He became known for his roles as a heartthrob in telenovelas from Rede Globo, such as Selva de Pedra (1972), Pecado Capital (1975) and O Astro (1978), among others.

[2] He worked during the day with his father at the fair and at night he studied, seeking a stable profession.

He wanted to study Law, but when he got in touch with the School of Dramatic Art of Alfredo Mesquita, he decided to be a dramaturgy professional.

In 1962, Cuoco made his feature film debut, a supporting character in Pedro and Paulo.

In 1968, he starred in Anuska, Mannequin and Woman (by Francisco Ramalho Jr.) pt:Anuska, Manequim e Mulher With intense theater production in the 1950s and 1960s, Francisco Cuoco joined television, where he performed teleteatres on extinct TV Tupi, and soap operas on TV Excelsior.