Xuxa Actress - Born March 27, 1963 in Santa Rosa, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Birth Name Maria da Graça Meneghel

Nicknames Rainha dos Baixinhos, Xu, Xurumela

Height 5' 10" (1.78 m)

Mini Bio (1) Xuxa was born on March 27, 1963 in Santa Rosa, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil as Maria da Graça Meneghel. She is a writer and actress, known for Xuxinha and Guto Against the Space Monsters (2005), Super Xuxa Contra o Baixo Astral (1988) and Xuxa and the Elves (2001).

Different, eccentric looks

Blonde hair and piercing blue eyes

Her pitched voice

Voluptous figure

Considered Brazil's answer to Madonna.

Was nearly a victim of a 1991 kidnapping at the Rede Globo studio where Xou da Xuxa (1986) was filmed. Letícia Spiller was also planned to be taken by the gang.

Despite not being a professional singer, four of her albums are placed among the best selling list in Brazil. "Xou da Xuxa 3" reached Guiness Book as the number one seller of all time in Brazil.

Her nickname "Xuxa" was given by her brother Bladimir. Added this name to her birth certificate in 1998.

Gave birth to daughter Sasha Meneghel in 1998. The first 10 minutes of Rede Globo's Jornal Nacional (1969) ("National News") were dedicated to the girl's birth.

Dated race car driver Ayrton Senna, who died in a car wreck in Italy during a race in 1994.

Once went out with John F. Kennedy. Jr.

Mother of Sasha Meneghel

Is allergic to meat and fish products.

Her TV show Xou da Xuxa (1986) spawned several of Brazilian children-TV presenters and shows that referenced much of her style, including Angélica, Mara Maravilha, Mariane Dombrova and Patrícia Nogueira (as Pat Beijo). Angélica and Nogueira assumed by their respective times the show Xuxa hosted presented before moving to Rede Globo, Clube da Criança (1983).

Her nickname Xuxa is pronounced "Shoo-sha".

She posed for Playboy in December 1982.

Mother: Alda. Father: Luiz Floriano Meneghel.

Siblings: Solange, Mara, Cirano and Bladimir.

The father of her only child (Sasha) is actor and former model Luciano Szafir.

As a model, appeared in on the cover Manchete magazines (Rede Manchete was the network where Xuxa debuted as a TV host), often alongside Luiza Brunet with whom she is good friends to this day.

She won the 2001 Latin Grammy Awards of Best Album for Children for Xuxa Só Para Baixinhos (2000). The project focused on a much younger audience and caused controversy among her crew and friends.

Xuxa was the first Brazilian to be on the list of the 40 artists more rich of the Magazine Forbes (1991). She placed 37º.

Had a six-year romance with Brazilian soccer legend Pelé (1980-1986). Met on a modeling assignment that paired them for a magazine cover.

She is with her TV show, "TV Xuxa". [October 2005]

Making her TV show, Xuxa no Munda da Imaginação. [December 2003]

Host two Shows "Xuxa Park" and "Planeta Xuxa". [November 2000]

She is with her TV show, "Xuxa no Mundo da Imaginação" and she produces a new movie each year featuring her and other Brazilian actors and actresses. [June 2004]

Creative differences between her and close friend and manager Marlene Mattos led to their break-up in 2002. Marlene is the godmother of Xuxa's only daughter, Sasha Meneghel.

Caused initial controversy after changing the tone of her shows, from a more mature genre of Xuxa Park (1994) and _Planeta Xuxa (1997)_ to a more educational premise focusing on a youngest audience with _Xuxa no Mundo da Imaginação (2002)_.

Considered ending her career after a fire generated by short circuit interrupted a shoot of the Brazilian version of her Spanish show Xuxa Park (1994). Some of the present children were injured, and Xuxa escaped unharmed.

In the 80s, shortly after her work for children started, Pelé reportedly collected every sensual photograph of hers (from her time as a model) he found and gave them to Xuxa, mentioning that she should be careful with her new career.

Inspired on educative videos such as The Wiggles (1998) to create and produce her "Xuxa Só Para Baixinhos" series. Many songs in the first videos are Brazilian Portuguese versions of Wiggles songs.

Was inspired for her trademark spaceship introduced in Xou da Xuxa (1986) from Wilson Vianna's character "Capitão AZA". The ship's design came from Penelope Pitstop's vehicle in Wacky Races (1968). Both she and Vianna have roles in Os Trapalhões e o Mágico de Oróz (1984) which was filmed prior to her career breakthrough in "Xou da Xuxa".

Has stated in interviews that, after she met Michael Jackson, he proposed to her and his manager actually wanted her to carry his children She uncomfortably declined.

After eleven different TV programs in twenty nine years, and several months of rumors, dropped out from Globo TV and moved to Record TV, signing contract with the new channel live on March 5, 2015.

Pulled Rede Globo's prominent director Mariozinho Vaz from the channel to head her Rede Record show. Andrezza Cruz, her former "paquita" from Xuxa Park (1994) and also a Rede Globo director was also invited, but refused.

Was personally invited in the 90s by SBT's (Rede Globo's former main rival TV channel) owner and host Silvio Santos, who knocked on her door with a flower bouquet, to "move house" and go to SBT. Her career being at the height in Rede Globo, she refused but reportedly found it "cute".

She has signed to host a TV Program in the Record in Brazil.(2015).

Inspired herself in both Ellen DeGeneres and The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2003) for her Rede Record program "Xuxa Meneghel".

In the night of her Rede Record show "Xuxa Meneghel"'s premiere, both 'Patricia Abravanel' and Danilo Gentili spoofed Xou da Xuxa (1986) in their respective shows. A replica of the spacecraft was constructed for Abravanel's performance, in which she performed Xuxa's songs herself.

