Despite the recent explosion of scholarly interest in "star studies," Brazilian film has received comparatively little attention. As this volume demonstrates, however, the richness of Brazilian stardom extends well beyond the ubiquitous Carmen Miranda. Among the studies assembled here are fascinating explorations of figures such as Eliane Lage (the star attraction of São Paulo's Vera Cruz studios), cult horror movie auteur Coffin Joe, and Lázaro Ramos, the most visible Afro-Brazilian actor today. At the same time, contributors interrogate the inner workings of the star system in Brazil, from the pioneering efforts of silent-era actresses to the recent advent of the non-professional movie star.

"The volume embraces diverse and nuanced approaches to stardom?; all [contributors] succeed in putting their findings into readable prose. A thorough scholarly apparatus is included. The volume represents a major contribution to star studies." ? Choice

"This is [a] rich text which examines a diverse range of Brazilian stars across different time periods, genres and media platforms. Furthermore, with authors employing a wide range of approaches incorporating race, sexuality, age and gender, this volume collectively adds a new wealth of knowledge to the study of global cinematic stardom, thus far underrepresented in film scholar- ship. The set of images highlighting key performers and performances readers may be unfamiliar with is also a nice touch which adds to the overall appeal of the book." ? Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television

"The strength and originality of this tightly edited volume lie in its historical perspective and comprehensiveness. Each chapter works well on its own, but also forms part of a larger design, and the editors have done an excellent job in mapping the terrain of stardom in Brazil over a century. I know of no other volume, focused on the cinemas of Latin America, that attempts the same chronological range, from early cinema to the present day." ? John King, University of Warwick