Soap Actor Guilty in Murder of Co-Star

A Brazilian soap opera actor was convicted of murdering his co-star in what prosecutors said was a brutal case of life imitating art. Guilherme Padua, 27, was found guilty of premeditated murder in the 1992 stabbing death of Daniella Perez, 22. Padua was sentenced to 19 years in prison. In 1992, Padua and Perez were the stars of Brazil’s top-rated nightly soap opera, “Body and Soul.” He played Bira, a jealous and brooding man rejected by Perez’s fiery Yasmin. Prosecutors said Padua was romantically involved with Perez and that he plotted with his wife to kill the actress.