Netflix’s Senna TV show will tell the story of the Brazilian Formula 1 legend in what will be the first scripted biographical look at Ayrton Senna’s life, meaning this will also be the first time an actor will play the late pilot in a movie or TV show. Many projects tried to tell Ayrton Senna’s story in scripted cinema or television over the years, but none moved forward until Senna, which will premiere in 2024 on Netflix. A three-time world champion, Ayrton Senna is widely considered one of the best F1 pilots to ever do it, if not the best.
Ayrton Senna tragically died on May 1, 1994, after an accident during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, abruptly ending one of the most impressive sports careers of all time and causing national and international grief. Senna’s Formula 1 legacy is massive on its own, but his icon status in Brazil is even bigger. Senna played a huge role in making F1 popular in Brazil, and his name and legacy remain important decades after his death. Therefore, choosing who would play Ayrton Senna in the Netflix biopic series was certainly not an easy process.
Senna Is Played By Gabriel Leone In Netflix’s TV Show
Gabriel Leone is 30 years old
Brazilian actor Gabriel Leone, whose breakout role in Brazil was in the 2013-2014 season of the TV series Young Hearts, will play Ayrton Senna in Netflix’s Senna show. Leone is 30 years old and has been in multiple Brazilian telenovelas, movies, and TV shows. He was recently part of the cast of Ferrari, where he played the also Formula 1 pilot Alfonso de Portago. Ferrari marked Leone’s Hollywood debut, but Senna will not be his first time working on a series for a global streaming platform. Leone previously starred in Dom, Prime Video’s first original Brazilian scripted series.
Gabriel Leone was born in 1993, a year before Senna’s tragic before. The upcoming Netflix show was produced alongside Senna Brands, the company created and maintained by Ayrton Senna’s family. As a result, Leone was given the blessings of Senna’s family (via Formula 1) to portray the F1 legend in what will be the first long-form biographic portrayal of his life. Netflix’s Senna is not the first attempt at a biopic of the Brazilian icon, and even a Michael Mann film potentially starring Antonio Banderas was once considered but did not materialize.
What Gabriel Leone Looks Like Compared To The Real Senna
Leone resembles the late pilot quite a lot
Gabriel Leone was 29 during the filming of Senna. Ayrton Senna’s Formula 1 debut happened in 1984 when the pilot was 24 years old. Therefore, Leone is the perfect age to portray Ayrton Senna in the different stages of his career and life, which were tragically cut short when Senna was just 34. Leone’s looks also match Senna’s appearance, especially when the actor adhered to curly hair. The first official photo for Senna, which offered a first look at Leone and the other actors at the time of filming, highlighted a striking resemblance between the actor and the F1 legend.
The cast of Senna also includes Alice Wegmann as Lílian de Vasconcellos Souza, Senna’s wife in 1981; Pâmela Tomé as Xuxa Meneghel, Brazilian TV host and Senna’s girlfriend in 1980; Gabriel Louchard as Galvão Bueno, Brazil’s biggest sports narrator and personal friend of Senna; Kaya Scodelario on an undisclosed role, and more. All of the cast members resemble the real-life people they are playing, and it will be interesting to see how the series will portray some of the more famous figures that were part of Ayrton Senna’s life.
How Gabriel Leone’s Previous Projects Set Up His Senna Role
Leone has played his fair share of iconic roles
Senna will not be Gabriel Leone’s first time playing a Formula 1 pilot, as the actor was recently in Ferrari as Alfonso de Portago. During an interview with Collider, Leone discussed how he auditioned for both parts back-to-back and eventually realized he was going to play two F1 pilots within a year and a half. The actor also listed the differences between the two productions, noting that Ferrari was mostly shot on the real track with the actors and stunt drivers, whereas Senna’s production used an LED studio for the closeup shots.
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Senna is not the first time Leone plays a role of significant cultural impact either. Although it is a very different context since it is a fictional character and not a biographical role, Leone starred in 2021’s Eduardo and Monica, a feature film based on one of Brazil’s most popular songs. Additionally, Gabriel Leone played Roberto Carlos, who’s considered Brazil’s “King of Music”, in 2019’s Minha Fama de Mau. Between popular local shows, plays, and his Hollywood debut, Leone’s previous projects clearly justify his choice for the role of Ayrton Senna in Netflix’s biographical series.
Sources: Collider
