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.