It’s a well-known fact that heat rises, so it’s only fitting that Marina Ruy Barbosa, Brazil’s hottest export, has her sights set on North America (especially considering her fiery red hair). The 29-year-old actress, model, and entrepreneur essentially grew up on screen, becoming a star household name in her home country and a bona fide fashion darling. That style cred led her to launch her own clothing line, Ginger. With an immense social media following and a face that turns heads quick enough to cause whiplash, Barbosa is poised to become one of the world’s most red-hot celebrities.

V MAGAZINE: You’ve basically grown up on screen. How has your relationship with acting changed as you’ve matured—not just as an artist, but as a person who the public has watched evolve?

MARINA RUY BARBOSA: There are two sides to everything. On the one hand, I will be celebrating 20 years of my career in 2025, which means I have had the privilege to do what I love from an early age. My first role was in a local telenovela, a television genre that is a big part of my country’s culture, when I was only 9 years old. Suddenly, I was part of the cast of Brazil’s largest and most important TV network, and I wanted to make the best of every opportunity. On the other hand, it can be pretty harsh and complex to grow up in the public eye. As a young girl, I changed and matured in front of millions of people, and for a long time, their opinion of me carried significant weight. I was concerned about highlighting my acting qualities, my work ethic, my depth, my versatility… So, my relationship with acting began with a deep desire to develop my craft. As years passed, I grew more secure in my work, and everything started to change. It was finally about choosing roles and projects that resonated with my heart and creatively challenged me. Today, I am all about getting out of my comfort zone. It was definitely a process. Becoming a woman and discovering who I was under public scrutiny was sometimes challenging, but it also forced me to work on myself and build my confidence. I am grateful for both the good and the bad, as they have shaped the person I am today.

V: Can you tell us a bit about the story of Tremembé, in your own words?

MRB: True crime is a worldwide phenomenon that taps into our primal curiosity about the complexity of people, a genre that is captivating audiences at a global level. It all begins with Tremembé, a Brazilian penitentiary known as the “prison of celebrities” – the setting for the story about to be told. This project is a fictional series inspired by real stories of some of the prisoners held in this facility who were convicted of heinous crimes – some of them shaped Brazil’s history and even mobilized the entire country. I play Suzane von Richthofen, whose criminal case had national repercussions: she was convicted of murdering her parents in 2002. The public was able to follow these convicts’ stories from an outside perspective, but, for the first time, we are presented with a different perspective: the relationships, alliances, and power dynamics that were developed within the penitentiary. The series is inspired by true events and is based on true crime books written by Ulisses Campbell. This kind of role requires a significant amount of study and dedication to the character’s development. It was challenging to overcome the public’s perspective and preconceptions of Suzane and allow a different version of her to emerge. This series gave me the opportunity to showcase a different side of my acting range – the public will be able to watch a character that strays quite a bit from most of the work I’ve done over the years, at least on TV. We have just finished shooting, and the series will be released worldwide on Prime Video in the second half of 2025. I am looking forward to seeing the final result. This is my first project in this format. Even though telenovelas are known for being a product with international appeal that can easily cross borders, streaming enables a more globalized approach and reach for Brazilian productions. Our local industry is home to brilliant people, and we value the opportunity to showcase their talents.

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V: Tell us about your fashion brand, Ginger. Why did you want to start a fashion brand, and how would you describe the brand itself?

MRB: I always say that creating Ginger was me chasing an old dream. I have always wanted to have my own brand since I was a little girl, and, curiously, I knew it would be called Ginger from then on. My passion for fashion came naturally to me, something I nurtured and developed over the years. As an actor, I had the opportunity to experience a wonderful and inspiring side of the industry – starring in beautiful campaigns, attending fashion shows around the world, and dressing in the most exquisite brands and pieces. However, I felt that I still wanted to exercise my creativity in other ways, that I could still bring my perspective to life in a more profound way. But I never had the time, really. During the pandemic, when the entire audiovisual industry was forced to take a few steps back, I was able to start working on this project. I dove headfirst into a completely new venture. I hired and built the entire company remotely, assembling a team entirely online. We launched our first collection in the second semester of 2020, a capsule collection that donated 100% of the profits to a local NGO supporting the Brazilian favelas – communities that struggled during the pandemic. From there, I am very proud to say that the brand experienced exponential growth. Ginger, from day one, envisioned creating a dialogue between authorial fashion, curated design, and a passion for art. We aim to create a smart wardrobe featuring versatile and timeless pieces with a fashion-forward twist. It is all about our unique curatorship and approach.

V: You’ve had global recognition, but your roots are so Brazilian. What does “Brazilian beauty” mean to you, and how do you see that ideal evolving?

MRB: Brazilian beauty can mean so many things that I would never be able to give you a rigid definition. Our country is so plural and diverse that this is what should always be celebrated. It goes way beyond physical appearance. As the concept of beauty evolves, I believe that for Brazil, it has become, to me, about warmth–something that our people embody above all else. There is an intangible beauty about this natural generosity of spirit that people feel when they come to visit us. I hope that we are seen as great people first.

