Biography
Denise Dumont is considered the typical girl from Rio de Janeiro. Born in the state of Ceará, Brazil, in a family of artists, she is the only daughter of musician Humberto Teixeira with pianist Margarida Polis Teixeira. Her father Humberto, known as "Doctor Baião", died in 1979, was co-author of the famous popular song "Asa Branca, and is considered one of the greatest Brazilian composers ever, inventor of a new rhythm: the "Baião". Denise began her career in the soap-opera O Semideus (1973), in 1973, a Globo TV production. Considered in the end of 1970s one of the most beautiful and talented actress of her generation, she posed for Brazilian Playboy in 1980. Then, she was one of the biggest sex symbols of Brazil. Her main success on television was soaps "Marrom Glcé" (1979), Marina (1980), when she played the title role, and "Voltei pra Vce" (1983). On the big screen, she was the actress in leading roles in Terror e Êxtase (1979), Filhos e Amantes (1982) and Rio Babilonia (1983). In 1985, she began her international career. Appeared in Hector Babenco's Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985). In 1987, she was chosen by Woody Allen to play a parody of the Brazilian bombshell, singer Carmen Miranda, in Radio Days (1987), singing "Tico-tico no Fubá", a Miranda's great hit. Settled since the end of 1980s in New York, Denise has two children: Diogo (27) with Brazilian actor Claudio Marzo, and Anna Bella Chapman-Smith (16), with British writer Matthew Chapman, great-grandson of Charles Darwin.
