Fernanda Young

Writing

Fernanda Young

Born 1970-05-01 · Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Fernanda Maria Young de Carvalho Machado (1 May 1970 — 25 August 2019) was a Brazilian writer, screenwriter, actress, and TV host who left an indelible mark on Brazilian culture with her multifaceted talent and unique perspective. Born in Rio de Janeiro, her literary foundation was shaped during her daily commutes across Guanabara Bay, traveling by ferries or buses. During these moments, she immersed herself in books, seeking growth, inspiration, and distraction. Although she paused her studies after completing elementary school, Fernanda later finished high school through an intensive six-month program. She enrolled in the Literature program at the Federal Fluminense University but did not complete her degree. She also studied Journalism at Faculdade Hélio Alonso and, after moving to São Paulo to start her writing career, pursued Radio and Television at FAAP, though she once again left the course unfinished. Defying her own vow to never return to a university, she later enrolled in Visual Arts at FAAP. Fernanda built an outstanding career as a screenwriter, creating some of Brazil's most beloved TV hits, such as Os Normais (The Normals) and Minha Nada Mole Vida (My Tough Life). Beyond television, she was a prolific author, publishing several books that explored themes like relationships, femininity, and modern dilemmas with her signature sharp and provocative voice. In cinema, she contributed as a screenwriter and participated in projects that echoed her unmistakable style. As an actress, she further showcased her versatility, connecting with audiences through her distinctive approach to storytelling and performance. Fernanda passed away on August 25, 2019, at the age of 49, due to a severe asthma attack followed by cardiac arrest. Her untimely death shocked and saddened fans, friends, and collaborators. Despite her early departure, her work continues to inspire and resonate, leaving behind a legacy of creativity, irreverence, and authenticity.

Acting credits

Behind the camera

Nada Fofa poster
NR

Nádia Wolf, nicknamed by her colleagues "Nada Fofa", is a cold and tough lawyer. Until she starts seeing a puppet everywhere: movie theaters, restaurants, stores, etc. He's a famous character from a children's show from when she was a kid. The pink foam doll appears to Nadia every time she's not nice to the others, asking her to be nice. These apparitions affect the girl's work as well as her love life.

Nada Fofa

2008

Bossa Nova poster
5.5

After a chance encounter on the elevator, the lives of Mary Ann, a widowed English teacher, and Pedro, a recently divorced man, intersect against the hot backdrop of Rio de Janeiro.

Bossa Nova

2000

Amigas de Sorte poster
6.5

Nelita, Nina and Rita are all in their seventies and have been friends since childhood, and for fifty years they play the lottery weekly and are used to losing, until one day they win. Not too much money but enough to fix their lives, as long as their husbands don't find out beforehand.

Amigas de Sorte

2021

Lots of Ice and a Little Bit of Water poster
6.6

Roberta and Suzana are two sisters, both in their thirties, of totally different beauty and life styles, united by a common goal: to take revenge on their grandmother, a mean old woman who, in the past, turned the little girls' lives into hell, with her strict educational concepts. Since they were very young, the two sisters plan to kidnap the grandmother and now is the long awaited moment. Before Roberta and Suzana leave to the beach house, the setting of their grandmother's terrorist practices, Roberta, while waiting for Suzana at a restaurant, meets Renato, an extremely proper guy who ends up involved in this unexpected adventure. The two sisters' departure leaves Suzana's husband, Francisco, bewildered and he ends up being also part of a parallel mad adventure.

Lots of Ice and a Little Bit of Water

2006

Os Normais: O Filme poster
6.9

The film shows the day when Rui and Vani first met. It was at their wedding (with other partners). Vani was going to marry Sérgio, and Rui would marry Marta in the same church, following Vani's marriage. While waiting for the ceremony, they begin to talk. Complications ensue.

Os Normais: O Filme

2003

Edifício Paraíso poster
3.0

Over the course of one night, the trivial squabbles of five couples from the same apartment building escalate into potentially relationship-ending rows.

Edifício Paraíso

2017

So Normal 2: The Craziest Night Ever poster
6.6

After thirteen years of engagement, the boring sex life of Rui and Vani is limited to one intercourse every other week. They decide to seek excitement with a threesome and they decide to invite Vani's cousin Silvinha to participate late night, but an accident interrupts their game. Rui and Vani unsuccessfully spend the night searching for for companion of a bisexual woman.

So Normal 2: The Craziest Night Ever

2009