Rodrigo Tardelli reflects on LGBT+ representation in audiovisual

For 8 years, actor Rodrigo Tardelli has contributed significantly to the audiovisual scene, both by joining casts and producing web series with an LGBT+ theme. As a partner in the production company Ponto Ação Produções, he not only reinforces the importance of continuing to produce stories for the community, but also actively participates in other independent works that expand and seek the representation that the community still needs.

Along the way, the actor brings to light gay characters that not only captivate, but also challenge conventional stereotypes. He began to bring the theme into his career in his first works. As one of Ponto Ação’s partners, the company was one of the first independent producers to focus exclusively on LGBTQIAP+ content. Tardelli shares how this initiative came about naturally.

“We chose to do the first project in 2016 for this audience and from that we felt how lacking this type of content they were. We began to understand the importance of this representation and how much it was changing the lives of the people who watched it and even their own personal relationships with friends and family,” he says.

Since then, they have made a commitment to producing representative content, which has only strengthened in subsequent years until today. The series “Até Você Me Esquecer” was one of the producer’s productions and features Rodrigo, who gives life to the character Louis.

“Louis, in addition to completely challenging me as an actor, brought me stronger contact with the community and was a very complex character, different from the others I had seen in the web series released so far on the internet. This marked the character in my career in a very overwhelming and special way”, comments Tardelli.

In addition to representation, it also reinforces the importance of natural portrayal, without presenting stereotypes or reinforcing prejudices. For him, there is a big difference in the type of TV approach to streaming and independent productions. “Although things are already changing a lot, when we started producing we saw a lot of clichés going on, or focused only on sexual or violence. We came with stories that anyone could go through, everyday life, love stories, I think this brought the public about us and our projects”.

Rodrigo Tardelli emphasizes the responsibility and privilege of being able to represent these stories in an authentic and sincere way. “Representing in a beautiful, natural way, telling stories in which they can see themselves, without judgement, crossing people with our stories… As an actor I feel privileged to be able to take from paper narratives that bring the public closer to their realities and that can collaborate in their lives and bring essential reflections to them”, concludes the artist.

By Ezatamentchy