Herman José is widely regarded as the most prominent comedian and entertainer in the Portuguese entertainment scene, with a career spanning multiple decades. His journey began in the 1970s, when he started performing as a singer and co-hosting various television shows, including the popular "Zip-Zip" program.
Herman's breakthrough as a comedian came with the success of "O Tal Canal," a show that featured him playing various characters from a fictional television channel. This was followed by another hit show, "Hermanias," which was unfortunately interrupted by government demands after he made a joke about Our Lady of Fátima, a revered religious icon in Portugal.
Despite this setback, Herman's career never lost momentum. He went on to host several other popular shows, including the Portuguese version of "Wheel of Fortune" called "Roda da Sorte," as well as "Com a Verdade m'Enganas" and "Parabéns." Initially, these shows were not intended to be humorous, but Herman's hosting skills soon turned them into comedy classics.
After a brief hiatus, Herman returned to the stage in the 1990s with two new shows, "Herman Enciclopédia" and "Herman 98," which showcased his continued ability to make audiences laugh. The scripts for these shows were primarily written by Produções Fictícias, a television production company owned by Herman.
In the year 2000, Herman made the bold move of leaving his longtime home at RTP, the Portuguese public television network, to join the private channel SIC. He hosted a talk-show called "HermanSic," which marked a departure from his traditional style of humor. While some critics felt that his new approach was less effective, Herman was able to maintain his loyal fan base by incorporating more obvious humor, often with physical or sexual references.
Throughout his remarkable career, Herman José has left an indelible mark on Portuguese entertainment and culture. His characters and quotes have become a part of the country's popular lexicon, and he is widely regarded as the biggest entertainer and cultural icon in Portugal.
