When he was fourteen he started working as a film operator at Cine Teatro Ilheus, where he also learned how to draw posters. In 1937,  he was contracted as a poster designer at Circo Havaí. It was in this circus that he started rehearsing on the flying trapeze and also as a clown, making his debut in 1941 at Circo J. Lima. There he met Maria Ana, who became known as Leda Rios, the singer. They got married and worked for the amusement park Versailles and after inaugurated Trupe Versailles. In 1946, they joined Circo Fekete. There, they learned stage techniques from Alberto Fekete. A few years later, Joval creates the Companhia Joval e seus artistas and in 1948 he and Barreto Junior became partners in Teatro Al Mare, in Recife. Barreto Junior was the main character in the play "Amor", by Oduvaldo Viana. Two years after Joval and Leda left the company and joined Crco Nerino however coming back to Barreto Junior's company in 1954. Financial problems led him to abandon his career and he started working for Agro Fabril Mercantil. In his return he took part in the Teatro de Revista for a short period at Circo Pavihão Nacional in Alagoas before retiring.