“The Azores, for me, are inexhaustible!”
With a 66-year career, Júlio Isidro has become more than just a historic figure in Portuguese television: he has become a living memory of the medium itself. He witnessed the early decades of RTP, re invented formats, accompanied generations, and continues, at 81, to bring people together with the same curiosity and passion as always. A fre quent visitor to the Azores, he always returns with a fresh perspective—attentive to what remains to be seen, what he continues to discover, and what, inevitably, surprises him all over again.
Do you remember your first plane ride?
The first time I flew wasn’t really a trip—it was just a short flight. We took off from Portela in an Auster, a single-engine, high-wing plane, and flew over the Sintra Mountains before landing. I was 13 years old.
My first commercial flight came shortly after, on a Lisbon–Porto route, aboard a four-engine SkyMas ter. They served a meal on that very short flight, and for a 14-year-old boy, it was unforgettable.
Does traveling still feel like a discovery, or has it become a ritual?
Travel has never become routine. For me, every flight is unique. I don’t view the airplane as mere transportation. I’ve been coming to São Miguel frequently in recent years, and even so, it’s always a great thrill the moment the island first appears on the horizon. It’s a mix of recognition and sur prise. Discovering the island never ends.
Are there destinations you always feel like returning to?
It would be impossible not to mention the Azores—because that’s how I truly feel. This ar chipelago boasts an inexhaustible natural beauty, with landscapes that unfold, places that surprise, and an authenticity that is difficult to find in other destinations.
I really want to visit Corvo, where I haven’t been yet. And, even though I’ve been to several islands for work, when you’re working, you never get to see everything. Returning to explore at a leisurely pace is a whole different experience.
Italy is another destination that fascinates me for the same reason: it never gets old.
What’s your connection to the Azores?
Do you remember the first time you visited the ar chipelago? I remember it perfectly. The first time was on Terceira, many years ago. Then came other is lands, many programs, including the last televi sion program at the Coliseu Micaelense before its renovation.
What sets the Azores apart is their ability to sur prise. There isn’t a single “special spot”—there are many. From bend to bend, the landscape transforms as if someone were setting up suc cessive scenes. I really want to drive through the interior of São Miguel with my family, taking our time, to experience that succession of natural wonders.
After so many interviews you’ve conducted, was there any that truly surprised you?
I’ve done over a thousand interviews in Portugal and several hundred abroad. The interview with Eunice Muñoz was particularly touching. With Ruy de Carvalho, every conversation has a forceful sense of humanity.
Abroad, I remember the great Jessica Tandy—a conversation so affectionate that I told her I wished she were my mother. I also interviewed Richard Gere. And perhaps the most fun was with Dustin Hoffman; we ended up joking around, try ing to figure out who had the bigger nose.
There were hundreds of interviews, and almost all of them left a special fondness in me.
Where does the energy for so many projects and interests come from?
Sometimes I don’t even know if it’s energy—I think it’s passion. I find myself drawn into unexpected situations. Not long ago, I went to a movie premiere about table tennis, and I ended up playing with Olympic champions. I, who hadn’t picked up a racket in over 50 years! In the end, I even remarked, “I was doing a sport, and it didn’t hurt at all.” When we do something with pleasure, the body cooperates; the energy appears because it has to. And I believe that one of the secrets to living well is maintaining curiosity. As long as there is curiosity, there is movement.
Model aircraft flying has been a part of your life for many years. What do you find in that world that you can’t find anywhere else?
And I believe that one of the secrets to living well is maintaining curiosity. As long as there is curiosity, there is movement. Model aircraft flying is a constant challenge. Building a model tests my cognitive abilities and fine motor skills and gives me a sense of calm that’s difficult to explain. It’s an exercise in precision.
I still go to England to compete with my English friends—I have many awards from that area. My wife participates with me every year: I build the models, and sometimes she’s the one standing in front of me. It’s a shared joy.
What does it mean to be a cultural ambassa dor for the Coliseu Micaelense?
It is, first and foremost, a delightful surprise. My connection to the Coliseu came about naturally: I was invited to host World Fado Day, in an edition dedicated to my friend José Pracana. It went so well that they invited me again. I’ve hosted the event three times now, always with great pleasure.
That’s where my emotional connection to the venue began. The Coliseu is gorgeous; it was exemplarily restored and is being used with tre mendous cultural intelligence. I attended the launch of this year’s program and was impressed by the quality and variety: an absolutely extraor dinary cultural and entertainment lineup.
Whenever I come, the hall is full—and that says a lot about the people of São Miguel and the pride they feel for their Coliseum.
A complete communicator
Over the course of six decades, Júlio Isidro has built a career marked by curiosity, versatility, and a constant desire to learn. With a degree in film and television from UCLA, he directed docu mentaries, taught photography and film in the Army, and collabo rated with the Walt Disney Company—experiences that shaped the rigorous and creative perspective that still defines him today. He is the author of more than ten children’s books and an auto biography. He has written, hosted, and created content on fields ranging from music and comedy to culture and entertainment. Furthermore, he has worked in advertising, journalism, events, and theater, always with the same communicative generosity that the public recognizes.
Awards and honors
• Grand Cross of the Order of Merit (2020) – Presidency of the Republic
• Commander of the Order of Infante D. Henrique (2006)
• Medal of Cultural Merit (2020) – Government of Portugal
• Medal of Cultural Merit of the City of Lisbon (2024)
• Golden Globe – Merit and Excellence (2025)
• He has also received more than 40 national and international awards throughout his six-decade career.
Connection to the Azores
• Publicly honored at the Coliseu Micaelense in January 2026, marking his 66-year career.
• Cultural ambassador of the Coliseu Micaelense
• Frequent visitor to São Miguel • On board Azores Airlines, he fulfilled a long-held dream: to visit Canada
Career in numbers
• 66-year career
• 15,000 hours of television
• 35,000 hours of radio
• 1,000+ national interviews
• 300+ international interviews
• Thousands of pieces of content created in entertainment, culture, comedy, and music
