Fátima Ptacek facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fátima Ptacek
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 (pronounced puh-TAH-chek; born August 20, 2000) is an American actress and model. She is also a human rights activist. She works with UN Women's #HeForShe campaign. This campaign promotes gender equality.

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

About Fátima's Life

Where Fátima Grew Up

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

Fátima's Hobbies and Education

Fátima is a talented gymnast. She competes at a high level in United States of America Gymnastics. She also enjoys English equestrian riding. In 2010, she hoped to qualify for the Olympic Games in gymnastics.

She has always focused on her education. In 2010, she aimed for a scholarship to top universities like Harvard or Yale. She attended a special academy for very smart children. In 2013, she joined the National Junior Honor Society. Fátima has said she might want to work in law in the future.

When she was younger, her dream was to become President of the United States. Because of her interest, she was invited to watch debates at the New York State Assembly and New York State Senate. Assemblyman Francisco Moya recognized her for her contributions to the arts. Besides speaking English and Spanish fluently, Fátima has studied Mandarin Chinese since she was a child. In 2018, she began attending Stanford University.

Fátima's Acting and Modeling Career

Early Career as a Child Star

As a child actress, Fátima appeared in over 70 television commercials. She was also on the covers of many national magazines. She was one of the few child models who walked the runway at Bryant Park. This was during the annual Fall Fashion Week in New York City.

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

Modeling for Big Brands

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 modeled for fashion houses like Guess, The Gap, H&M, and Benetton.

One of her most famous campaigns was for Macy's in 2009. She played Natalie Wood's childhood role of "Virginia." This was for Macy's holiday campaign based on "Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus." Fátima appeared in full-page ads in New York newspapers. She also made TV commercials with stars like Donald Trump, Queen Latifah, Martha Stewart, and Carlos Ponce. She made public appearances for Macy's to support the literacy group, Reading is Fundamental (RIF). She also appeared on the cover of Newsweek magazine.

Roles in Movies and TV Shows

In 2009, Fátima was cast in the comedy film The Rebound with Catherine Zeta-Jones. After small roles in other films, she got lead 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 with First Lady Michelle Obama on Sesame Street.

Voicing Dora the Explorer

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

This role earned her a "Best Young Actress - Television" award 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 specials. These include Dora Rocks!, Dora's Rescue in Mermaid Kingdom, and Dora's Fantastic Gymnastics Adventure.

Starring in Curfew and Before I Disappear

Fátima starred in the short film Curfew (2012) directed by Shawn Christensen. She also starred in its feature film version, Before I Disappear (2014). These films are about a man who is asked to take care of his niece. Shawn Christensen saw Fátima on a morning show and hoped she would be great in the audition. He described her as "phenomenal."

Her performance in Curfew received a lot of praise. Critics called it "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 accept it. She also attended the Vanity Fair Oscar party with Christensen.

Fátima personally 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.

Joey Dedio, the writer and star of the film Tio Papi, praised Fátima. He said, "we hit the jackpot with that one. She’s a class act, as are her parents." Fátima was nominated for a "Best Actress/Supporting Actress - Feature Film" Imagen Award for her role in Tio Papi.

Dora and Friends: Into the City!

Fátima also voiced Dora in Dora and Friends: Into the City (2014–2017). For Dora the Explorer, she used a higher voice. But for Dora and Friends, she could use a more natural voice. This is because the character was 10 years old, and Fátima was 12 when production started. Producers even let Fátima change lines. She could 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.

Fátima's Charity Work

Fátima volunteers as a "Celebrity Ambassador" for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. She has also worked with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This was done with the Macy's Believe Campaign. She also supported the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital.

Because she loves reading, Fátima has worked with SAG Foundation's BookPALS. This program helps performing artists read to children in schools. She also supports Reading Is Fundamental. In 2013, the Latino Commission on AIDS named Fátima their youth ambassador. This was at their Cielo Latino benefit gala.

Fátima's Film and TV Roles

Awards and Recognition