Lídia Franco

Lídia Franco began her career as a dancer after training at the Ballet School of the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos. Awarded a scholarship by the Instituto de Alta Cultura, she moved to Paris, where she studied with some of the most renowned ballet masters. Her professional career as a dancer included the Companhia Portuguesa de Bailado, Grupo Fernando Pessoa and Ballet Gulbenkian, followed by the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, under the direction of Maurice Béjart.
Lídia later studied Theatre in London and Paris, supported by scholarships from the British Council and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. Her acting career began at Teatro Estúdio de Lisboa, under the direction of Luzia Maria Martins, and has since spanned an extensive body of work in Portugal and internationally, with companies and institutions including A Barraca, A Comuna, Teatro Experimental de Cascais, Artistas Unidos and Teatro Nacional D. Maria II.
In film, Lídia has worked with several renowned Portuguese and international directors, including Manoel de Oliveira, João César Monteiro, João Canijo, João Botelho, Alain Tanner and Terry Gilliam. More recently, she joined the cast of Santo António, directed by Rúben Alves.