V: What’s something you believe in—spiritually, creatively, or philosophically—that people might not expect from you?

MRB: Something I believe in – maybe unexpectedly – is that silence holds as much power as expression. In a world that’s so fast, loud, and constantly demands us to perform or explain ourselves, I’ve come to value the spaces in between. The stillness before a scene, the breaks between projects, the quiet moments no one claps for. Spiritually and creatively, I think there’s truth hidden in those pauses. It’s where instinct speaks loudest, where you meet yourself without needing to impress or justify. This didn’t come naturally to me, as I always felt I needed to be busy and work relentlessly. Taking time to enjoy personal time came with a sense of guilt and anxiety, and I worked really hard to change this belief. Growth doesn’t always look like movement—sometimes, it looks like stillness, reflection, or even surrender. And that’s something I have been trying to honor. I really want to be kinder to myself.

V: If you could completely reinvent yourself and start over in a different industry, with no fame, what would you do?

MRB: I believe I would never be able to escape the arts. I am drawn by the idea of becoming a vessel for something larger than myself – a collective memory, a cultural mirror. I’m not sure what that would look like, but I feel I would continue to tell stories in some way. But this makes me reflect on what success means to me and how fame has played a part in my story. I feel that recognition and success can feel like a trap sometimes, as we think we always need to do more and more. Social media demands this endless and mad cycle of constantly doing something new. With the ephemerality of our times, we feel that something is always missing, no matter what you have already accomplished. So, If I could start over, I would probably be more focused on looking for happiness and balance rather than what people call success. This is the journey I am on now, trying to balance my anxiety and perfectionism with what I believe is my true purpose. Today, I can take a step back and understand what is important to me.

V: You’ve already accomplished so much at a young age. Do you think about legacy? What would you want people to say about you in 50 years?

MRB:  I do, but not in the sense of accolades or fame. To me, it is about what I leave behind through the work. As an actor, I’ve been fortunate enough to embody stories that transcend borders, languages, and cultures – and that’s the real gift. If my performances can shift a perspective, bring life to a remarkable story, or inspire people, that’s a legacy to me. I care about what continues to resonate, not what is remembered. I want my body of work to reflect authenticity, transformation, and humanity. That’s what I hope lasts beyond me.

V: What’s something you haven’t done yet—creatively or personally—that still scares you a little, in a good way?

MRB: That is a great question. I feel like there is still so much I want to do creatively. And personally, too. Just like I did with fashion, I would love to explore other roles within the cinematography industry. I love the idea of shifting my perspective, stepping back behind the camera, and expressing my creative vision through another form of storytelling. Having a different voice within a project, like a direction role, would be an exciting challenge. I believe I would be humbled by the experience and develop my love and respect for the craft even further.

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V: The theme of our cover shoot is THE GOLDEN RULES. What are some “golden rules” you live your life by?

MRB: Leading with kindness and empathy are golden rules in my book. Those are part of my core values, and I strive to actively practice them in my day-to-day life. Uplifting women is also very important to me. It is not just about fairness – it’s about progress. I strongly believe in systemic changes, in rewriting what power and equality look like… But I also value the actions we take in our small circles and communities. To me, no gesture is too small, and making a difference in your environment is how change really begins.

V: Tell us about a “golden age” in your life—a time you look back on super fondly.

MRB: I had a really happy childhood. I was raised by strong women who taught me a great deal about self-worth. My mom, who is my favorite person in the entire world, was a bold female presence in my life. It was a simpler time, I guess. I look back, and I miss it somehow – the ease I once felt. I remember how comfortable and safe it made me feel. I am not sure if you’ve heard about a word unique to Brazil… We say “saudade”, which has no actual translation. It is a longing feeling, almost like a love that remains. It’s hard to explain, but that’s how I feel when I think about this time in my life.

This cover story appears in the pages of V154: now available for purchase!

Photography Lufré

Fashion Nicola Formichetti

Hair + Makeup Claudio Belizario (Call My Agent) using Kerastase and Charlotte Tilbury

Manicure Danielle Costa Pinheiro da Cruz 

Set design Jean Labanca Production Litmedia Productions 

Executive producer Sharon Battat 

Production manager Zoë Turjacanin 

Retouching Teu Freitas / Telhas Retouch (M.Lages) 

Lighting director Gabriel Gimines 

Stylist assistants Rapha Mendonça, Aline Swoboda Tailor Salvadora Nascimento 

Hair + Makeup Assistants Fabio Mauricio, Helo Coutinho

Set design assistants Ricardo Kranen Pinheiro da Silva, Jefferson Henrique Cunha, Giovanna Lima da Silveira, Guilherme Higa 

Studio Estudio do Cais 

Video João Luis Freitas de Almeida, Matheus Menegoi