Brazilian Maria Fernanda Cândido plays a witch in ‘Fantastic Animals’

Premiere this Thursday (14) ‘Fantastic Beasts: Dumbledore’s Secrets’. The film has the presence of Brazilian actress Maria Fernanda Cândido, who is among the cast of one of the most relevant franchises in pop culture, inspired by characters from the Harry Potter saga.

The actress plays Vicência Santos, a witch and minister of magic from Brazil, who represents the Latin world and is running for the position of Supreme Chief of the International Confederation of Wizards. The story touches on Dumbledore’s past and his relationship with Grindelwald, now played by Mads Mikkelsen, who has replaced actor Johnny Depp.

Cândido is known for several roles in theater and on television screens. In theater, she gained prominence in the play ‘The Gospel According to Jesus Christ’ (2001). She acted in the soap opera ‘Esperança’ (2002) and her last appearance on Globo was as Joyce in ‘A Força do Quero’ (2017), playing the role of Ivan’s mother. She was also part of the series ‘Sessão de Terapia’ (2012), in the role of the patient Julia, broadcast by the GNT channel.

How was the test?

The actress auditioned for the film during the pandemic, while in France with her family. In an interview, she says that the test was done at home, with the help of her husband, who recorded it with his cell phone, and her children, who played opposite the actress.

Cândido believes she was invited to the test after a producer saw her participation in another feature, ‘O Traidor’, directed by Marco Bellocchioque, produced in 2019, but also due for release this Thursday.

Watch the trailer for ‘Fantastic Beasts: Dumbledore’s Secrets’:

Other Brazilian actresses with an international career

In addition to Maria Fernanda Cândido there are also other Brazilian actresses who have conquered not only national but also international cinema. Some examples are Sônia Braga, Alice Braga and Bruna Marquezine.

Sônia Braga was one of the first actresses to conquer Hollywood. She has participated in productions such as ‘Law & Order’, ‘Sex and the city’, ‘Luke Cage’ and ‘CSI: Miami’. Alice Braga has also achieved success outside Brazil, having acted in the films ‘Eu sou a legend, (2007) and ‘Elysium’ (2013) and in the series ‘Who We Are’ (2020). Actress Bruna Marquezine starts in international cinema as the protagonist of the movie ‘Besouro Azul’, by DC Comics.