Fernanda Montenegro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fernanda Montenegro
ONM
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Montenegro in 2019
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| Born |
Arlette Pinheiro Esteves da Silva
16 October 1929 Campinho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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| Education | Pedro II School |
| Alma mater | Berlitz Corporation |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1950–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Fernando Torres
(m. 1953; died 2008) |
| Children | Cláudio Torres Fernanda Torres |
Fernanda Montenegro (born October 16, 1929) is a famous Brazilian actress. Many people think she is the greatest Brazilian actress ever. She is often called the grande dame (which means a very respected lady) of Brazilian theater, movies, and TV.
She made history for her role in the movie Central Station (1998). She was the first Brazilian to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. This was also the first time an actress was nominated for an Oscar for a role in a Portuguese language film. Later, she became the first Brazilian to win an International Emmy Award for her acting in Sweet Mother (2013).
Fernanda Montenegro has won many national and international awards. In 1999, she received Brazil's highest civilian honor, the National Order of Merit. This award recognized her amazing work in Brazilian performing arts. She has also won the Molière Prize five times. She received the Governor Award of the State of São Paulo three times.
In 1998, she won the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the 48th Berlin International Film Festival. This was for her role as "Dora" in Central Station. This role also earned her nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.
On television, she was the first actress hired by TV Tupi in 1951. She starred in many TV plays there. She started acting in telenovelas (Brazilian soap operas) in 1954. She has worked for most of Brazil's main TV channels. These include Band, TV Cultura, RecordTV, and TV Globo, where she has been since 1981.
In 2013, Forbes magazine named her the 15th most influential celebrity in Brazil. During the opening of the 2016 Summer Olympics, Fernanda read a famous poem. It was "A Flor e a Náusea" by Carlos Drummond de Andrade.
In 2021, she was chosen to join the Brazilian Academy of Letters. This is a very important group of writers and thinkers. In 2024, she was recognized by Guinness World Records. She had the biggest audience ever for a Philosophy lecture. Over 15,000 people watched her read from a book by Simone de Beauvoir.
Contents
Her Early Life
Fernanda Montenegro was born as Arlette Pinheiro Esteves da Silva. Her father, Vitório Esteves da Silva, was a mechanic from Portugal. Her mother, Carmen Nieddu Pinheiro Esteves da Silva, was a housewife whose parents were Italians from Sardinia.
Her Amazing Career
Starting in Theater and TV
In the late 1940s, Fernanda adapted famous plays for radio. She began her acting career in theater in 1950. Her first play was Alegres Canções nas Montanhas (Happy Songs on the Mountain). She worked with Fernando Torres, who later became her husband. She also worked with other famous actors like Sérgio Britto and Cacilda Becker.
In 1951, she became a TV pioneer in Brazil. She worked for Rio de Janeiro's TV Tupi. This was the second TV station in South America. She appeared in many TV plays between 1951 and 1970.
In the early 1960s, she moved to São Paulo. She focused mainly on theater at first. In 1963, she took her first role in a telenovela called Pouco Amor Não é Amor. She then had many important telenovela roles. These included A Muralha (1968) and Sangue do Meu Sangue (1969).
During the 1970s, Fernanda focused more on theater and movies. She still had a praised TV performance in the play Medea in 1973. In the late 1970s, she returned to TV with Cara a Cara (1979). For this role, she won the Best Actress in Television Award.
The 1980s brought Fernanda back to TV in a big way. She appeared in telenovelas like Baila Comigo (1981) and Brilhante (1982). She had a huge hit with Guerra dos Sexos (1983). This was a fun comedy about arguments between men and women. In this show, she had a famous food fight scene. She won her second and third Best Actress in Television Awards for her work in Brilhante and Guerra dos Sexos.
The early 1990s were also successful for Fernanda on TV. She starred in two popular prime-time telenovelas: Rainha da Sucata (1990) and O Dono do Mundo (1991). Both became Brazilian favorites. Later, she appeared in the mini-series Incidente em Antares (1994). This show was based on a book by a great Brazilian writer, Érico Veríssimo.
In 1997, her comedy telenovela Zazá did not do well. Despite changes, the show was canceled early. However, this was soon forgotten because of her huge success in the movie Central Station.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, her TV career had some ups and downs. She had a small but successful role as Mary (mother of Jesus) in the mini-series O Auto da Compadecida (1999). In 2001, another comedy telenovela, As Filhas da Mãe, did not succeed. Even so, Fernanda was nominated for a Best Actress award for it.
In 2002, she took a smaller role in the telenovela Esperança. While her acting was praised, the show itself was not popular. These small setbacks were often overlooked. This was because of her continued success in movies and her status as a beloved artist in Brazil.
Fernanda returned to TV success in 2005. She had a supporting role in the mini-series Hoje É Dia de Maria. This was a fantasy story that was praised for its creativity and acting. Fernanda was nominated for another Best Actress award.
The next year, she starred in the prime-time drama Belíssima (2006). She played the clever villainess, Bia Falcão. Critics and audiences loved her performance. For this role, she won her first Contigo Award for Best Actress. She also won her fourth Best Actress in Television Award.
In 2008, she played Dona Iraci in the mini-series Queridos Amigos. This show was set during Brazil's change from a military dictatorship to a democracy. In 2010, she starred in the telenovela Passione. In 2012, she appeared in the mini-series As Brasileiras.
