Anthea Sylbert (née Giannakouros; October 6, 1939 – June 18, 2024) was an American film producer and costume designer, who was active during the "modern era" of American film. She was nominated twice for Academy Awards for Best Costume Design, first at the 47th Academy Awards for Chinatown (1974), and then at the 50th Academy Awards for her work on Julia (1977). In addition, she had more than ten credits as producer or executive producer, including for such works as CrissCross (1991) and the television film Truman (1995), the latter of which earned Sylbert an Emmy. At the 7th Annual Costume Designers Guild Awards in 2005, Sylbert was an honoree, receiving the Lacoste Career Achievement award for film.
Anthea Sylbert | |
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 Publicity photo of Anthea Sylbert | |
| Born | Anthea Giannakouros October 6, 1939 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | June 18, 2024 (aged 84) Skiathos, Greece |
| Occupation | Costume designer |
| Years active | 1967–1999[1][2] |
| Spouses |
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Early life and education
editAnthea Giannakouros was born in Brooklyn, New York,[1] on October 6, 1939,[3] to parents Nick and Georgia Giannakouros and lived in what has been described as a "close-knit Greek family".[1] She had one brother, Thomas. Keenly interested in artistic activities as a child, she is reported to have learned to sew from a grandmother. She studied art at Barnard College.[1] Later in life, she moved to the Greek island of Skiathos with her husband, actor Richard Romanus, where they resided until their passing. Sylbert was recognized with the Costume Designers Guild’s Lacoste Career Achievement Award in 2005.
Career
editThis section needs expansion with: sourced facts as noted, especially focusing on the costume design (early phase) of her career, followed by the production and managerial (later phases). You can help by adding to it. (February 2020) |
Following her long period of costume design work, Sylbert took on executive production management roles at the vice president level, first at Warner Borothers, then at United Artists, where she was known, in particular, for her skills at conflict resolution when filmmakers were at odds with the studios.[when?][1] After this period, she began a deep partnership with Goldie Hawn, beginning with the film Private Benjamin (1980).[1] Ultimately, the two of them created the Hawn/Sylvebert Movie Company,[when?] which produced a number of films, including Protocol (1984) and Something to Talk About (1995).[1]
Work on Chinatown
editThis section needs expansion with: any facts from the ample, well-sourced book or journal descriptions of A. Sylbert's role in the making of this film. You can help by adding to it. (February 2020) |
Sylbert worked with Chinatown (1974) from its early days after her brother-in-law Richard Sylbert introduced and recommended her to director Roman Polanski.[4][page needed] Sylbert was affectionately known in that close-working, small group of accomplished filmmakers as Ant for her penchant for "stringently straight" dark skirts and black turtlenecks.[4][page needed] Sylbert was known to be "utterly unafraid to speak truth, no matter how ugly, to anyone, no matter how powerful".[4][page needed] Her work was described as breaking with the past in its aim at being "not for beauty or for chic” but rather "to amplify character".[4][page needed] Sylbert was nominated for the 1975 Academy Award for Best Costume Design for her work on the film.[5]
Work on Julia
editThis section needs expansion with: book or journal descriptions of Sylbert's role in the making of this film. You can help by adding to it. (February 2020) |
Sylbert was nominated for the 1978 Academy Award for Best Costume Design for her work on the film Julia (1977).[6]
Personal life
editSylbert was married to actor and writer Richard Romanus from August 1985 until his death in December 2023.[7] In 2004, Sylbert and Romanus moved to the Greek island of Skiathos.[8] Sylbert died in Skiathos on June 18, 2024, at the age of 84.[9]
Filmography
editThe following is Anthea Sylbert's list of credits, primarily as reported by the British Film Institute.[2]
Producing
edit- 1999, If You Believe[2]
- 1998, Giving up the Ghost (teleplay)[2]
- 1997, Hope[2]
- 1995, Truman[2]
