Stelio Savante (born April 24, 1970), a South African actor.
Following two decades of Lort contract theater, Savante gained wider recognition for his roles in television series and films, including opposite Zachary Levi, and Sonequa Martin-Green, in the Amazon MGM biopic Sarah's Oil, opposite Elizabeth Tabish and Elizabeth Mitchell in the immigrant drama Between Borders, opposite Matt Dillon in the Hawaiian drama Running for Grace, opposite Anne Heche, in her final film performance in the noir What Remains, opposite Jim Caviezel and Claudia Karvan in the political thriller Infidel, and in the South African epic drama Colors of Heaven.
In 2007 he became the first male South African-born Screen Actors Guild award nominee (Best Ensemble in a Comedy) for his recurring role on Ugly Betty followed by roles in the studio films My Super Ex-Girlfriend and Starship Troopers 3: Marauder. He is also known for the roles of Moses in the biblical series The Chosen, and the voice of Ajax in the video games Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and Call of Duty: Mobile.
Early life A Capetonian of Greek, Italian, British, Ashkenazi, and Anatolian descent, his grandfather was a racing driver who placed and won medals at the 1955 Monte Carlo Rally. Fluent in Afrikaans and Greek, he graduated from Camps Bay High School, immigrated from South Africa to the United States when he was offered an international tennis scholarship by the University of West Alabama.
Career His prime-time debut came in police procedural crime drama television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as a Bosnian–Muslim fundamentalist. Directed by Juan Jose Campanella and starring Bradley Cooper, the episode was nominated for an Emmy. Recurred as Steve on comedy-drama television series Ugly Betty, produced by Salma Hayek. He became the first male South African to receive a Screen Actor's Guild nomination along with the lead ensemble cast in 2007. Also recurred in 2008 drama television series My Own Worst Enemy, with further guest star lead roles in J. J. Abrams' Undercovers opposite Gugu Mbatha-Raw, The Suite Life on Deck, Person of Interest opposite Jim Caviezel, Without a Trace opposite Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Ivana Milicevic, Breakout Kings opposite Jimmi Simpson, and NCIS. As well as in the HBO series Togetherness directed by Mark Duplass and Jay Duplass, and in The Chosen by Dallas Jenkins.
Further television credits include S.W.A.T., FBI, Law & Order: Criminal Intent opposite Annabella Sciorra, The Sopranos, as Dan 'Schaffy' Schaffner in Jim Breuer's pilot Pulp Comics on Comedy Central and recurring as Antonio on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. He portrayed Joe Masseria in the mini-series The Making of the Mob: New York for AMC and David Sarnoff in American Genius for National Geographic.
Additional film credits include Twentieth Century Fox's 2006 superhero romantic comedy My Super Ex-Girlfriend directed by Ivan Reitman, starring opposite Anna Faris, Eddie Izzard, Uma Thurman, and Rainn Wilson, and Ron Howard's 2001 Academy Award winner A Beautiful Mind opposite Russell Crowe. Ensemble leading roles in Sony Pictures Entertainment 2008 military science fiction film Starship Troopers 3: Marauder produced by David Lancaster, and the 2010 Movieguide award winner drama film What If
He also acted in the 2013 supernatural horror film Awakened, and a lead role opposite Isaach De Bankole and Juliet Landau in Rudolf Buitendach's 2014 drama film Where the Road Runs Out, the first feature filmed in Equatorial Guinea, winner of the Best Narrative Feature Award at the 2014 San Diego Film Festival and the Black Reel Award for Outstanding World Cinema in 2017. He also starred in Peter Greenaway's 2015 biographical film Eisenstein in Guanajuato nominated for the Golden Bear at the 2015 Berlin International Film Festival. He also voiced the role of Ajax in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.
He received positive reviews for his role in the 2011 feature A Million Colours, which screened at the Montreal World Film Festival, Pan African Film Festival, Atlantic Film Festival, and was also awarded two South African Film and Television Awards.
Theater credits include lead roles in the American and New York premiers of German playwright Roland Schimmelpfennig's Arabian Night, Dan Gordon's Murder in the First, and Mortal Coils directed by Ed Setrakian.
Films and plays produced Savante has produced and served in a producing role on such films as No Postage Necessary, Official Selection of the Heartland Film Festival starring George Blagden and Michael Beach, making history as the first film to ever release via blockchain technology using cryptocurrency as payment, and drama Selling Isobel starring opposite Lew Temple, and Alyson Stoner, winner at the 2016 Raindance film festival, released by Gravitas Ventures.
To commemorate the tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks Stelio produced and performed 110 Stories Celebrity Benefit Performances with Katie Holmes, Samuel L. Jackson, Melissa Leo, Cynthia Nixon, and Jeremy Piven. at the Skirball Center for The Performing Arts at NYU. It was directed by Gregory Mosher. Savante describes 110 Stories as a chance to give people closure about the attacks; he was in New York City at the time of the attacks, and cites that as a reason why he produces the play. In 2010, he also produced and performed the Los Angeles theater debut of 110 Stories Celebrity Benefit Performances at the Geffen Playhouse, with John Hawkes and Ed Asner directed by Mark Freiburger. All proceeds were donated to the Red Cross Los Angeles as aid to Haiti in the aftermath of their earthquake. In 2013, he produced and performed 110 Stories at Ebony Rep in Los Angeles. The proceeds were donated to Operation Gratitude. And again he produced and performed 110 Stories opposite Robert Forster and Mira Sorvino directed by his acting teacher Bill Alderson in 2016. As playwright, his one-act play Venom was self-produced Off Broadway and nominated as a finalist for Samuel French's Love Creek festival.
