I'm going to join. I hope it's not another international scandal.
Gustavo laughed out loud.
He pressed the video call button and, one by one, the three answered.
On the screen, Fernanda Torres was wearing sunglasses, clearly hungover.
"If this is about a new helicopter or you going viral again, I'll hang up."
Selton Mello appeared next, holding a cup of coffee.
"Come on, what was the absurd news this time?"
Finally, Walter Salles joined the call.
"Okay, Gustavo, what's up now?"
Gustavo smiled, trying to contain his excitement.
"I got a new role."
Everyone was silent for a moment.
Fernanda raised an eyebrow.
"Okay… But it's not just any role, right?"
Gustavo took a deep breath and dropped the bombshell:
"I'm going to play Getúlio Vargas in Fernando Meirelles' new film."
Chaos began.
Selton Mello CHOKED on his coffee and started coughing.
Fernanda took off her sunglasses, widening her eyes.
Walter, who always remained calm, simply remained silent, processing the information.
Selton was the first to really react.
— ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!
Fernanda ran her hand over her face, completely shocked.
— My God… That's HUGE, Gustavo!
Walter finally smiled.
—Fernando Meirelles?
— Yes! — Gustavo confirmed, still smiling.
Walter nodded slowly, thoughtfully.
— That changes everything.
Selton threw himself back on the couch, still trying to process.
— You went from a rebellious young man at the Oscars to Getúlio Vargas in a Meirelles film. My God…
Fernanda looked at the screen of her cell phone as if she were analyzing Gustavo in a new way.
— Do you have any idea how heavy this role is?
— Of course I do! And that's why I accepted it. I want to challenge myself.
Walter smiled proudly.
— So you know what you need to do now, right?
Gustavo nodded.
— Yes. I'm going to dive headfirst into it.
The call ended with Selton still laughing in shock, Fernanda saying she was going to open a bottle of wine to celebrate, and Walter calmly starting to think about how to help Gustavo prepare.
When Gustavo hung up the call, he took a deep breath, looking at the ceiling.
The responsibility was enormous.
But, for the first time in a long time, he felt like he was ready for any challenge.
Chapter 34 – The World Discovers
In the days following Gustavo's audition to play Getúlio Vargas, he woke up with his cell phone vibrating non-stop.
Messages. Missed calls. Notifications exploding.
He blinked a few times, still a little dizzy, picked up the phone and saw that the headlines were already everywhere.
On Brazilian websites:
O Globo:
"Gustavo Salles will play Getúlio Vargas in Fernando Meirelles' new film!"
Folha de S. Paulo:
"From the Oscars to politics: Gustavo Salles will play Getúlio Vargas in the movies!"
UOL Entretenimento:
"Fernando Meirelles casts Gustavo Salles to play Getúlio Vargas in a blockbuster about the former president!"
On international websites:
Variety:
"Oscar-winner Gustavo Salles to star as Getúlio Vargas in Fernando Meirelles' next political drama."
The Hollywood Reporter:
"Brazilian rising star Gustavo Salles takes on historic role as Getúlio Vargas in Fernando Meirelles' upcoming film."
Deadline:
"After winning an Oscar, Gustavo Salles lands lead role in new Fernando Meirelles film about Brazil's controversial leader."
Twitter exploded.
— Gustavo had barely finished going viral during Carnival and he already got another huge role. This guy just can't stop!
— I didn't even know we needed a movie about Getúlio, but now I want to see it JUST because Gustavo is in it.
— Brazil is really dominating world cinema. Gustavo Salles + Fernando Meirelles = OSCAR MOVIE!
On Instagram, Gustavo gained more than 500 thousand followers in just a few hours.
The comments on his posts were a real collective outburst.
— You just keep winning!
— Gustavo, for the love of God, get some rest!
— First Oscar, then dancing samba at Carnival, then Jimmy Fallon, now Getúlio Vargas? WHAT IS THIS LIFE?!
In an interview with Folha de S. Paulo, Fernando Meirelles was asked about the choice of Gustavo for the role.
His answer made Gustavo almost fall out of his chair when he read it.
— When I saw Gustavo Salles acting in "I'm Still Here", I realized that he had a rare presence on screen. He has that thing that can't be taught, that ability to capture the scene with a simple look.
The reporter asked if he already knew that Gustavo was the right choice in the audition.
Meirelles smiled and answered:
— I'll tell you a secret. When he started the scene, in the first few seconds, I already knew it would be him.
The internet went crazy with this statement.
— FERNANDO MEIRELLES SAID HE CHOSE GUSTAVO IN THE FIRST SECONDS OF THE TESTING. IT'S HIM, PEOPLE!
— Gustavo Salles is on his way to becoming the greatest actor of his generation.
— If this film isn't nominated for an Oscar, I'll personally organize a protest.
Amidst the absolute chaos, Gustavo finally picked up his phone and posted a story on Instagram.
It was a video of him lying in bed, staring at the screen, clearly still processing everything.
— Good morning... or rather, I don't even know if it's good morning anymore because I woke up with my phone on fire.
He laughed and ran his hand over his face.
— Yes, it's true. I'm going to play Getúlio Vargas in Fernando Meirelles' new film. Yes, I'm still trying to understand how this happened so quickly. Yes, I'm really excited.
He paused dramatically.
— And yes, I already know that they're going to make fun of me saying "this guy never rests."
He laughed again.
— But let's agree... If Fernando Meirelles called you for a role like that, would you say "no, I'm tired"? OBVIOUSLY NOT!
The internet loved his reaction.
— Gustavo being humble, but at the same time aware of the level he's at. I LOVE IT.
— "If Fernando Meirelles called you, would you say no?" THERE'S NO WAY TO DISPUTE THAT!
— This kid is a phenomenon.
Soon, several celebrities began to congratulate Gustavo publicly.
Selton Mello, on Twitter:
— "My boy became Getúlio! You were born for this, Gustavo!"
Fernanda Torres, on Instagram:
— "Now I'm really impressed. Getúlio Vargas is one of the most difficult roles in the history of Brazilian cinema. And if there's anyone who can do it, it's you, Gustavo." Walter Salles, in an interview with O Globo:
— "Gustavo has always been an instinctive actor. Now he's going to prove that he's also a composition actor."
Even international actors commented.
Timothée Chalamet, on Instagram:
— "Dude, you're in career speedrun mode. Congrats!"
Ariana Grande, on Twitter:
— "Ok, this is insane. So happy for you, Gustavo!"
After seeing all the messages, Gustavo decided to post something simple on Twitter.
He simply wrote:
"Let's make history."
The post reached 1 million likes in a few hours.
Because everyone knew...
He was already making history.
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