- 1995, Something to Talk About[2]
- 1991, Deceived[2]
- 1991, Crisscross[2]
- 1990, My Blue Heaven[2]
- 1987, Overboard[2]
- 1986, Wildcats[2]
- 1984, Protocol[2]
Costumes and costume design
edit- 1978, F.I.S.T.[2]
- 1977, Julia[2]
- 1976, The Last Tycoon[2]
- 1976, King Kong[2]
- 1975, Shampoo[2]
- 1974, Chinatown[2]
- 1974, The Fortune[2]
- 1972, Bad Company[2]
- 1971, The Cowboys[2]
- 1971, Carnal Knowledge[2]
- 1969, The Illustrated Man[2]
- 1968, Rosemary's Baby[2]
Other credits
edit- 2008, Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, on-screen participant[2]
- 1999, If You Believe, writer,[2] with Richard Romanus[7]
- 1976, Mikey and Nicky, visual consultant[2]
Awards and recognition
editIn addition to the 1975 and 1978 Academy Award nominations for best costume design,[5][6] Sylbert won an Emmy for her production of Truman (1995).[1] In 1999, Sylbert and Richard Romanus were nominated for Best Original Screenplay by the Writers Guild of America for the Christmas film If You Believe.[7] Sylbert was an honoree at the 7th Annual Costume Designers Guild Awards (in 2005), where she received the Lacoste Career Achievement award for film.[10]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h Rubin, Natasha (2018). "Sylbert, Anthea (1939-)". In Bauer, Laura L. S. (ed.). Hollywood Heroines: The Most Influential Women in Film History. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. pp. 88–90. ISBN 9781440836497. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab BFI Staff (February 4, 2020). "Anthea Sylbert—Filmography". BFI.org.uk. London, GB: British Film Institute. Archived from the original on December 27, 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
- ^ Jay Jorgensen; Donald L. Scoggins (2015). Creating the Illusion: A Fashionable History of Hollywood Costume Designers. Philadelphia, PA: Running Press. pp. 318–321. ISBN 9780762458073. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
- ^ a b c d Sam Wasson (2020). The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood. New York, NY: Flatiron Books. ISBN 9781250301833. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
- ^ a b Academy Staff (April 8, 1975). "The 47th Academy Awards—1975—Dorothy Chandler Pavilion—Honoring movies released in 1974: Costume Design". Oscars.org. Beverly Hills, CA: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
- ^ a b Academy Staff (1978-04-03). "The 50th Academy Awards—1978—Dorothy Chandler Pavilion—Honoring movies released in 1977: Costume Design". Oscars.org. Beverly Hills, CA: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
- ^ a b c Barnes, Mike (2023-12-30). "Richard Romanus, Actor in 'Mean Streets,' Dies at 80". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2023-12-30. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ Travis, Emlyn (2023-12-31). "Richard Romanus, 'Mean Streets' and 'The Sopranos' star, dies at 80". EW.com. Archived from the original on 2023-12-31. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ "Anthea Sylbert, 'Rosemary's Baby,' 'Chinatown' and 'Carnal Knowledge' Costume Designer, Dies at 84". The Hollywood Reporter. June 18, 2024. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
- ^ CDG Staff (5 February 2020). "7th Annual Costume Designers Guild Awards—Honorees". CostumeDesignersGuild.com. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
Lacoste Career Achievement Film: Anthea Sylbert.
Additional reading
edit- Rubin, Natasha (2018). "Sylbert, Anthea (1939-)". In Bauer, Laura L. S. (ed.). Hollywood Heroines: The Most Influential Women in Film History. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. pp. 88–90. ISBN 9781440836497. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
- Jorgensen, Jay & Scoggins, Donald L. (2015). Creating the Illusion: A Fashionable History of Hollywood Costume Designers. Philadelphia, PA: Running Press. pp. 318–321. ISBN 9780762458073. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Wasson, Sam (2020). The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood. New York, NY: Flatiron Books. ISBN 9781250301833. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
- Gregory, Mollie (2003). Women Who Run the Show: How a Brilliant and Creative New Generation of Women Stormed Hollywood. New York, NY: Macmillan. pp. 69, 159–166, 400. ISBN 9780312316341. Retrieved 5 February 2020.