Osvaldo Laport Biography

Osvaldo Laport was born in Uruguay but only made a name for himself as an actor after moving in 1976 to Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina, where he studied at the Luis Tasca drama school for six years. More than three decades later, he is a star whose career has spanned the theatre, cinema and television.

Laport broke into Corrientes, the Argentine version of New York's Broadway in 1980. He starred in a number of hit plays, including the lead role in Oscar Wilde's classic, "The Importance of Being Earnest." He played opposite Soledad Silveyra in "El Cuarto Azul." Around this time, he also started his cinema career with a role in the Argentine-Uruguayan production, "Maldita Cocaína: Cacería en Punta del Este".

In 1983, Laport landed a part in "Cara a Cara," starring Verónica Castrohas, and he has since acted in more than 15 TV soap operas. His roles in "Brujas," "Amor en Custodia," and "Campeones" have made him a household name in countries around the world, including Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Chile, Israel, Italy, Malaysia, Spain, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Along the way, he has picked up several prizes. Laport won Italy's prestigious Telegatto award for his role in "Renzo e Lucía." He is also a two-time recipient of Argentina's Martín Fierro - the country's most important national television and radio award - for his roles in "Amor en Custodia" and "Campeones."

Since 2008, he has been spending more time building up a musical career, giving concerts in Argentina and Uruguay. On the small screen, he has been playing more realistic and grittier characters and has attracted a broader audience.

Laport began supporting UNHCR in 2004, when he gave a percentage of the earnings from his men's fragrance, Tiempo, to the refugee agency. The same year, he donated his services for an award-winning television spot marking World Refugee Day (June 20). He has since taken every opportunity - be it on TV shows, in the media, at concerts, celebrity auction or sports events - to help and promote the work of UNHCR and tell the public about the plight of the forcibly displaced.

He was named a Goodwill Ambassador in 2006 and has helped raise the refugee agency's profile in the Spanish-speaking world. He has met refugees and internally displaced people in Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In July 2012, he travelled to Uruguay to meet President Jose Mujica and talk about the work of UNHCR.

Laport, who is married and has a daughter, was awarded a prize for his humanitarian work during the international film festival, Cine Migrante, in Buenos Aires in October 2012.