Carmen Santos is a Portuguese actress who has built a substantial career in theatre, film, and television, and is particularly recognized for her extensive work in dubbing foreign productions into Portuguese. Born in Lisbon on March 12, 1946, she began her artistic journey in university theatre during the 1960s before turning professional in 1975 when she joined the theatre company Os Bonecreiros. Her on-screen career includes roles in numerous Portuguese films and television series, with collaborations including work with acclaimed director Manoel de Oliveira on projects such as Amor de Perdição (1978), O Princípio da Incerteza (2002), and O Estranho Caso de Angélica (2010).

Beyond her live-action work, Santos has been a prominent and prolific voice artist in the Portuguese dubbing industry, lending her voice to a wide array of characters in international animated series and films, particularly from Japanese animation. Her versatility is evident in the range of roles she has performed, from young girls to older women and even male characters. A prime example from her early work is the 1981 Portuguese dub of the anime series Koguma no Misha, where she voiced the character Natasha, the best friend of the titular bear, as well as the roles of Babalu and Mãe do Joy. She also contributed to the first Portuguese dub of the classic anime series Heidi, A Girl of the Alps, providing the voice for the protagonist, Heidi.

Her dubbing work spans several decades. In the 2009 Portuguese dub of the Studio Ghibli film Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, directed by Hayao Miyazaki, she voiced the character Yoshie, in addition to providing the voice for Deusa do Mar. She was also part of the Portuguese cast for the anime adaptation of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, where she took on multiple roles, including the character Becky. Her other notable voice roles in anime include appearances in productions such as Candy Candy, The Jungle Book: The Adventures of Mowgli, Marco, and the Pokémon films Pokémon 3 and Pokémon 4Ever, in which she voiced the character Jessie.

In addition to her work as a voice actress, Santos has also taken on creative and leadership roles in the dubbing process. She has served as a dubbing director for the Portuguese versions of several anime series, including Hoshi no Ko Chobin, Urikupen Kyūjotai, and notably for the film Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea. Her contributions to the performing arts have been recognized with industry accolades, including a win for Supporting Actress and a total of three wins and five nominations for her work in film.