Chica Xavier facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chica Xavier
Xavier in 2010
Born	(1932-01-22)January 22, 1932 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Died	August 8, 2020(2020-08-08) (aged 88) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Nationality	Brazilian
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1953–2012
Spouse(s)	Clementino Kelé ​ (m. 1956)​
Children	3

Chica Xavier (born Francisca Xavier Queiroz de Jesus; January 22, 1932 – August 8, 2020) was a famous Brazilian actress and producer. She acted in plays, movies, and TV shows. Chica Xavier was especially known for her roles in TV soap operas, called telenovelas, on Rede Globo. She was also a very active stage actress for 60 years! Chica Xavier was born in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. She was married to actor Clementino Kelé.

Early Life and First Steps in Acting

Chica Xavier started working when she was just 14 years old. She worked as a bookbinder, which means she helped put books together, at the Official Press of the State of Bahia. In 1953, she moved to Rio de Janeiro, a big city in Brazil. There, she began to study acting with a famous teacher named Pascoal Carlos Magno.

Her first time acting on stage was on September 25, 1956. This special event happened at the Teatro Municipal, a famous theater. Chica Xavier acted in a play called Orfeu da Conceição. She performed alongside other talented actors like Haroldo Costa and Léa Garcia. In the play, she played a character called Dama Negra, which means "Black Lady." This character was a symbol of Death. She would say lines from the poet Vinicius de Moraes and dance to atabaques. These are special Afro-Brazilian drums.

Becoming a TV and Movie Star

Chica Xavier's first movie role was in Assalto ao Trem Pagador in 1962. This movie was directed by Roberto Farias. After that, she started working on many TV shows for Rede Globo, a big TV network in Brazil.

In 1973, Chica Xavier made her TV debut in a telenovela called Os Ossos do Barão. Over her career, she played more than 50 different characters on television! Some of the popular telenovelas she was in include Sinhá Moça, Dancin' Days, and Renascer. She also acted in a special TV series called Tenda dos Milagres. In this series, she played a mãe-de-santo named Magé Bassã. A mãe-de-santo is a spiritual leader in the Afro-Brazilian religion of Candomblé.

Author and Spiritual Leader

Chica Xavier was not just an actress; she was also an author! In 1999, she published a book called Chica Xavier canta sua prosa: Cantigas, louvações e rezas para os orixás. This book included songs, praises, and prayers for the orixás, who are spirits in the Candomblé religion. Her friend, the actor Miguel Falabella, wrote the introduction for her book. Her daughter, Izabela d'Oxóssi, drew the pictures for it.

In 2013, a book about Chica Xavier's life was written by Teresa Montero. It was called Chica Xavier: Mãe do Brasil, which means "Chica Xavier: Mother of Brazil." This shows how important she was to many people. Chica Xavier was born in a Candomblé terreiro, which is a temple or sacred space for the Candomblé religion. She later became a leader of a Candomblé religious community in Rio de Janeiro called the Cercado de Boiadeiro.

Film and TV Roles

Chica Xavier acted in many movies and TV shows throughout her career. Here are some of them:

See also

In Spanish: Chica Xavier para niños