In Sweet Mother, she played Dona Picucha, an 85-year-old widow. She faced life with humor and handled difficulties well. Fernanda said, "Picucha is 85 years old and still does not know what she wants to be when she grows up. I don't either." Fernanda won an Emmy Award for this role. She was the first Brazilian actress to do so. She played the same character in the TV series in 2014. She was nominated for another Emmy in 2015, and the series won Best Comedy.
In 2013, at 85, Fernanda returned to TV in the remake of Saramandaia. In the same year, she was in the telenovela Babilônia. She played Teresa, a lawyer in a relationship with another woman.
Her Film Career
Fernanda's movie career began in the mid-1960s. Her first film was A Falecida (The Deceased) in 1965. She won her first film award, the Candango Trophy, for Best Actress.
In the 1970s, she appeared in more movies. In 1978, she starred in Tudo Bem (Everything's Alright). This movie won the top prize at the Brasília Festival of Brazilian Cinema.
In 1981, Fernanda starred as Romana in Eles Não Usam Black-Tie (They Don't Wear Black Tie). This movie was a big hit in Brazil. It also won major awards at film festivals worldwide.
She focused on TV in the 1980s, so her movie roles were fewer. But she had a small role in A Hora da Estrela (Hour of the Star) in 1985. This movie won many awards in Brazil and internationally.
Fernanda returned to film in 1994. She appeared in a part of the movie Veja Esta Canção (Rio's Love Song). In 1997, she had a small role in O Que é Isso, Companheiro? (Four Days in September). This movie was about the kidnapping of an American consul in Brazil. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Central Station
In 1998, Fernanda gave an amazing performance in Central do Brasil (Central Station). She played Dora. The movie was very successful in Brazil. It won four awards, including Best Film and Best Actress for Fernanda.
Central Station also received huge international praise. It won three major awards at the Berlin Film Festival. These included Best Film and the Silver Berlin Bear for Best Actress for Fernanda. The film won many other awards worldwide for Best Foreign Film. These included a BAFTA and a Golden Globe.
Fernanda received many honors for her role. She won Best Actress awards from several film festivals. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe and an Academy Award. This made her the first Brazilian and Latin American actress to be nominated for an Oscar. She was also the first person nominated for an Oscar for a performance in the Portuguese language. In 2025, her daughter, Fernanda Torres, also received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress.
21st Century Films
After Central Station, Fernanda appeared in Gêmeas (1999). Her daughter, Fernanda Torres, starred in it. In 2000, the TV mini-series "O Auto da Compadecida" was made into a movie. Fernanda played the Holy Mary in it.
In 2004, Fernanda's film career was very active. She returned to the Berlin Film Festival with O Outro Lado da Rua (The Other Side of the Street). She won the Best Actress Award at the Tribeca Film Festival for this film. In Brazil, she also won the Best Actress award for it.
The same year, she had a supporting role in Redentor (Redeemer). Her son directed it, and her husband co-starred. It was a big hit in Brazil. Also in 2004, she played Leocádia Prestes in the movie Olga. This film was about a German socialist revolutionary.
In 2005, Fernanda took on three different roles in Casa de Areia (The House of Sand). She shared these roles with her daughter, Fernanda Torres. The movie was highly praised in Brazil. It also showed potential for international success.
In 2006, Fernanda led a movement against a law that would reduce funding for cultural programs. She spoke to the Brazilian Senate, saying, "Culture is, above all, a social need. It is not a frivolity." For her actions and career, she received an Honorary Award in 2007. Also in 2007, she played a small role in Love in the Time of Cholera. This was her first role in an English-language film.
In 2012, Fernanda starred in the short film A Dama do Estácio. In 2013, she was in the movie Time and the Wind. This film was based on a novel by Erico Verissimo.
In 2024, at 95 years old, Fernanda Montenegro set a Guinness World Record. She had the largest audience for a philosophical reading. Over 15,000 people watched her read from a book by Simone de Beauvoir. Also in 2024, Fernanda and her daughter, Fernanda Torres, played Eunice Paiva at different ages in the film I'm Still Here.
Her Personal Life
Fernanda Montenegro was married to Fernando Torres from 1954 until he passed away in 2008. They had two children. Their daughter, Fernanda Torres (born 1965), is also a famous actress. Their son, Cláudio Torres (born 1962), is a film director.
Fernanda chose her stage name because she liked the sound of "Fernanda." "Montenegro" was the last name of her family's doctor.
Filmography
Awards and nominations
Honours
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– Grã-Cruz da Ordem Nacional do Mérito: Awarded by President Fernando Henrique Cardoso on April 12, 1999.
Quotes
- "My English is not good. My soul is better".
- "I'm the Old Lady from Ipanema".
- "In Brazil, I have a career. In America, I have an accent."
- "Culture is, above all, a social need. It is not a frivolity."
- "I vote Lula in the hopes of a Brazil with education, with health, in the defense of nature. I vote Lula in the hopes of a real care for science, for culture, for the culture of the arts. In the name of democracy, for president, Lula." (10/07/2022)
Images for kids
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Fernanda Montenegro and Bibi Ferreira, 1972. National Archives of Brazil.
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Fernanda Montenegro during presentation of the play Viver sem tempos mortos in 2012.
See also
In Spanish: Fernanda Montenegro para niños
