Fabio Lanzoni facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fabio Lanzoni
Lanzoni in Hollywood, California on December 4, 2014
Born	(1959-03-15) March 15, 1959 (age 66) Milan, Lombardy, Italy
Citizenship	Italy and United States
Occupation	Model actor spokesman
Years active	1973–2021
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)

Fabio Lanzoni (born March 15, 1959), known simply as Fabio, is an Italian actor, model, and spokesman. He is famous for appearing on hundreds of romance novel covers in the 1990s. Fabio has also acted in movies and TV shows, often playing himself. He has even released music and written books! You might also know him as the face of "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!" and for his work with the American Cancer Society.

Fabio's Early Life and Dreams

Fabio Lanzoni was born on March 15, 1959, in Milan, Italy. His parents were Flora Carnicelli Lanzoni and Sauro Lanzoni. His father owned a factory and wanted Fabio to become an engineer.

For the first five years of his life, Fabio was mostly raised by his grandmother. He called her "the most influential woman" in his life. Sadly, she passed away from cancer when Fabio was 13. This sad event later inspired him to work with the American Cancer Society.

Fabio was raised Catholic and served as an altar boy. He has said he often got into trouble and was "always in trouble for breaking the rules."

His modeling career started when a photographer noticed him while he was working out. Fabio also mentioned he was "in the military for a couple of years."

Fabio's Amazing Career Journey

Fabio is best known for being on the covers of many romance novels. In 2015, he told The Guardian that his career came easily to him. He said, "My major focus was sports and going to the gym."

Becoming a Model and Actor

Fabio first visited the United States when he was 13. He wanted to stay, but his parents said no because he was too young. He always dreamed of living in America, calling it "the greatest country in the world."

When he was about 14 (around 1973), Fabio got his first modeling job in Italy. A famous photographer, Oliviero Toscani, saw him at the gym. He told Fabio he should be a model, and things took off from there.

As a teenager, Fabio enjoyed many sports. He loved horseback riding, windsurfing, and downhill skiing.

In 1975, at age 16, Fabio became a ski-racing champion in Milan. However, he broke his leg while skiing. His doctor suggested weight lifting to help him recover. Fabio "fell in love" with working out.

At 19, Fabio left university and moved to the US. His parents were not happy about this. Fabio remembers his father saying, "He's going to get it out of his system and come back."

Within two days of arriving in America, Fabio walked into the Ford modeling agency. He got a contract right away. The next day, he met Barry McKinley, a top photographer. McKinley hired Fabio for a big campaign for Gap Inc.. This contract was for $150,000, which was a lot of money back then.

Fabio was one of the first "really muscular" models. He would pose for many book cover photoshoots each day. He also did video shoots for Nintendo.

Fabio realized he was famous in 1987, when he was 28. He had modeled for the romance novel Hearts Aflame. While dancing in a Miami nightclub, three women recognized him from the book covers. Before this, Fabio had never seen the finished books. He recalls them saying, "You look exactly like the guy on our books!"

More photo and film jobs followed. In 1989, Fabio appeared as the hero Kuros on the cover of the Nintendo game Ironsword: Wizards & Warriors II. In 1990, he played an angel in the horror film The Exorcist III. In the 1991 movie Scenes from a Mall, he was credited as "Handsome Man."

In 1992, Fabio became the first bestselling male romance writer to use his real name. He published several romance novels with other authors. These included Pirate (1993), Rogue (1994), and Viking (1994).

Lanzoni in 1993, participating in a charity event in Buffalo, New York.

In 1993, Fabio released a music album called Fabio After Dark. It had 17 tracks where he spoke about his ideas on love. Other singers like Billy Ocean and Dionne Warwick did the singing.

Also in 1993, Versace hired Fabio to model their Mediterraneum fragrance. Fans would line up to meet him, get a hug, an autograph, or a photo.

In 1993, author Helen Gurley Brown described Fabio as "terribly big and has very long hair." She said he was "so astonishing looking." Around this time, Fabio's manager, Peter F. Paul, published Fabio's biography. It said that by 1992, over 55 million Fabio romance covers had been sold.

From 1993 to 1994, Fabio starred in the TV series Acapulco H.E.A.T. as Claudio. He also became the spokesman for "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!"

In 1996, Fabio played himself in the comedy film Spy Hard. The next year, he was featured as himself in a Step by Step episode. In 1998, he appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien in a funny sketch.

In 1999, comedian Tom Green visited Fabio's house for an interview. Fabio showed off his kitchen, which was full of dirt bikes. He said he never ate at home, so it was an empty room.

In 2001, Fabio made a funny appearance in the comedy film Zoolander. He was one of many celebrities in the movie. Screen Rant called his cameo memorable. He thanked the audience for naming him the best "actor slash model, and not the other way around."

Fabio and a fan in Times Square in 2005.

From 2002 to 2012, Fabio appeared in the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. He played a close friend of the character Sally Spectra.

In 2005, Fabio hosted the reality TV show Mr. Romance. The show featured men competing to become a romance novel cover model.

In 2010, he was in Big Time Rush and played Captain Hawk in The Suite Life on Deck.

Fabio as a Spokesman

Fabio has been a spokesman for "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!" since 1994. He also worked with Geek Squad in 2007 and Oral-B in 2006. One of his most popular ads was for Nationwide Insurance in 2006. This commercial aired during the Super Bowl and was very popular.

In 2011, Old Spice launched an online challenge. Fabio challenged Isaiah Mustafa to become the New Old Spice Guy. Fabio's Old Spice YouTube Channel got over 9 million views in one week!

Fabio's Business Ventures

In 2003, Fabio launched a clothing line for women at Sam's Club. Before that, he wrote a fitness book and made a workout video called Fabio Fitness. In 2008, he started Healthy Planet Vitamins. This company sells protein and other health products.

In 2021, he launched a hair and skincare line for men called Aston James. The name Aston James is a mix of Aston Martin and James Bond.

Fabio's Personal Life

Fabio likes to eat healthy. He avoids cheese, sweets, salt, and caffeine. He also tries to stay out of the sun. He believes a body should be treated "like a Lamborghini." His favorite dinner is Japanese food, especially sushi. He also loves Italian cuisine.

In 2016, Fabio told Sports Illustrated about his diet. He eats oatmeal and egg white omelets for breakfast. For lunch and dinner, he usually has fish with vegetables. He cooks with "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!"

As of 2015, Fabio goes to the gym for an hour at least four times a week. He does aerobics and weight training. He also enjoys jogging, hiking, and motocross enduro. He owns about 325 motorbikes! When asked why he had so many, he joked, "There's 365 days in a year."

In 2016, Fabio became a U.S. citizen. He celebrated this special day with his friends. In 2021, Fabio said he was retired and hoped to get married and have children.

Fabio's Film Appearances

Fabio's TV Appearances

Fabio's Music Videos