Christian Malheiros

Malheiros started his career in theater at nine years old.^[2]

He made his feature film debut as a teenager in the 2018 drama film Sócrates, for which he was nominated for Best Male Lead at the 34th Independent Spirit Awards.^[1] The film traces the story of Sócrates, a black 15-year-old teenager from Santos, in the coast of São Paulo, as he has to overcome extreme poverty, the death of his mother, and homophobia.^[3][4] The film received critical acclaim after being released on the international film festival circuit. It was shortlisted for Brazil's official entry for the Academy Award for Best International Feature.^[5][6][7]

Critics praised his performance in Sócrates. Writing for The Hollywood Reporter, critic Frank Scheck called his performance "stunning."^[8] In Variety, critic Dennis Harvey wrote "Malheiros’ terrific turn makes this protagonist credibly tough by necessity, and mature beyond his years."^[9] In The Los Angeles Times wrote that Malheiros' "facial gestures oscillate between stoicism and crushing wails."^[10] The New York Times wrote that "his charm and energy draw us immediately to his side."^[11]

In 2019, Malheiros began starring as Nando in the Brazilian crime teen drama streaming television series Sintonia, created and directed by Kondzilla, which premiered on Netflix on August 9, 2019.^[12][13] The series received positive reviews.^[14] In 2020, invited by Luiz Päetow, he starred as Angel in the Brazilian film Transmission, which premiered on September 20, 2020.^[15]