Fátima Ptacek facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fátima Ptacek
Fátima Ptacek at the 2014 Alma Awards
Born	(2000-08-20) August 20, 2000 (age 24) New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actress model
Years active	2007–present

Fátima Ptacek (born August 20, 2000) is an American actress and model. She is also a human rights activist. Fátima works with UN Women on their #HeForShe campaign. This campaign helps promote gender equality, meaning equal rights and opportunities for everyone.

She is well-known for her main role in the 2012 short film Curfew. This film won an Oscar. She also starred in its longer movie version, Before I Disappear, in 2014. Fátima also lent her voice to the famous character Dora Márquez. She was the voice of Dora in the Nickelodeon TV show Dora the Explorer from 2012 to 2019. She also voiced Dora in Dora and Friends: Into the City! from 2014 to 2017.

About Fátima's Life

Fátima Ptacek was born and grew up in New York City. She lives there with her parents. Her mother is from Ecuador. Her father has family roots from Colombia, the Czech Republic, Ireland, and Norway.

Fátima is a talented gymnast. She competed at a high level in United States of America Gymnastics. She also enjoys English equestrian riding, which is a type of horseback riding. When she was younger, she hoped to compete in the Olympic Games.

She is also very good at school. In 2010, she was aiming for a scholarship to top universities like Harvard or Yale. She attended a special school for very smart children. In 2013, she joined the National Junior Honor Society, which recognizes excellent students. Fátima has said she might want to become a lawyer one day. She even dreamed of being elected President of the United States when she was a child! Because of her remarks, she was invited to watch debates at the New York State Assembly and New York State Senate. She was even recognized for her contributions to the arts. Besides speaking English and Spanish fluently, Fátima has been learning Mandarin Chinese since she was a child. In 2018, she started studying at Stanford University.

Fátima's Career

As a child, Fátima was very busy. She appeared in more than 70 TV commercials. She was also on the covers of many national magazines. She was one of the few child models to walk the runway at Bryant Park. This happened during the yearly Fall Fashion Week in New York City.

Fátima was first discovered by Wilhelmina Models. Later, she was represented by Abrams Artists Agency. Her acting in the Oscar-winning film Curfew brought her a lot of attention. Major talent agencies wanted to work with her. She eventually chose ICM.

Fátima was one of the highest-paid child models in the world. She was the "face of" Ralph Lauren. She also worked on big campaigns for designers like Bonnie Young, Miss Sixty, Monna Lisa, and Siviglia. She also modeled for popular brands like Guess, The Gap, H&M, and Benetton.

One of her most famous campaigns was for Macy's in 2009. She played the childhood role of "Virginia" in Macy's holiday campaign. This campaign was based on the story Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus. Fátima appeared in many newspaper ads and TV commercials. She worked with celebrities like Donald Trump, Queen Latifah, Martha Stewart, and Carlos Ponce. She also made public appearances for Macy's. These appearances helped raise money for the literacy organization, Reading is Fundamental (RIF). She even appeared on the cover of Newsweek magazine.

Acting Roles

In 2009, Fátima was cast in the comedy film The Rebound. She acted alongside Catherine Zeta-Jones. After some smaller roles, she got main roles in several movies released in 2013 and 2014. These included A Little Game, Anything's Possible, Tio Papi, and A Miracle in Spanish Harlem.

Fátima has also appeared in many TV shows. These include Saturday Night Live, A Gifted Man, Royal Pains, The Beautiful Life, and Body of Proof. She even appeared on Sesame Street with First Lady Michelle Obama.

Voicing Dora the Explorer

In November 2010, Fátima signed a three-year contract to be the voice of Dora in Dora the Explorer. The first new episodes with her voice aired in January 2012. She took over from previous voice actors. Fátima said she was a fan of Dora before she got the role. She was chosen from about 200 girls who auditioned.

This role earned her an award for "Best Young Actress - Television" at the 2012 Imagen Awards. She was also nominated for "Outstanding Performance in a Children's TV Series" in 2014. Fátima voiced Dora in many special episodes. These include Dora Rocks!, Dora's Rescue in Mermaid Kingdom, and Dora's Fantastic Gymnastics Adventure.

Curfew and Before I Disappear

Fátima starred in the short film Curfew (2012). She also appeared in its full-length movie version, Before I Disappear (2014). These films are about a sad man who has to take care of his niece. The director, Shawn Christensen, saw Fátima on a morning TV show. He hoped she would do well in the audition, and he described her as "phenomenal."

Fátima's performance in Curfew received a lot of praise. Critics called her acting "a breakthrough," "memorable," and "charming." They noted her "eerie, mature confidence for someone so young." The film was nominated for "Best Live Action Short Film" at the 85th Academy Awards. The film won the Oscar, and Fátima was there to celebrate. She also attended the Vanity Fair Oscar party.

Fátima herself won several awards for her role. She won Best Young Actress at the 2012 Sapporo Short Fest. She also won Best Actress at the 2013 Rincon International Film Festival and the 2013 Vaughan Film Festival.

Dora and Friends: Into the City!

Fátima also voiced Dora in Dora and Friends: Into the City! (2014–2017). In this show, Dora is older, so Fátima could use a more natural voice. She was even allowed to change some lines to make them sound more like how young people really talk. Fátima won "Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children’s TV Series" at the 2015 NAACP Image Awards for this role.

Helping Others

Fátima loves to help people. She volunteers as a "Celebrity Ambassador" for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. This foundation works to prevent and treat AIDS in children. She has also worked with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This foundation grants wishes to children with serious illnesses. She also helped the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital.

Because she loves reading, Fátima has worked with the SAG Foundation's BookPALS (Performing Artists for Literacy in Schools). She also supports Reading Is Fundamental. In 2013, the Latino Commission on AIDS named Fátima their youth ambassador.

Fátima's Film and TV Roles

Awards and Recognition

See also

In Spanish: Fátima Ptacek para niños