Another SA Hollywood star shines

There is more to South Africa's exports to Hollywood than just Charlize Theron and Arnold Vosloo. Stelio Savante left his birth place of Cape Town in 1990 for the USA on a tennis scholarship to the University of West Alabama. A theatre major at UWA, he also represented the university in tennis and football, and received the Alpha Psi Omega acting honours award. In 1992 he moved to New York to pursue an acting career. In 2001 he acted in 110 Stories, alongside Susan Sarandon, James Gandolfini, Edie Falco and Mary Stuart Masterson. A role in the TV soapie, All My Children was followed by small roles in The Sopranos and A Beautiful Mind. In 2005 he acted in three films - Pulse, The Coldest Winter (main role in this war film) and My Super Ex-Girlfriend (as Leo). The Coldest Winter won as best film at the Hollywood Digital Film Festival, and at Fargo Film Festival. Guest roles in TV shows such as Law & Order Special Victims Unit (in 2005), and Ugly Betty (as Steve), helped build his profile further. His voice has been used in several radio, television and Internet spots. In 2006 he worked on the TV series, The Foreign Connection, along with fellow Hollywood-based South African actress, Christel Smith (Tarien in Egoli). They would like make a film based on the show, about organised crime, and shoot it on location in South Africa. Stelio has a supporting role in Starship Troopers Mauraunder, which was shot on location in Cape Town (Plumstead, Atlantis, Silwerstroom, Epping and Camps Bay) in 2007. He will also be seen in A Million Colours, the sequel to e’Lollipop, also shot in South Africa in 2007. Stelio has written a film script, White Gold, about the ivory trade and fellow USA-based South African actors, Embeth Davidtz and Arnold Vosloo were considering taking part. His latest role sees him alongside Tom Sizemore and several Sopranos cast members in the action crime thriller, Corrado. Amongst his off-screen accolades are being named #19 in Elle Magazine's Hot 40 List (2006/2007) and chosen as In Style Magazine's Man Of Style. In 2006 Stelio and his wife Carla Pina moved from New York to Los Angeles. They have a daughter, Ava Grace. Stelio's father is Greek and his mother South African. The former Camps Bay High School student, now 38, still misses Table Mountain!