Born to a German father and a Gaucho mother, Vera began her acting career in the early 1980s, when she performed with Nelson Rodrigues the Eterno Retorno and Macunaíma, with Antunes Filho. The song "Vera Gata" by Caetano Veloso may be related to her.[1]
In 2005, Vera caused controversy when appearing on the cover of Época magazine with the title "I Had an Abortion", (the actual abortion was at the age of 25).[1] The cover won the Esso prize for a magazine graphical creation .[2]