Diogo Sales is a Brazilian actor. He is best known for his role as a Dothraki in season 6 of "Game of Thrones" on HBO, for his stage performances in "The Two Gentlemen of Verona" at the Barbican and at The Complete Works Royal Shakespeare Company Festival, along with his leading role in "Amazonia" at the Young Vic theatre in London.
Background
Diogo was born on August 24, 1985, in Rio de Janeiro into a working-class family. His parents worked hard to support their three children; his father was rarely at home, traveling internationally as a percussionist, whilst his mother worked during the day as a systems analyst and attended college at night. Diogo's childhood was split between the district of Botafogo and his grandparents' house in the Tijuca favela. He was surrounded by artistic people thanks to his father and at an early age, he dreamed of a career in the world of performing arts.
Education
After moving to London, Diogo was trained at the Identity School of Acting, the United Kingdom and the United States double award-winning drama school founded by Femi Oguns.
Without any formal training, Diogo kick-started his acting career in 2002 as a percussionist and actor, playing a supporting role at the mainstream stage production of "Capitães da Areia" after his talent was recognized by the play's director, Pedro Vasconcelos, at the famous Teatro Vannucci in Rio de Janeiro. From there, Diogo began his training by seeking out as many free-acting social projects as he could, gaining scholarships at various drama schools.
In 2003, Diogo successfully auditioned for Grupo Nós do Morro, the nationally acclaimed favela-based theatre project. Here, despite the dangers of gang violence regularly disrupting rehearsals, he spent over four years developing his acting skills, discovering his versatility for interpreting a wide range of different characters. He was given the opportunity to act in a variety of works by playwrights such as Garcia Lorca and Shakespeare.
Diogo first went to the United Kingdom in 2006 with the Nós do Morro theatre company, invited by the RSC to feature in the Complete Works Shakespeare Festival at The Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. During the rehearsal period, he had the opportunity to work with Cicely Berry, RSC voice director, and coach. Diogo's role in "The Two Gentlemen of Verona" received great acclaim from theatre critics both in England and Brazil, including praise from Barbara Heliodora for his role as Crab, the dog.
He spent 2007 touring Brazil with ''The Two Gentlemen of Verona," then made his return to British theatre following an invitation from the Barbican. His success there led to a leading role in Colin Teevan's "Amazonia" at the Young Vic theatre in London's West End. His accomplished physical acting skills resulted in a critically-acclaimed raw interpretation of his character, the bull. After the show, Diogo decided to stay in London to continue pursuing his career as an actor internationally.
Diogo's on-screen debut was a recurring role in season 6 of "Game of Thrones" on HBO. He then went on to feature in the first episode of the Brazilian broadcaster Rede Globo's prison drama series "Carcereiros" (Jailers). This episode premiered globally at MIPTV's MIPDrama Screenings competition in Cannes, winning the Grand Jury prize in the full episode category.
Diogo Sales is also known for achieving the runner-up position in "Saltibum" season 3, the Brazilian reality diving competition series based on the Celebrity Splash! format, broadcast by Rede Globo. He was also a contestant in "Dancing Brasil", a Brazilian reality television series based on the ABC celebrity dance competition "Dancing with the Stars", produced by Endemol Shine in partnership with BBC, hosted by Xuxa Meneghel, and broadcast by RecordTV.
In 2016 Sales had the honor of being interviewed by Brazil's legendary talk show host Jô Soares on "Programa do Jô" to celebrate his achievements as an actor at home and abroad.
Diogo's motivation and passion for the craft have garnered him a successful career as an actor with some of the most renowned directors both at home in Brazil (José Eduardo Belmonte, Carolina Jabor) and internationally (Jeremy Podeswa, Daniel Sackheim). He has honed his raw talent over many years, and his commitment and drive mean he will continue to dedicate himself to his development as an actor over the course of his lifetime.
