The Surprising Career of Mary Fanto: An Interview with an Actress and Model

Mary Fanto is a retired actress, model and beauty queen from New York. She was Miss Syracuse in 1965 and placed fourth runner-up in the Miss America competition. Mary has also worked as a model for various photographers, including Francesco Scavullo, who photographed her for Cosmopolitan magazine. Her modeling career has been a constant source of inspiration for her acting roles and vice versa. This article about Mary Fanto’s life as an actress and model contains interviews with Mary herself (via email), as well as friends, family, colleagues and fans of this amazing woman. Ms. Fanto kindly agreed to share some details of her past with us; she is now retired from the world of modeling and acting but not from its memories!

Early life and education

Mary Frances Fanto was born in New York City on June 21, 1944 to Italian-Americans, Anthony and Mary Fanto. Mary Fanto grew up in the Bronx with her brother, John. She attended the prestigious Marymount Manhattan College and graduated cum laude with a degree in English Literature. She was “always interested in literature, theatre and the arts” since she was a little girl. As a child, Mary attended dance classes and also performed with a choir in church. She also took painting classes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and was an avid reader. Mary’s first job was as a salesgirl at a department store in the Bronx. After college she worked as an administrative assistant in the financial sector.

What it Means to be a “Plus-Size” Model in the 1960s

In the 1960s, “plus-size” models were thin and tall, like Twiggy. Beauty standards have changed a lot since then, but in the 60s, “plus-size” models were a lot curvier than Twiggy. Most of them were curvier women of color, like Ms. Fanto. In fact, the model of the 1960s was Mary, who was 5’5”, 125 pounds and a size 10. Mary herself calls this era “The Golden Era of the Modeling Business,” because the modeling world was a place where non-thin women could make a living. At the time, there was no concept of eating disorders, anorexia or bulimia; most models were simply naturally thin. But Mary was not naturally thin, so Mary Fanto also allowed to work. If a model is naturally thin, she needs to be under 5’9”, so she doesn’t look too tall. Ms. Fanto is 5’5” and has been modeling since she was 13 years old.

Career as an actress

Mary Fanto has portrayed a variety of characters on stage, TV, and in film. Some of her most memorable roles include: – Sophia in “The Golden Child” – Meredith in “The Lunatics” – Connie in “Three Guys off an Island” (Mary won the Best Actress award for this role) – Doris in “Murder at the Met” – Emma in “The Girl in the Chair” – A singer and dancer in “The Rockettes at Carnegie Hall” Mary says that acting has always been her first love, but modeling has provided her with a great creative outlet as well. After all, she says, “being in front of the camera is a lot like being on stage.” Mary has been modelling since she was a teenager, when Mary Fanto scouted at a dance competition. She says that acting and modeling have influenced each other over the years.

Career as a model

Mary’s love affair with modeling began at an early age. She was scouted at the age of 14, after winning a dance competition. This led to her first modeling gig, which was for a Coca-Cola poster. Over the course of her career, she’s modeled for fashion houses such as Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and Balenciaga. She also worked as a runway model and was a “featured model” for top photographers, including Francesco Scavullo. Mary has also done extensive work for Cosmopolitan magazine, appearing on their cover a whopping eight times. Mary’s modeling work has taken her all over the world, including Paris, Milan, Tokyo, and Barcelona. She went on a three-month tour of Asia and Europe when she was 19. She also visited the Middle East and Africa. “The world is a fragile place and we need to be more understanding of other cultures and beliefs,” Mary says.

The Importance of Looks for Actors: Beauty is Business for BFA Students

Mary Fanto says that beauty is business for actors, and that BFA students need to know how important it is to look good for auditions. “It’s important for actors to wear tasteful clothing and not be too flashy,” she says. “It’s also important for young actors to have their hair styled; this shows the casting directors that they have professional stylists on their side.” Mary says that BFA students should also take care of their skin, and wear makeup that’s appropriate for their age. “It’s best not to wear too much makeup, especially when auditioning for TV shows,” she says. “You don’t want your makeup to look too heavy because cameras pick up every detail.”

Mary Fanto as a Beauty Queen

Mary’s first pageant win was in the Miss Greater Syracuse competition. She then went on to compete in Miss New York State and then Miss America. She placed fourth runner-up in the Miss America 1965 pageant. But that wasn’t the end of Mary’s pageant career; she then went on to compete in Miss America again the following year, and won the Miss America 1966 title. Mary says that winning Miss America was a big deal for women like her, who didn’t fit into the thin, Twiggy-like mold. “The Miss America win was significant because it was the beginning of a new era for women and their roles in society,” Mary says. “It was an era that celebrated different body types, ethnicities and backgrounds.”

The End of an Actress’s Career

Mary says that “actresses often have shorter careers than models.” This is because “auditions are often a numbers game” and models have a “more consistent work flow.” If a designer likes a model’s look and she has a good personality, they might hire her again and again. “This doesn’t happen as often in the acting world,” Mary Fanto says. “Acting is a more subjective and personal profession.” This can be both good and bad. It’s good because “actors can create more unique and personal characters.” But it’s bad because “the entertainment world is a fickle place and a person’s rise to stardom is as unpredictable as the weather.”

Final Words

Mary Fanto has had a long and varied career in both modeling and acting. She’s walked the runways of Paris and Milan and been featured on the covers of Cosmopolitan eight times. She’s also won the Miss America title, played various roles on stage, and traveled the world. Now retired, Mary says that “when you retire, you have the opportunity to see life from a different perspective. You’re free to pursue your hobbies and interests with less distraction and pressure.”