The Heart & Hustle of Portugal

Revisit this episode from season 3 of The Heart and Hustle of Portugal with comedian André de Freitas.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Actor Afonso Pimentel, one of the most recognizable faces from Netflix’s “Turn of the Tide”, carries with him a story that reveals how a single moment of hesitation can alter the course of a career. Early on, when a casting director from Los Angeles reached out requesting his reel, Pimentel didn’t have one prepared. He asked for two weeks to assemble it: The reply never came. Only years later did he discover what was at stake: the production was casting for a then‑unknown series titled “Lost”, a show that would go on to become a global phenomenon. The opportunity evaporated before he had the chance to compete for it, a reminder that, in the entertainment industry, timing matters, but acting on timing matters more. Windows of opportunity rarely stay open. Today, Pimentel’s path has brought him international visibility through Netflix and a growing body of work that solidifies his reputation. Yet the missed “Lost” moment remains part of his narrative, an example of the unpredictable turns that shape creative careers. It’s a story that resonates not only with actors, but with anyone working in an industry where momentum is fragile — and where hesitation can mean watching a defining moment pass by.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Actor Piper Perabo’s path to the screen began with a landline phone call: producer Jane Rosenthal contacted the young performer at home with the words every new actor hopes to hear: “You got the part”. Just six months after graduating from college, Perabo found herself on set with Robert De Niro, an early break that set the pace for a varied and steadily rising career. Although widely recognized for her roles in “Coyote Ugly” and the series “Covert Affairs” Perabo’s story begins far from Hollywood. Raised on the Jersey Shore, she is the daughter of a poetry professor and grew up in an environment steeped in the arts. Perabo was among the featured guests at this year’s Tribeca Festival Lisboa, attending the opening-night screening of “In the Hand of Dante”. Piper’s first time in Lisbon was a moment she will treasure forever, as she remembers a particular afternoon around a “ginjinha” place downtown in the pouring rain.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paula Lobo Antunes’s recent role in the film “A Teacher’s Gift” is as memorable as the path that brought her here. Whether playing the villain in Flor do Mal or a leading protagonist in Mar de Paixão, Paula knows she made the right decision the day she quietly applied to drama school while still studying medicine. She opens up about her career, her life, motherhood, and family. She recalls how her father, the renowned neurosurgeon João Lobo Antunes, operated on an HIV patient at a time when no one else would dare. Throughout this conversation with Tony Gonçalves, Paula reveals a lifelong sense of not fully belonging, of working hard, and of constantly competing with herself. And the work speaks for itself. She also brings forward a Portuguese trait that no other guest has named so clearly: the constant apologizing, the “forgive me for existing” mentality. What does that mean for the cultural identity of a small country with enormous talent?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Rodrigues is the man behind @howtocookstuff, a very entertaining collection of videos and reels about authentic Portuguese food (and slang). Born in the US, his parents immigrated from Lisboa and, as he recalls in this conversation with Tony Gonçalves, his mother’s food was always simmering in the kitchen, filling it with those typical Portuguese scents. One day he was craving a real bifana (a typical Portuguese pork sandwich cooked in broth and fat) and he made a simple video. That was the start of his cooking channel and of his global following that has spanned two cookbooks. David Rodrigues is all about traditions and real Portuguese food (and a little chaos) and if you watch his videos you’ll be uttering sentences like “come e cala-te” in no time. A real ambassador for Portuguese flavours, David is the perfect guest for this holiday season.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.