The Heart & Hustle of Portugal

Journalist Mariana Van Zeller returns to The Heart and Hustle of Portugal and expands her love for Portugal’s mascot: Bacalhau. Listen again to this season 3 episode.
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Listen again to this episode of The Heart and Hustle of Portugal with the actor Chazz Palminteri.
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Revisit the first episode of season 3 of The Heart and Hustle of Portugal with the singer-songwriter MARO.
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Revisit this episode from season 3 of The Heart and Hustle of Portugal with comedian André de Freitas.
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Actor Afonso Pimentel, one of the most recognizable faces from Netflix’s “Turn of the Tide”, carries with him a story that reveals how a single moment of hesitation can alter the course of a career. Early on, when a casting director from Los Angeles reached out requesting his reel, Pimentel didn’t have one prepared. He asked for two weeks to assemble it: The reply never came.
Only years later did he discover what was at stake: the production was casting for a then‑unknown series titled “Lost”, a show that would go on to become a global phenomenon. The opportunity evaporated before he had the chance to compete for it, a reminder that, in the entertainment industry, timing matters, but acting on timing matters more. Windows of opportunity rarely stay open.
Today, Pimentel’s path has brought him international visibility through Netflix and a growing body of work that solidifies his reputation. Yet the missed “Lost” moment remains part of his narrative, an example of the unpredictable turns that shape creative careers. It’s a story that resonates not only with actors, but with anyone working in an industry where momentum is fragile — and where hesitation can mean watching a defining moment pass by.
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