In the eyes of the public, he is just the “Jorginho”, also known as “Menzinho”-the privileged heir who plays Beach Tennis, avoids meetings on Thursdays and believes that Monday is the new Friday.
But behind the blonde wig and exaggerated charisma is Fausto Carvalho, an artist with more than two decades of hard work in hotels, corporate events and cruises around the world. “It’s been 20 years since I make a character. There are 18 that I put wig,” says Fausto, during an interview with Podcast From zero to toppresented by Mariana Amaro.
Despite the recent fame, he has never been so far from idleness that his alter ego preaches. “I’ve worked a lot, man. It’s been 15 years since I’ve shook the planet saying other languages and trying to make other cultures smile, you know?”, Says the artist. The idea of the character came during this process – and became an unexpected key in his career.
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Today, Jorginho is a constant presence in events, viral videos and even business wheels. “I play with Faria Limer and Faria Limer loves. And there are other people who don’t like Faria Limer, but they like the character because I’m playing with them too,” says Fausto.
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From the football field to the stage
The beginning of his career also came in the 2000s, when Fausto, a physical education student, began acting as a recreation in hotels. “In my first event, I entered the suit and megaphone soccer field doing Silvio Santos. I didn’t know if I could do that. But the crowd laughed so much that the company’s owners were incredulous,” he recalls.
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This energy of improvisation and charisma would become your signature. Fausto began to work on ships, where he recreated characters to entertain tourists from around the world. “I passed the tables and made characters that combined with the nationality of guests. I learned to say ‘Hi, okay, thank you’ in more than 50 languages,” he says.
This multicultural baggage would be essential for the creation of Jorginho years later. “The character drinks from everything I learned in the world. When I’m in Roland Garros or Expert XP, I bring this look to turn everything into a light, intelligence and sensitivity joke,” he says.
The wig comes out, the man appears – and thrills
Part of the character’s success comes from the contrast between Jorginho’s exaggeration and Fausto’s humanity. And it is precisely when “taking the wig” – literally – that he most impacts the audience.
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“No character does this. I take the wig and show that there is a person behind. A person with pain, defeats, victories. It was Guilherme Benchimol who told me: ‘You managed to humanize Faria Lima'”
This moment of waste has become almost a mark. “I’m trying to really influence, and not just seal. The idea is not to mock anyone. It’s playing with everyone democratically, lightly, without a bad sense. I realized that there was a space for this kind of humor,” he says.
The creator of Menzinho stresses that the content has the purpose: provoking reflection lightly. “I want to make a good joke. Creating humor without attacking is hard. But I’m trying. And it looks like it’s working,” he says.
“Monday at 8am? Only if it’s after after!”
In the role of Jorginho, Fausto mixes irony and intelligence to play with the lifestyle of the super rich. “Mark podcast Monday at 8 am, Mari? I was coming from after,” he mocks him in a humorous tone.
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But the joke has a real background. Behind the scenes, the Creator admits that his schedule is increasingly full.
“We work to make the money work for us. Not the other way around. Monday is the New Friday”
For him, the secret is in the informal meetings. “You spend three hours at Beach Tennis with someone, and from there comes a business. Until when you don’t want to. Golf hole 19, for example, is the bar – that’s where ideas are born, ”he explains, in reference to informal meetings during leisure activities.
From the ship to XP: the influencer who became a business case
Faust’s trajectory crossed with that of XP by chance – and turned Case. When visiting the company’s headquarters, two partners invited him to talk.
“They wanted me to enter their wallet. I said, ‘Dude, I’m starting now. But you need to invest in me, not me in you'”
To convince them, Fausto recorded a makeshift video at Jockey Club, mixing references to Carlos Gardel, Roberto Bolaños and Beach Tennis. “I talked about the ‘X-Breed’, which comes from Shakespeare, and explained everything lightly. I sent them. There, I showed what my work is: play with data, information, intelligence, lightness and humor.”
The bet worked. Today, in addition to presence at XP events such as Expert, Fausto also gives motivational lectures and Ted Talks with the character Jorginho. “The guys don’t believe we work so much. But it works. From Tuesday to Wednesday. Sometimes, even half a Thursday,” he jokes.
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“The top is now, but I want to go up more”
Asked if he has already reached the top, Jorginho – or rather Faust – responds with philosophy: “The top is not for anyone. But the great thing about the mountain is that it has an end. Your life, no,” he says. For him, there are different peak phases. “Two years ago I was at my top. Today I’m on my top. And tomorrow, I hope to be even louder.”
Even with success, Fausto keeps his feet on the ground. “The character brought me visibility, but it was 20 years of work. I slept with dictionary to learn languages, faced cyclones, fires on a ship. I cried for not learning, I studied to make someone smile. All this became the basis for Jorginho.”
For the young entrepreneur, leaves the message: “Go up. Show who you are. Seek like a lion, so that one day your child does not have to do what you are doing now.
