Guilherme Pontes Karam (8 October 1957 - 7 July 2016), best known as Guilherme Karan, was a Brazilian actor.

Biography

Son of the admiral and Minister of the Navy in the

João Figueiredo João Baptista de Oliveira Figueiredo (; 15 January 1918 – 24 December 1999) was a Brazilian military leader and politician who was the 30th president of Brazil from 1979 to 1985, the last of the military regime that ruled the country follo ...

government, Alfredo Karam and Lydiane Pontes Karam. Most of his work is comic, and was once a member of the Brazilian ''

TV Pirata ''TV Pirata'' (Pirate TV) was a weekly Brazilian comedy show aired on Rede Globo between 1988 and 1990, being re-aired monthly in 1992. Some of the writers later went on to form the comedy troupe Casseta & Planeta. The show was first aired in Apri ...

comedy show Stand-up comedy is a comedic performance to a live audience in which the performer addresses the audience directly from the stage. The performer is known as a comedian, a comic or a stand-up. Stand-up comedy consists of one-liners, stories ...

, one of the greatest hits of humor, screened by

Globo TV TV Globo (, "Globe TV", or simply Globo), formerly known as Rede Globo, is a Brazilian free-to-air television network, launched by media proprietor Roberto Marinho on 26 April 1965. It is owned by media conglomerate Grupo Globo. The TV station ...

. His most prominent work on TV is Butler Porfírio in

telenovela A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar drama genres around the world include '' teleserye'' ...

Meu Bem, Meu Mal Meu Bem, Meu Mal (''My Good, My Evil'' in English) is a Brazilian telenovela produced and broadcast at 8:00pm by TV Globo, October 29, 1990 to May 18, 1991, in 173 episodes. Plot Lázaro Venturini, majority shareholder of Venturini Designers ...

''.

Disease

On 29 April 2005, he was robbed in a

taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice ...

, with his purse stolen. Karam physically suffered nothing, but the taxi driver was killed by reacting. Apparently, since the time of the assault Karam began to manifest symptoms of Machado-Joseph disease, a degenerative syndrome, also known as spinocerebellar ataxia type 3, which compromises motor coordination and control over muscles. Forced to switch to a wheelchair to get around, he has since stayed away from the stage and television. According to his father, Alfredo Karam, who gave statements to the Rio newspaper ''

Extra Extra or Xtra may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Film * ''The Extra'' (1962 film), a Mexican film * ''The Extra'' (2005 film), an Australian film Literature * ''Extra'' (newspaper), a Brazilian newspaper * ''Extra!'', an American me ...

'', he inherited the illness of his mother, who died due to this same genetic anomaly. The other three brothers of the actor have already presented the disease - two already died.

Death

The actor died on 7 July 2016, at the Hospital Naval Marcílio Dias, as a result of the Machado-Joseph syndrome. His body was buried in

Cemitério de São João Batista Cemitério de São João Batista (Saint John the Baptist's Cemetery) is a municipal necropolis originally owned and operated by the ''Santa Casa da Misericórdia do Rio de Janeiro'' (Holy House of Mercy of Rio de Janeiro), and run, since August 20 ...

.Miguel Falabella se despede de Guilherme Karam: "Atravessei uma tormenta sob seu abrigo". Falabella lembrou de quando passou dificuldades financeiras e Karam levava comida para ele
Revista Caras

Works

Film

Television

*1984: ''

Partido Alto Partido Alto refers to a type of samba with a number of particularities. In the world of samba subgenres and in samba reunions, partido alto songs (informally called ''partidos'') can represent a time for improvisation and (humorous or not) dispu ...

'' - Políbio *1986: ''Tudo ou Nada'' (

Manchete Rede Manchete (; lit.: Headline Network; also known as TV Manchete or only Manchete) was a Brazilian television network that was founded in Rio de Janeiro on 5 June 1983 by the Ukrainian-Brazilian journalist and businessman Adolpho Bloch. The ne ...

) - Jorjão *1986: ''Dona Beija'' (

) - Hans Fucker *1987: ''Alta Estação'' - Renato *1988: ''Carmem'' (

TV Manchete Rede Manchete (; lit.: Headline Network; also known as TV Manchete or only Manchete) was a Brazilian television network that was founded in Rio de Janeiro on 5 June 1983 by the Ukrainian-Brazilian journalist and businessman Adolpho Bloch. The ne ...

) - Trajano Paulo *1988-1990 ''

'' - Various Characters *1990: ''

'' - Porfírio *1992: ''

Perigosas Peruas Perigosas Peruas is a Brazilian telenovela produced and displayed at the time of 19 hours by TV Globo, February 10 to August 28, 1992, in 173 chapters. Substitute '' Vamp'' and be succeeded by ''Deus Nos Acuda''. Written by Carlos Lombardi, with ...

'' - Hector *1995: ''Engraçadinha, seus amores e seus pecados'' - Ib Teixeira *1995: ''

Explode Coração ''Explode Coração'' is a Brazilian telenovela produced by TV Globo. The series aired between 6 November 1995 and 4 May 1996, with a total of 155 episodes. It was written entirely by Glória Perez and directed by Ary Coslov, Gracie, and Carlos ...

'' - Bebeto "A Jato" *1998: ''

Hilda Furacão ''Hilda Furacão'' (English: ''Hilda Hurricane'') is a 1998 Brazilian miniseries written by Glória Perez, based on Roberto Drummond's book, starring Ana Paula Arósio in the title role. Plot The most sought-after prostitute in the Belo Hor ...

'' - João Dindim *1998: ''Pecado Capital'' - Jurandir *2001: ''

O Clone O, or o, is the fifteenth letter and the fourth vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''o'' (pronounced ), pl ...

'' - Raposão *2003: '' Sítio do Picapau Amarelo'' - Anibal *2005: '' América'' - Geraldito (final appearance)

References

External links

** {{DEFAULTSORT:Karan, Guilherme 1957 births 2016 deaths Deaths from neurodegenerative disease Neurological disease deaths in Rio de Janeiro (state) Male actors from Rio de Janeiro (city) Brazilian male television actors Brazilian male telenovela actors Brazilian male film actors Brazilian male stage actors Brazilian people of Lebanese descent 20th-century Brazilian male actors 21st-century Brazilian male actors