She was placed for adoption to a family that was part of a travelling drama company that was staying at an inn where her mother worked.

At the age of nine, her adoptive father died and the company moved to Portugal, performing in Chaves, Bragança, Porto and elsewhere in the north of the country.

[1][2][3] After a tour of the area south of Lisbon, including Setúbal, Rey returned to Lisbon and auditioned at both the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos and the D. Maria II National Theatre, where the jury included the writer António Feliciano de Castilho.

Having received grammar and Portuguese lessons, in November 1857 she began working at the theatre, alongside Carlota Talassi and Emília Adelaide.

Playing the role of the ingénue, she achieved many triumphs in a short period and by 1859 she was included in a list of biographies of prominent actors in Portugal and Brazil.