With most of my career in Portugal, I've had the opportunity to act in a variety of mediums, playing very different characters, human and not, female and male, and of all ages and socio-economical backgrounds.
This has allowed me to develop my range... and have a blast while at it! :)

In the United States, my focus has been mostly on on-camera work.

My most relevant "(arche)types" are the CARE-GIVER and the SAGE (mother, nurse, social worker, medical doctor, phychologist, teacher, journalist, lawyer...)

And I'd summarize my most marketable characteristics as "empathetic, joyful and intelligent care-giver of strong vulnerability, who can be stubborn and aggressive, at times".

Sandra is a Portuguese actress and former dancer, currently based in NYC.

Between Dance and Acting, she has performed in Portugal, Belgium, Italy, Spain and the USA.

Some of her past credits include:

  - Film: shorts and indie features
  - TV, fiction: series, soaps, animation voiceover

 - TV, other: music videos, commercials, show co-hosting (gameshow, variety talkshow), gala performances, talkshow guest appearences.


  - Theatre: 24 productions, including Fool for Love (as May) in Lisbon, and He & She (as She) in NYC.

She's a certified and experienced teacher, with a Licentiate degree in Clinical Psychology.
Sandra has a deep interest in transformation through art, and a profound admiration of "The Innocence Project", with which she hopes to, one day, collaborate.
She's still a proud member of "CDA", the theatre company/cultural association she co-founded/directed, in Portugal (2004-13), where she was also a producer, an occasional writer and director.

The only child of Physical Ed. teachers, I was born in Angola (Portuguese colony, at the time) and was months old when my family returned to Lisbon, Portugal. There, I grew up enjoying a (never wealthy, but) happy childhood, in a safe neiborhood where we could smell the ocean and kids could run free. I had plenty opportunities to scuff my knees.

 

Even though I modeled as a baby ;-)  I'd say my artistic career started at age 11-12, dancing in the Disney feature of a popular TV show. At 18, while in college, I obtained a full scholarship at Rui Horta's Dance School and, that same year, booked a show which became my stepping stone into professional dancing.

I worked on variety TV and stage shows, theatre, commercials, game-shows, beauty pageants, galas, music videos...

 

At the turn of the century, after encouraging words from a director (who became a dear friend), I decided to fuel the long-time closeted dream and started studying acting. I became a union-affiliated professional actress in Portugal, in 2003.

 

In order to keep acting instruments sharp, I often go back to class. In 2007, during an "artistic recycling" stay in New York expected to last 6 months, I met my now husband, and stayed two years! We got married in 2011 and lived in different continents until I received my GreenCard and moved back to New York, in 2015.

After settling down and adjusting, I was back to business!!

 

From my diversified training, I highlight the "Professional Fine Arts Training in Theatre" (Hagen Technique, NYC, 2007-2009) and its teachers Carol Rosenfeld, Trudy Steibl, Karen Ludwig, Lorraine Serabian and Austin Pendleton... as well as Marcia Haufrecht, Michael Margotta, Antônio Terra, John Mowat and Van Hansis.

 

Between stage, television and film, Dance and Acting, I was fortunate to perform in Portugal, Belgium, Italy, Spain and the USA.

In film, I played the lead in many shorts and participated in three indie features.

In TV, did a variety of fiction and commercial/hosting work.
In theater, was cast in two dozen productions, having been directed by Rasa Allan Kazlas and David Teschendorff in NYC, and Antônio Terra, Attílio Riccó, Pedro Pires, Amauri Tangará, Nuno M. Cardoso, Hugo Barreiros and Tiago Torres da Silva, in Portugal. I designed the set for and directed the musical "The little lost kitten" (with an adorable 3-5 year-old cast); Created/directed "Não há dois sem três" and "Doze"; And wrote/set-designed/directed the play "Ponto de encontro".

 

With a Licentiate degree in Clinical Psychology and being a certified teacher, I have a deep interest in transformation through art. In Portugal, I taught physical expression and theatrical interpretation, developing artistic and human/social skills ("soft skills").

 

I'm a co-founder of the Portuguese non-for-profit theatre group and cultural association "Companhia de Actores" (CDA), having integrated its board from the foundation, in 2004, until 2013. It was born from my relationship with Antônio Terra,

and fed by his desire to create his own theatre language, our wish to keep developing as artists, and our dream to use art to change lives.

We gave it sweat, tears, and I think actually some blood...

 

Our social work was granted 2 awards: a Merit Award from Oeiras City Hall to the Company; and one from the prestigious Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation to that same City Hall, for CDA's "Ampliarte Project - Culture and social intervention", which they supported and of which I am also a co-founder.

For CDA, besides performing, I also taught, produced, and dabbled into writing and directing.

 

In the US, I'm focusing in the NY market.

I deeply care about a few social causes, and whole-heartedly wish to one day collaborate with "The Innocence Project", which work I profoundly admire.

I share my life with my husband and adopted puppy.