mara virgínia manzan (28 may 1952 – 13 november 2009) was a brazilian actress. at the age of 17, mara, at the time living and studying in são paulo, visited the teatro oficina, and, as she often jokingly said, never left it. there she made all kinds of backstage activities, until one day she had the chance to replace a sick actress in a play. in march 2008, acting as "amara" in "duas caras", she discovered to suffer of lung cancer, and was operated by surgeon drauzio varella on 16 april that year. the actress had already faced a cancer of the uterus and ovaries and had to undergo a radical hysterectomy. her condition worsened and the actress died at the age 57. mara manzan died of pulmonary failure.