Fernando was the star of only one film in his short life. He played Pixote - a street child - in Pixote, a Lei do Mais Fraco (1981). During his short period of fame, Fernando was seen as a symbol of hope for the Brazilian street kids. He grew up in a poor neighborhood of Diadema - a industrial city close to São Paulo - Brazil. Illiterate and poor, Fernando played Pixote at the age of 11 years old. His only previous experience in acting was an amateur play. After the success of Pixote, Fernando moved briefly to Rio de Janeiro. There, he tried h…