Meet Andrea Fantauzzi

Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Fantauzzi.

Hi Andrea, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I entered the entertainment industry at the age of five as an Actor. My first professional booking was as a Munchkin/Ozian in THE WIZARD OF OZ at Starlight Theatre as a child. Being a stereotypical musical-theatre kid, I was a competitive dancer (who later moved to studio), studied with a private vocal instructor and took acting classes at the Coterie Theatre. One has to fight hard to be a working child actor in Kansas City, and I worked countless hours, traveled the country and often missed school. Kansas City audiences may recognize me as having played Teen Fiona/Peter Pan in the Theatre for Young Audiences World Premiere of SHREK THE MUSICAL at the Coterie Theatre or Susan Pevensie in NARNIA THE MUSICAL, which was performed at the Kauffman Center and produced by Starlight Theatre.

As a late teenager, I began working in film and television as Director, Writer and Producer on top of being an Actor. When I was 19, I created the Custom Reel Division of Breakthrough Reels my with colleague Chris Bylsma. I served as one of the Directors along with serving as Lead Writer. My most well-known client is Hala Finley (MAN WITH A PLAN, WE CAN BE HEROES) for whom I wrote and directed two scenes. While living in New York, I worked as a 1st Team Production Assistant and Set Production Assistant on Season 4 of both NBC’s THE BLACKLIST and FXX’s THE AMERICANS while attending The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. Other shows include: NBC’s THE VOICE and MTV’s BROKE A$$ GAME SHOW.

After joining The Second City improvisational theater troupe back in 2018, I made my writing debut in the sketch show ME, MYSELF & DIE but was seen on the stage a short time before.

At the age of 20, I was approached by my Director of Photography, Christopher Commons, asking to create a film with me and I happily agreed; I would write and direct and he would shoot. LETTERS FROM A FATHER was the story I decided to tell and I felt honored to have assembled such an incredible team from pre-production to distribution. This subsequently culminated into dozens of National and International awards at film festivals.

This led to a starring role in a new TV-MA television series BLACK ZONE, currently being shot in the Kansas City region. Due to delays from Covid-19, I had the opportunity to assist with editing and show off my skills in post-production. That allowed me to quickly move up in the ranks to the status of Producer. This in turn, landed me two more jobs including producing two In-Development feature films.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not. With LETTERS FROM A FATHER, money was the biggest struggle. Making a film is far from an easy feat, especially on the independent level. When I was creating the film, I was only 20 years old – but was fortunate to have my incredible Producer, Lydia Anderson, by my side and giving constant advise.

Also, working on Network television shows, I always was battling with time. When creating a television series that’s airing every week, we are filming while the show is being aired. Oftentimes, the current episode audiences are watching, we shot only a few weeks before so naturally, staying on schedule is a challenge.

They say, “It takes ten years to become an overnight success” and more times than not, that’s true. For an up-and-coming actor, maintaining personal living conditions while patiently auditioning for roles is an uphill battle. A lot of actors work menial jobs and live paycheck to paycheck to just keep their dreams alive. It can be an incredibly difficult life – but for me, it’s been worth it.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
LETTERS FROM A FATHER is a 15 minute short film about a young woman having to make the choice whether to allow her abusive father back into her life. We have received distribution through the VYRE Network where we can be found. You can download VYRE for free on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Google Play, Apple IOS, Android Mobile or you can watch it online through VYRE’s website! You may also find other films I star in such as ADIRA and ADAM 2.0 on Amazon Prime.

I am an award-winning Actor and Director, and with the success of LETTERS FROM A FATHER, have received a substantial number of wins in multiple categories. As an Actor, I have been fortunate enough to study at incredibly prestigious schools such as: The Second City, The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, Oklahoma City University and Perry-Mansfield School of Theatre and Dance. I am also a lyric soprano and I have more than a decade of dance training.

What sets me apart from others is that I specialize in multiple categories in the industry and have become known for writing and directing strong multi-layered young female leads. With the heart of a Midwesterner, the mindset of a New Yorker, I work hard and am not afraid to play with the big boys in Hollywood. I fight to give those who deserve it a voice, who have never been given the chance to speak – whether that’s behind the scenes, or with a story I’m telling.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Kindness, Professionalism and Honesty.

Pricing:

• One on One Sessions (Private Acting Sessions or The Business of Acting Consultations): $150 for an hour and a half or $100 for an hour
• Schedule and Budget through Gorilla 6 (Feature): $3,000 to $4,000
• Schedule and Budget through Gorilla 6 (Short): $1,000 to $2,000

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: LETTERS FROM A FATHER: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5438200/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
  ANDREA FANTAUZZI: http://andreafantauzzi.com/
• Instagram: LETTERS FROM A FATHER: @lettersfromafather ANDREA FANTAUZZI: @andrea_fantauzzi_
• Facebook: LETTERS FROM A FATHER: https://www.facebook.com/lettersfromafather
  ANDREA FANTAUZZI: https://www.facebook.com/AndreaFantauzziOfficial
• Twitter: ANDREA FANTAUZZI: https://twitter.com/andifantauzzi
• Youtube: ANDREA FANTAUZZI: https://www.youtube.com/user/andifan26/featured
• Other: ANDREA FANTAUZZI IMDb: imdb.me/andreafantauzzi