Fofão (character) facts for kids
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Fofão is a super fun character from Brazilian children's TV shows like Balão Mágico and TV Fofão. A talented Brazilian actor and comedian named Orival Pessini brought Fofão to life. In the early 1980s, Fofão became a huge hit with kids in Brazil. He had his own TV show, music albums, dolls, and lots of other cool products.
Fofão first appeared in 1983 on the morning TV show Balão Mágico. He started as a supporting character for the children's music group. But Fofão quickly became super popular! He grew into one of the most famous characters in Brazilian media during the 80s. This was especially true because of how many soft, plush Fofão toys were sold.
After Balão Mágico ended in 1986, Fofão got his very own show called TV Fofão. It was shown on Rede Bandeirantes until 1989, and then came back for a bit between 1994 and 1996. Fofão's last TV appearance was in 1998 on the channel CNT Gazeta. In 1989, Fofão even starred in his own movie called Fofão e a Nave Sem Rumo. He also released many popular children's music albums throughout the 80s and 90s.
How Fofão Was Created
A Mix of Ideas
Orival Pessini, the creator of Fofão, shared how the character came to be. A director from TV Globo, José Bonifácio de Oliveira Sobrinho (also known as Boni), asked Orival to create a new character for a children's show called Balão Mágico. The show was starting soon, and they needed a character quickly.
Orival had never worked with kids before and wasn't sure what to create. He thought about many different ideas, like a dog, a pig, a clown, a teddy bear, an alien, or even a human. After thinking it over, he decided to mix all these ideas together. This mix of ideas is what led to the unique look of Fofão!
Inspired by E.T.
Another big inspiration for Fofão was Steven Spielberg's E.T.. Orival said that E.T. "was very ugly, with a strange appearance, and his head looked like an upside-down foot." But, E.T. also had "a great heart and was very charismatic." So, Orival decided to create a character that was similar in that way: unique-looking but lovable and friendly.
