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Osvaldo Laport Biography
The actor Osvaldo Laport was born in Uruguay but made a name for himself throughout Latin America after moving in 1976 to Buenos Aires, where he enrolled in drama school. More than three decades later, he is a star whose career has spanned the theatre, cinema and television.
Laport broke into Corrientes, the Argentine version of New York's Broadway in 1980. He starred in a number of hit plays, including the lead role in Oscar Wilde's classic "The Importance of Being Earnest." He also played opposite Soledad Silveyra in "El Cuarto Azul." In 1983, he landed a part in the soap opera, "Cara a Cara," starring Verónica Castro. Laport has never looked back, acting in about 30 soaps - playing the lead in more than half of them.
His roles in programmes such as "Brujas," "Amor en Custodia" and "Campeones" have made him a household name in more than two dozen countries around the world, including Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Chile, Israel, Italy, Malaysia, Spain, Uruguay and Venezuela.
They have, moreover, won prizes. Laport won Italy's prestigious Telegatto award for his role in "Renzo e Lucía." He is also a two-time recipient of Argentina's Martín Fierro - the country's most important national television and radio award - for his roles in "Amor en Custodia" and "Campeones."
Laport began supporting UNHCR in 2004, when he gave a percentage of the earnings from his men's fragrance, Tiempo, to the refugee agency. The same year, he donated his services for an award-winning television spot marking World Refugee Day (June 20).
He has since taken every opportunity - be it on TV shows, at concerts, celebrity auction or sports events - to help and promote the work of UNHCR and tell the public about the plight of refugees and asylum-seekers. He was named a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador in 2006 and has helped raise the agency's profile in the Spanish-speaking world.
Since 2008, he has been spending more time building up a musical career, giving concerts in Argentina and Uruguay. On the small screen, he has been playing more realistic and grittier characters and has attracted a broader audience.