From Brazilian Star to Explosive Love Triangle Heroine, Yara Charry Spills on Her Role!

In the drama “All for the Light,” chaos erupts in the relationship between Sultana and Elimane (Loris Triolo) as Nils (Vike) secretly films his intimate encounter with Sultana and then leaks the video online. This revelation throws Sultana into turmoil, especially since she had just reunited with her long-time boyfriend.

This compelling plot is driven by Yara Charry, a celebrity in Brazil! We caught up with her on the set of this must-watch series to discuss her role, her fame across the Atlantic, and her rapport with fellow cast members. Here are her candid revelations!

AlloCiné: You’re a big star in Brazil. What attracted you to this project? Were you looking to captivate the French audience?

Yara Charry (Sultana): I was born in Paris and completed all my schooling here until I was 19. I was just about to take my baccalaureate exams when I got a call offering me a chance to act in a series in Brazil. I wasn’t an actress and hadn’t considered it before; I thought I would go into fashion design, nothing related to the arts.

Eventually, I loved it and have been acting in Brazil for seven years. I’ve done a series of TV shows, Netflix movies, and telenovelas, among other things. “All for the Light” is kind of a return to my roots because I’ve never acted in France and in my native language.

Last year, after my latest series in Brazil, I thought it’d be great to connect with the French audience and see what it’s like to act in French, something I hadn’t done before.

Before moving to Brazil, did you already speak the language?

My mom is Brazilian, and my dad is French. We’ve lived in Paris since I was born. I understood Portuguese well but had an accent. In my first series, I played a Frenchwoman, so the accent wasn’t an issue. But for the second series, the director told me, “If you want this role, you need to lose your accent. You have four months.”

I spent those four months with a speech therapist, and it worked out. Now, I speak fluent Portuguese, and people don’t believe I’m French. And I don’t have a French accent either.

Sultana has a strong personality. Do you find aspects of her in yourself?

Absolutely. I believe we all have a bit of our characters inside us. When acting, we try to tap into those elements. Sultana is very strong and charismatic. She’s ambitious and knows what she wants. I relate to that aspect.

Of course, she has her unique quirks that I don’t have, but for me, it’s a challenge to incorporate those little things we don’t share, which makes her uniquely Sultana.

The entire cast had an instant connection. It feels like we’ve known each other for ten years, even though it’s only been three months. We got to know each other while filming and attending coaching sessions, so we’ve developed a strong bond.

You’ve worked closely with Loris Triolo, who plays Sultana’s boyfriend, Elimane. How did you build your on-screen chemistry?

It was somewhat similar with Loris. It’s his first acting job, his debut on TV, which is the complete opposite of my experience. He’s very open to suggestions, and even though I’m not one to give advice, our scenes together naturally flow and we support each other well.

Being one of the few experienced actors on set, have you discussed how to handle fame with the others?

We’ve talked about it. There are several actors in the series who have done daily shows, so they have an idea of how things work, like Marie Fèvre from “Un si grand soleil.” But I think they don’t realize it’s a combination of both worlds. There will be the regular daily show audience and a completely different set of viewers.

At the same time, I think many people who watch daily shows also watch Netflix, so it’s a plus. We sometimes joke about it, and I tell them, “You’re not ready. You have to give it your all because we’re going to have a big audience!” We hope, at least.

There’s going to be a love triangle involving Nils, Sultana, and Elimane. What can you tell us about that?

Elimane isn’t present in the early episodes because he’s on tour and isn’t supposed to return. There’s a love triangle since something happens with Nils, which turns into a drama when he releases a video online. How do we fix this?

Given that she has a boyfriend and wasn’t sure if they were still together, it’s a night that completely shifts her journey in “All for the Light.” It’s a sensitive topic, but I’m glad to portray it because I think it can happen to others. Things on the internet can escalate quickly.

Was this an interesting role for you to play?

When I first read the scripts, I thought, “Wow,” because it’s a drama that could happen to any young person today. But at the same time, it’s a strong storyline because Nils is such an intense character. It all happens right at the beginning.

And Sultana is a strong girl, who knows what she wants and speaks her mind without much of a filter. We wonder how she will handle the situation, especially with Elimane returning from his tour. In fact, it almost becomes a form of blackmail.

How does she solve the problem? Sultana doesn’t give up because she doesn’t want to lose Elimane, so she gives it her all.

It’s also very relatable, as I imagine this happens to many couples…

When you’re in a relationship from a young age and together for 10 years and then go to a new school, other adventures begin. Sultana wants to give her best in this new cycle. Yes, she’s been in a relationship for 10 years, but she meets new people. He travels.

Doubts arise, and since they are young, it’s super normal and human. We just realize that Sultana is human and that it wasn’t out of malice, it wasn’t to hurt Elimane; it just happened because she is human. And then, how does she manage that?

Do you enjoy playing this character?

A lot is happening for her. As an actress, I can show many facets of her personality. Sure, she’s beautiful, has great makeup, and dresses well, and I think that all contributes to a misconception about her. In reality, she has feelings, and what happens affects her.

I find the character super interesting because there’s the dramatic side and the comedic side with everything happening in the shared living situation and with the other characters. So, I switch among several dynamics!

What would you say to people to convince them to watch “All for the Light”?

When I received the script, it immediately clicked for me, so I hope it will also appeal to the audience. There’s an aspect of “Un, dos, tres,” and that was my entire adolescence. I watched every episode multiple times. When I got home from school, it was truly inspiring to see young people dancing, singing, and excelling.

I believe “All for the Light” also shows young people excelling every day, whether it’s in family, relationships, or school. There’s a theme of self-improvement! That’s what made me instantly love the series! I hope we can bring the same thing to the audience today. We can love dance, music, and inspire people.

Join us every weekday starting at 6 PM to catch the next episodes of All for the Light on TF1.