Maria Fernanda Cândido lived in Curitiba from the age of four to twelve, when she moved to São Paulo with her family. Her parents, José Reginaldo and Agda, were merchants.
Once in São Paulo she was enrolled in the prestigious Colégio São Luiz, in São Paulo, where she proved to be a good student. At 14, she began to career as a professional model after being discovered by one of her neighbours, who was a fashion producer. She modelled for fashion publications, magazine covers and campaigns for famous brands. At age 15, during school summer breaks, she travelled to Paris to work. In total, she spent five years juggling school, fashion shows and photo shoots. After finishing high school, she lived in New York City for six months and, before returning to Brazil, went to the French capital for another season of runway shows. She always caused a good impression on her co-workers due to her punctuality and discipline regarding schedules. More than a year living abroad was enough for her to decide to put an end to her international modelling career.
Back in Brazil, she applied for, and was accepted at USP where she studied Occupational Therapy, and course the full-time programme for three years before dropping out to join MTV working as a VJ hosting the show "Ilha do Biquini" (Bikini Island). After shooting the pilot, unhappy with the outcome, she sought technical improvement in a studio in São Paulo. As a result of that experience, she discovered her talent for on-camera work. She formally withdrew from college to study vocal technique with Fátima Toledo, a famous speech therapist, in order to focus on acting for the cinema.

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