Sylvia De Fanti
- Actress
Born to native Italian parents (mother from Naples and father, Sardinian), the fluently multilingual stage and screen actress Sylvia De Fanti was raised between Panama, Hong Kong and Rome. De Fanti arrived into this world as a global citizen. Her father Pino (a civil engineer) was on assignment in Montreal (Canada) when his wife Paola gave birth to their only daughter. At age 2, her family moved with his next job - to Panama - and by her sixth birthday, they were living in Hong Kong. It was in China, that De Fanti attended a British school, until her parents decided to return to live in Italy with 11 yr. old Sylvia and her 13 yr. old brother Roberto (CEO/Founder of Premiere League football agency, RDF Football).
De Fanti first attended The Sapienza University, but it was her Drama classes at The Sorbonne that put her on stage for the first time. There in Paris, she also enrolled in a Human Sciences curriculum (Cinema, Postmodernism and Women & Gender Studies).
De Fanti went on to graduate Cum Laude with Masters Degrees in Communication and Cultural Anthropology. She wrote her thesis on Chaos Theory and Complex Identity, and also continued her intense training as both a comedic and dramatic actress.
In 2004, De Fanti co-founded Angelo Mai, now a globally recognized, independent artist's space and cultural production center set in an iconic and important historical location in Rome. Frequented by renowned international performers and creatives from the Music, Literature, Art, Film & TV worlds, it is considered a "must-visit" for the hip and cultured. De Fanti's theater company Bluemotion, is widely credited with the launch of new wave of modern English dramaturgy in Italy. A respected stage actress, she also actively participates in theater productions, sometimes in roles that also highlight her talents for singing and bass guitar. Bluemotion was invited to perform it's critically-acclaimed "Sogno Creatore" at La Biennalle di Venezia in July, 2023.
De Fanti was also a co-founder of Teatro Valle Occupato (theatre, built 1727) - a seminal cog in the wheel of the global OCCUPY movement. Lauded by The New York Times and The Guardian as a maverick institution, established to empower Italy's workers in the fields of art, entertainment and culture. The association received several humanitarian and cultural awards, including the European Cultural Foundation's prestigious Princess Margriet Award. De Fanti accepted the prize at the ceremony, on behalf of her colleagues.
Having worked with revered European film directors, including Carlos Saura, Giuseppe Tornatore and Daniele Lucchetti, De Fanti's first major television role was as a series regular on Italy's longest-running and hugely popular "Incantesimo" (RAI). Subsequent series roles on ABC' & Touchstone's epic Empire and on Medici (Netflix), paved the way for her first English-language series regular role as the magnificent and formidable 'Mother Superion' on Warrior Nun (Netflix). To this, People Magazine (U.S.) called De Fanti "One To Watch". An LGBTQ+ ally and human rights advocate, De Fanti dedicates much of her time to these causes, including producing theater events for young members of the LGBTQ+ community.
She lives with her partner Dario, and their son, Valentino.
De Fanti first attended The Sapienza University, but it was her Drama classes at The Sorbonne that put her on stage for the first time. There in Paris, she also enrolled in a Human Sciences curriculum (Cinema, Postmodernism and Women & Gender Studies).
De Fanti went on to graduate Cum Laude with Masters Degrees in Communication and Cultural Anthropology. She wrote her thesis on Chaos Theory and Complex Identity, and also continued her intense training as both a comedic and dramatic actress.
In 2004, De Fanti co-founded Angelo Mai, now a globally recognized, independent artist's space and cultural production center set in an iconic and important historical location in Rome. Frequented by renowned international performers and creatives from the Music, Literature, Art, Film & TV worlds, it is considered a "must-visit" for the hip and cultured. De Fanti's theater company Bluemotion, is widely credited with the launch of new wave of modern English dramaturgy in Italy. A respected stage actress, she also actively participates in theater productions, sometimes in roles that also highlight her talents for singing and bass guitar. Bluemotion was invited to perform it's critically-acclaimed "Sogno Creatore" at La Biennalle di Venezia in July, 2023.
De Fanti was also a co-founder of Teatro Valle Occupato (theatre, built 1727) - a seminal cog in the wheel of the global OCCUPY movement. Lauded by The New York Times and The Guardian as a maverick institution, established to empower Italy's workers in the fields of art, entertainment and culture. The association received several humanitarian and cultural awards, including the European Cultural Foundation's prestigious Princess Margriet Award. De Fanti accepted the prize at the ceremony, on behalf of her colleagues.
Having worked with revered European film directors, including Carlos Saura, Giuseppe Tornatore and Daniele Lucchetti, De Fanti's first major television role was as a series regular on Italy's longest-running and hugely popular "Incantesimo" (RAI). Subsequent series roles on ABC' & Touchstone's epic Empire and on Medici (Netflix), paved the way for her first English-language series regular role as the magnificent and formidable 'Mother Superion' on Warrior Nun (Netflix). To this, People Magazine (U.S.) called De Fanti "One To Watch". An LGBTQ+ ally and human rights advocate, De Fanti dedicates much of her time to these causes, including producing theater events for young members of the LGBTQ+ community.
She lives with her partner Dario, and their son, Valentino.
