While Hollywood has long celebrated icons like Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte Bardot, Sydne Rome carved a distinctive path far from the glitz of Los Angeles. Hailing from the American Midwest, Rome brought her blonde hair, blue eyes, and undeniable charm to Europe, where she quickly captured attention. Though her time in the spotlight was relatively brief compared to some contemporaries, her impact was lasting. Her reported romance with David Bowie added to her mystique, and while she never became a major Hollywood name, she built a meaningful career overseas and created a fulfilling personal life. Tragically, a car accident would later leave her with permanent facial scars.
Born in Akron, Ohio, in 1951, Rome came from a middle-class family with no entertainment industry ties. After high school, she pursued acting at Carnegie Tech School of Acting, appearing in classic plays that helped shape her early craft. A short-lived attempt to break into Hollywood left her disillusioned by the exploitative behavior of some directors, particularly their insistence on nudity. This experience led her to Europe, where she found more rewarding work, especially in Italian cinema, where she was valued for her talent as well as her beauty.
Rome’s big break came with Roman Polanski’s 1972 film What?, which, while not critically praised, significantly boosted her profile. By the mid-1970s, she was being hailed as Europe’s answer to Brigitte Bardot—a comparison she embraced while asserting her own strengths as an actress. Rome enjoyed steady success in French, Italian, and German films, and a highlight of this period was her role in Just a Gigolo (1978), where she worked alongside—and reportedly dated—David Bowie, with whom she maintained a friendship.
In the 1980s, Rome broadened her artistic pursuits, releasing several music albums that, while not commercially successful, showcased her creative spirit. She remained active in film and television across Europe and also explored documentary filmmaking. Despite her international acclaim, Rome expressed frustration with the film industry’s treatment of actresses as commodities rather than professionals. Her personal life also saw changes; she married photographer Emilio Lari before later marrying doctor Roberto Bernabei, with whom she adopted two daughters from Brazil.
A devastating car accident in 2009 marked a turning point in Rome’s life. Traveling with one of her daughters, she suffered serious injuries when an airbag deployed, resulting in facial muscle paralysis and lasting scarring. Despite the physical and emotional toll, Rome demonstrated resilience and continued acting. She appeared in the 2023 Italian film La Quattordicesima Domenica Del Tempo Ordinario and maintained a recurring role in the long-running series Don Matteo. Her continued work in entertainment is a testament to her enduring passion and strength in the face of adversity.
