What Happened To Fabio After His Rise To Fame In The '80s And '90s?

Publish date: 2024-06-15

In the 80s and 90s, Fabio used to be all over: On billboards, in advertisements, and on the covers of books, his ripped chest exposed and his trademark hair blowing. Today, he has a net worth of $10 million, built up through quite a lot of avenues.

He Was Discovered At The Age Of Fourteen

Born in Milan, Italy to a businessman and a former good looks queen, Fabio Lanzoni was once discovered at a young age. Working out at a gymnasium when he was once 14, he was approached by famous photographer Oliviero Toscani, who told him he’d be a perfect model.

Although his father had was hoping his son would transform an engineer, Fabio jumped at the probability. For the subsequent four years he honed his craft, modeling teenager clothes for a number of Italian brands.

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The Young Italian Took The US Modeling World By Storm

Five years later, the young model made up our minds to try his luck in the U.S. and headed to New York. His story is widely known: He arrived at the Ford Modeling Agency with out an appointment and walked out with a contract.

Different to the other male fashions on the circuit, the Italian’s muscled torso and long hair made him unique. An afternoon after signing with the Ford Agency, he used to be cast for one in all the biggest campaigns in America at the time – the launch of The Gap. He earned $150,000 from that first process, an enormous quantity at the time.

And he was simply Fabio.

Fans Went Crazy For Fabio

If he’d accomplished fame as a model, that was not anything compared to what lay forward. In 1987, a painted version of a photograph of Fabio gave the impression on the duvet of Johanna Lindsey’s romantic novel, Hearts Aflame. His image moved extra books than any other duvet had, and the ebook rose to number 3 on the New York Times Best Sellers record.

Fabio went on to appear on 460 covers, a record most effective damaged in 2017 by way of Jason Aaron Baca who, impressed by means of Fabio’s occupation, was once determined to appear on more romance novels than Fabio.

Fabio Retired From Modeling In 1991

His retirement didn’t mean Fabio disappeared. The ex-model launched a 24-hour hotline, which callers may just use to listen him reading intimate stories from around the global.

In 1994, he released an album titled Fabio After Dark, which integrated soliloquies on his philosophy of love. It flew off the shelves.

He additionally printed his personal romantic novels, Pirate, Viking and Rogue featuring pictures of himself on the covers of his books. Fans didn’t even care that they’d been ghost-written.

His Movie Career Turned Out Differently To What He Expected

Fabio additionally made up our minds to take a look at to break into action movies, in the custom of Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Instead, he discovered that Hollywood was once keener to use him in appearances as himself.

Although some cast members may have tried to sue the producers of The Bold and the Beautiful, Fabio had an ideal run on the display, and was booked for a multiple-episode visitor arc, where he seemed as himself. He gave the impression in one episode of Step By Step referred to as Absolutely Fabio. And he additionally seemed as himself in the cult-classic Zoolander, which became a huge hit.

He did set up to take hold of a few roles the place wasn’t booked as other characters, he played a bodyguard in Death Becomes Her (1992) and a cult chief in 2001’s Bubble Boy. In 2017 enthusiasts noticed him showing as the Pope in the fifth installment of the Sharknado franchise.

He Designed A Women’s Clothing Line In 2002

Fabio’s face nonetheless sells. The release of his line attracted in style interest, in all probability as a result of audiences had been keen to see the megastar again. Fabio had appearances on The Insider, The View and CNBC’s Business Hour. Print publications have been additionally glad to function him, with People,Fortune and local newspapers clamoring to have him again on their covers for the first time in a decade.

In 2005, he was once the host on Mr. Romance, a show created by way of Kiss lead singer Gene Simmons, who has created some exciting work during his lifetime. The sequence featured male contestants competing for the identify and the alternative to appear as a romance novel quilt mannequin.

He’s Opted Not To Follow ‘The Retired Celeb’ Route

Although he has been presented the likelihood to appear in Dancing with the Stars, The Bachelor and The Apprentice, he’s grew to become them down. According to Fabio, when folks put themselves in that place, they do it as a result of they’re determined for cash and attention. In his words, “There’s now not sufficient money in this world to make me do one thing degrading.”

He’s Still Careful About His Diet And Fitness

At 63, he still assists in keeping himself in form. As a teen, he misplaced a chum who died of a heroin overdose. As a end result, he’s never used medication and doesn’t drink alcohol. He doesn’t consume carbs, cheese, fried foods or candies. And he never allows a hairdryer close to the ones well-known locks, which glance as excellent as ever.

The ex-model works out in the fitness center for 60 minutes at least 4 occasions per week, that specialize in cardio and weight lifting. He hikes, runs and has a tricky dirt motorcycle staying power trial on his assets, which he makes use of day by day on one of the 325 grime bikes he owns.

And that’s no longer all: He sleeps in a hyperbaric chamber which, he says, reverses the growing older process.

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Famous Advertising Campaigns

Fabio became an enormous hit in advert campaigns for I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter. He has labored with the corporate as a spokesperson since 1994. One of his maximum memorable ads involved Fabio breaking free from a butter sculpture of himself.

He additionally labored as a spokesperson for a lot of other groups, together with Geek Squad and the American Cancer Society.

In a contemporary interview with The Guardian, he stated he didn’t care about Instagram, which is why lovers haven't observed a lot of him over the remaining decade. However, since 2021, he’s been back in the limelight, telling interviewers how he’s after all ready to relax and start a family.

RELATED:Fabio's Love Life Revealed; Here's What He Has To Say About Dating

Whatever occurs, we can be pretty positive he's not going to exchange his image. As he says, "Please. Who else can I be, besides Fabio?"

NEXT: Tyra Banks' Career Since 'America's Next Top Model'

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