Julio Rocha tells how he balances work and fatherhood: 'True fame is being called daddy'

" My children remind me that true fame is being called 'daddy' at the end of the day ." This is a quote from actor Julio Rocha (45) who, after saying goodbye to the season of Life Begins at 60 , already has new projects up his sleeve. In an interview with CARAS Brasil , he talks about how he reconciles his day-to-day work with fatherhood, and the reflections that the play brought to his life.

Married to Karoline Kleine (36), Julio Rocha is the father of José (5), Eduardo (4) and Sarah (1). The artist assures that it is in his family that he finds the strength to face challenges in his career. " It's juggling with emotion: one hand holds the script, the other a child, and in the middle there are toys on the floor and diapers in the bag [laughs]. But that's where my base is. And that gives me a boost that no award in the world could give ."

And this was no different when he returned to the stage. In Aguinaldo Silva 's play (81), he played the complex Amaro, representing the reinvention and discovery of new desires in mature age. The character transformed alongside the character Lourdes ( Luíza Tomé ), challenging society's stereotypes about love and life after 60.

Although he is still far from 60, Rocha says he does not suffer when facing the passage of time, and wants to be working when he reaches that age. " If everything goes well, by 60 I want to be on stage — or at camp with grandchildren calling me an exaggerator. Both seem like great destinations to me ."

" I deal with time as a master and not as an enemy. I want to grow old laughing, working, being teased by my children and falling in love with life again and again ", he adds. Now, after saying goodbye to production, the artist says he already has new projects, however, he does not detail what is coming.

" I can say that great things are coming, made with soul and a focus on real transformation. Projects that combine entertainment, purpose and impact, because I believe that good art is that which continues to work even after the curtain closes ."

Below, Julio Rocha gives more details about the season of the play A Vida Começa aos 60, which ended last Saturday, the 11th, and tells us what it was like working with the cast and the director. Read edited excerpts from the conversation.

What was it like being in the play Life Begins After 60 , by Aguinaldo Silva?

Aguinaldo didn't write a play, he wrote an arrow—it goes straight to the heart. It's light, funny, but it talks about new beginnings, about pain, about life. Shakespeare said that 'all the world's a stage', and Aguinaldo reminds us that it's never too late to step onto it again.

What was it like sharing the spotlight with Luiza Tomé?

A privilege. Luiza has a light that permeates everything. Her delivery is visceral, generous and at the same time playful. On stage, we challenge each other, embrace each other, have fun—and this creates a kind of truth that the audience feels right away. It's like acting alongside a force of nature: you don't control it, you feel it and go with the flow.

Did you have any challenges playing Amaro?

Amazing. Amaro is a man who has stopped living. He just survives. An ex-convict, with a toxic past, full of guilt and silence. To play this guy, I had to strip away my vanity and access the rawest layers within myself. He is a character who talks about pain, but mainly about second chances. And living this on stage is an act of faith. The cast is exquisite and Maciel 's direction is one of the best things I have ever seen in my life.

How important is it to have this love story represented?

Because love after 60 is an act of resistance. A love without performance, without games — just surrender. The play shows that starting over is not shameful, it is courage. And Lourdes, played by Luiza, represents so many women who allowed themselves to blossom after pain. It reminds me of figures like Jane Fonda or Fernanda Montenegro — women who continue to inspire others to never give up on living intensely.

CHECK OUT JULIO ROCHA'S RECENT POST ON HIS INSTAGRAM PROFILE: