Sunessis De Brito is a Brazilian-born actress and commercial model whose journey to the international stage began with the crown of Miss Reef International. Now a rising force in Los Angeles, De Brito has seamlessly translated her background as a professional dancer and physical educator into a multifaceted acting career.
With a versatile portfolio spanning theatre, television, and global cinema—including recent roles in Blow for Blow and Deadly Vows—she brings a unique rhythmic energy and cultural authenticity to every performance. Having honed her craft across Brazil, London, and New York, she is now stepping into the spotlight with several lead feature films in development. We sat down with Sunessis to discuss her transition to Hollywood, the influence of her musical roots, and how she navigates the competitive landscape of modern streaming and film.
IT’S A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU WITH US, SUNESSIS, AND WELCOME TO ABOUT INSIDER. COULD YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS AND SHARE A BIT ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY FROM BRAZIL TO THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE?
It’s a pleasure to visit with you and thanks for having me. I am a Brazilian Actress and Commercial model based in Los Angeles. My international modeling career brought me straight to California for a few days (my first time ever in the US), and since then I had a feeling that this place was special for me. It all started when I won the Miss Reef Brazil’s contest. The brand Reef is inspired by surfing and beach culture and is based in California. So, I started to model for Reef in Brazil and later they invited me to compete in the Miss Reef International contest in Panama. I won first place, and after that I modeled for them worldwide – I was on the Reef World’s calendar, so I got the chance to come to San Diego with the other Miss Reef Winners from other countries and we had a great time signing posters and promoting the brand.
YOU’VE BUILT A CAREER ACROSS ACTING, SINGING, AND DANCING. HOW DID THIS MULTIFACETED ARTISTIC PATH BEGIN FOR YOU?
It all began with a passion for jazz and street dancing, so I took classes when I was a teenager and that turned into a career. Artistically I started as a professional dancer, performing with the best artists in Brazil, Japan, and China. I also taught Lamba Aerobics, a Brazilian dance style, and when I went to college, I earned my degree in Physical Education. Meanwhile I had a hardcore girl’s band called ‘Hitch Lizard” where we performed in some festivals and even recorded a few songs. During that time, I started theatre classes at the main Theatre in my hometown Santos.
MOVING TO THE USA IN 2018 IS A BIG STEP, WHAT MOTIVATED THAT TRANSITION, AND HOW DID IT SHAPE YOUR CAREER?
I had a consistent modeling and acting career throughout the years in Brazil, including publicity campaigns, TV shows and films. Between 2010 to 2015 I visited NYC a few times and studied film acting in some of the best schools. In 2016 I lived in London, studied English and acting there but then realized that Hollywood was the place where I wanted to be so I got my working visa to start my career here.
YOUR RECENT PROJECTS, SUCH AS BLOW FOR BLOW AND DEADLY VOWS, HIGHLIGHT YOUR GROWING PRESENCE IN GLOBAL CINEMA… WHAT DREW YOU TO THESE ROLES?
I was drawn by the great opportunity of working with outstanding crew and cast, the story and message of the films and the genres. Both are great films and it’s an honor to be part of them.
YOU’VE WORKED ACROSS FILM, TELEVISION, AND THEATRE – HOW DOES YOUR APPROACH DIFFER WHEN PERFORMING IN EACH MEDIUM?
Each one of them requires different styles and techniques, in any of the three art forms what matters is portraying a character truthfully and bring this character to life.
AS SOMEONE BLENDING MUSIC WITH ACTING, HOW DOES YOUR MUSICAL BACKGROUND INFLUENCE YOUR PERFORMANCES ON SCREEN?
It helps me to create a more immersive way of telling a story by conveying feelings through voice and heightening emotions.
THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY CAN BE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE – WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU FACED AS AN INTERNATIONAL ARTIST, AND HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM?
The competition in Los Angeles is another level; I’ve realized that you have to face it head-on! The audition process is very challenging even more nowadays with self tapes. Since I moved here, I’ve been studying with the best acting coaches to work my craft and I have a dialect coach to help me with my American standard accent.
WITH PLATFORMS LIKE AMAZON PRIME, APPLE TV, AND TUBI EXPANDING GLOBALLY, HOW DO YOU SEE STREAMING SHAPING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS LIKE YOURSELF?
I think it brings great benefits such as global visibility, more diverse casting opportunities and cultural authenticity.
LOOKING AHEAD, WHAT KIND OF ROLES OR PROJECTS EXCITE YOU THE MOST, AND WHAT CAN YOUR AUDIENCE EXPECT NEXT FROM YOU?
The lead roles excite me the most. I have two feature films in development, one is a crime drama that will be my first lead role, and I’ll shoot that between LA and Arizona. The other one is called “Matter of Strife” – a 1970’s story about an Afro-American’s return to the USA after serving in Vietnam. The War of Regret.
Connect with Sunessis De Brito on Instagram @sunessisdebrito