Had never done a live television show prior to Xuxa Meneghel (2015).

Filmed the entire event while her flight went into forced landing after the plane was struck by lightning, in December 2016. The incident happened in the same week the Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense crashed in Colombia, killed 76 people. Similarly, Angélica (who had a similar career focused on children and replaced her as a host in Clube da Criança (1983)) also survived a plane crash with her fiancee Luciano Huck and their three sons in 2015.

Her brother Cirano Rojabaglia, died from a heart attack at 60 years old.(09/13/2015).

Has duel citizenship in both Brazil and Italy by her Great Grandfather who was from the town of Imer in the autonomous province of Trento in Italy.

Brazilian funk performer Mc Marcinho revealed that his hit single "Glamurosa" ("Glamurous Woman") is actually about her in retribution to taking Brazilian funk to mainstream media in the 1990s. "I became nationally known because of Xuxa who featured many funk performers in her shows Xuxa Park (1994) and Planeta Xuxa (2001)". Xuxa herself released songs in Brazilian funk in the late 1990s, reportedly much to her then manager and former close friend Marlene Mattos's disapproval.

Was first invited to host the children's series Clube da Criança (1983) by television director Maurício Sherman who compared her to Marilyn Monroe, Doris Day and the character of Peter Pan.

Is a vegan activist.

Met her only daughter's father Luciano Szafir during a photoshoot for a magazine. She saw photos featuring Luma de Oliveira with male models and requested her takes to be similar to hers, for which Szafir was then brought in.

Has an uncredited role in the script of Xuxa in Crystal Moon (1990), her most successful movie. The famous food fight sequence, as well as Michael Sullivan's cameo and character's name (Saliva, a pun with his surname, also meaning "saliva" in Brazilian Portuguese) were her ideas.

At the time of its release, her most successful movie Xuxa in Crystal Moon (1990) was thought by many to depict her actual biography. The movie's plot is actually and original idea writer Patricya Travassos had based on fairy tales, and only loosely based on aspects of Xuxa's life and personality.

Her favorite movie is The Notebook (2004). Her favorite movie of her own is Xuxa in Crystal Moon (1990).

Released her memoir "Memórias" ("memories") in September 2020, written in social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemics. Singer Rita Lee was the very first to read it and wrote its foreword. The book was published by Globo Livros (the publishing division of her longtime network Globo TV) while Xuxa was still under contract with Record TV.

Convinced Ivete Sangalo to stop eating meat.

Her publicist is Tatiana Maranhão, a former Paquita from Xou da Xuxa (1986).

in my house even he has to smile." (refering to a picture of a smiling Jesus which hangs in her house.) "Kisses Kisses

[on her professional and personal breakup with Marlene Mattos] I lived in a easy and protected world. But without Marlene, the "Barbie" here now speaks by herself.

[on Ayrton Senna] If that soul mate term really exists, mine was there in front of me. Some day we'll meet once again.

[on children] If you wanna make me happy, let me be so among children.

[on Xuxa (1993)] "When I got here, the first day, I was freaking out. English is difficult. They have nicknamed me 'But why,' because I keep asking about the rules of the language."

[at the press conference that announced her a Rede Record' newest cast member] When I was getting ready to come here, I was thinking, 'It's really hard, ain't it? To say that now I'm at Record [TV]. So many years unable to even say its name. [After] 29 years at Globo, it's hard. Now after I walked through there and saw the [Record's] emblem I thought, 'man, I'm really at Record now'.

[on Luciano Szafir's family] Nobody is beautiful in that family. Only Luciano.

[on being brunette for a cosmetics commercial ad] I always dreamed of being a brunette like Snow White.

[on Dutch fashion designer Cécile Loreen, a lookalike discovered by fans on Instagram] Many have sent me her pictures and videos. She totally looks like me back in the 80s, I just didn't wear all that pink like she does but yes, we could be seen as relatives. By the way, there are plenty of mini-me's in Santa Rosa [Xuxa's hometown in Brazil].

I hate my voice, I do not sing, not even in the shower.

I'm not young anymore. Not to put on a miniskirt... [...] I can't stand [people] saying my hair should grow again, [that I should use] boots, landing in my starship with paquitas escorting me. I just can't! [...] I've aged! People gotta accpect that everything in life is temporary, that time is gone. I love to be a part of people's lives, that I did mark an X on their hearts. But they cannot demand that I be that again. That'd be ridiculous.

I don't hide Sasha from reality, otherwise she may suffer when she finds out the world is full of big bad wolves.

For everything I got to this point [of her career], I should wake up on my knees.

Call me crazy, but I did see goblins in my bedroom!

[at the premiere of Xuxa no Mundo da Imaginação (2002) ] I now have the privilege of not worrying about ratings.

[on her looks] I never saw myself as pretty. Photogenic, yes.

Maria da Graça Xuxa Meneghel (Portuguese pronunciation: [maˈɾiɐ dɐ ˈɡɾasɐ ˈʃuʃɐ mẽneˈɡɛw]; born 27 March 1963) is a Brazilian television host, film actress, singer, model and businesswoman. Her various shows have been broadcast in Portuguese, English, and Spanish worldwide. She is a two-time winner of the Latin Grammy Award for Best Children's Album, and is also known for her epithet, the "Queen of Children".

Maternity and relationships Xuxa has one daughter, Sasha, who was born in 1998. Sasha's father is actor Luciano Szafir. Xuxa dated Brazilian soccer legend, Pelé, in the 1980's, and, later, Formula 1 legend, Ayrton Senna.

She reported in 2012, that reclusive singer Michael Jackson had once courted her, inviting her to dinner at his Neverland estate and then his manager asked whether she would consider conceiving his children. She currently is in a relationship with actor and singer Junno Andrade. In 2013, her Italian nationality was recognized.