His Video game credits include: Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and Call of Duty: Mobile,Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, Mass Effect 2, Army of Two: The 40th Day, a role in the live-action simulated video game Red Alert 3, and Midnight Club.
Personal life Savante was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2010 and has become a vocal advocate for other sufferers. He stated that the disease attacked his organs, including his liver. He was also diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis in 2013. Savante is a Christian.
Awards and nominations Year Awards Category Work Outcome 2007Screen Actors Guild AwardOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Ugly Betty 2014 San Diego Film Festival Best Narrative Feature (shared with Rudolf Buitendach) Where The Road Runs Out 2015Berlin International Film Festival Teddy Ballot Volkswagen Audience Award Eisenstein in Guanajuato The Short Film Awards SOFIE Award Best Actor in a Short Film Once We Were Slaves American Movie Award Best ActorAmerican Movie Awards Bare Bones International Film Festival Best Actor in a Short Film Attic Film Festival Best Male Performance International Christian Film Festival Best Actor in a Short Film 2016Philadelphia Independent Film Festival Best Actor Once We Were Slaves 2018Manhattan Film Festival Best Comedic Drama Feature Avalanche 2021Manhattan Film Festival Best Horror Feature Destination Marfa 2022Political Film Society Award for Peace Best Film Pulled From Darkness 2024Austin Film Festival Narrative Feature Award Summer Of Violence 2024Downtown Los Angeles Film Festival Best Picture Summer Of Violence
Filmography Year Project Role Notes 1995–1996 Late Night with Conan O'Brien Antonio 2 Episodes 1996 Close Up Frankie 1998 Pulp Comics: The Jim Breuer Show Dan Schaffner 1 Episode 2000 Astoria Nick US & Greece Theatrical The Sopranos Gaetano Giarizzio 1 Episode: "Full Leather Jacket" Guiding Light Mr Black 2 Episodes 2001 A Beautiful Mind Lab Technician Worldwide Release 2003 All My Children Guard Berger 7 Episodes Midnight Club II Primo Video Game 2005 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Phil Bartoli 1 Episode: "Unchained" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Milan Zergin 1 Episode: "Night" 2006 My Super Ex Girlfriend Leo Worldwide Release 2007 NCIS Danny Coyle 1 Episode: "Requiem" Ugly Betty Steve Recurring8 Episodes 2008 My Own Worst Enemy: Conspiracy Theory Oliver Chelovich / John Bentley 2 Episodes Corrado Antonio Worldwide Release Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 Sergei Video Game Starship Troopers 3: Marauder "Bull" Brittles Video 2009 Red Alert 3: Uprising Sergei Video Game Without a Trace Dimitri Melvychenko 1 Episode: "Heartbeats" 2010 Undercovers Hollis Kruger 1 Episode: "Instructions" Mass Effect 2 Eclipse Security Guard Video GameStolen Memory DLC Army of Two: The 40th Day Russian Elite / Russian Grunt / SA Guard / SA Elite / SA Grunt Video Game A Million Colours Major Shawn Dixon Worldwide Release The Suite Life on Deck Stefan 1 episode: "Breakup in Paris" What If... Joel Worldwide Release Finding Hope Now Ruben 2011 Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Indian Ocean Pirates / Various Characters Video Game A Million Colours Major Shawn Dixon 2012 Where the Road Runs Out Martin Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Nigerian Mercenary / Additional Voices Video Game Breakout Kings Malko 1 Episode: "Double Down" 2013 Jimmy Mr. Laney Selling Isobel Alfonso The Secret Village Joe Awakened Benny 2014 Once We Were Slaves Demas Pacific Standard Time Marius Roos Person of Interest Aris Zappo 1 Episode 2015 American Genius David Sarnoff Togetherness Yanni Episode Eisenstein in Guanajuato Hunter S. Kimbrough The Making of the Mob: New York Joe Masseria 2 episodes 2016 Cassidy Way Truck Driver Apartment 407 Alfonso Media Howard Boston Television Movie Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Shoreline Mercenary Video Game Uncharted 4: A Thief's End Villain Sniper Video Game 2017 Odious Eddie Blood in the Water Marius Roos Army Dog Sheriff Bill Uncharted: The Lost Legacy Shoreline Mercenary Video Game Windsor Pierre Gandy Pronoia Jeff short 2018 Running for Grace Mayor Blue Fox, Netflix Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Ajax Video Game No Postage Necessary Agent Ames Arrested Development "Gator" Episode Death House Dr. Roos The Haves and the Have Nots Dino Malone Episode The Cleaning Lady Michael 2019 Bernie the Dolphin Brock Winters Lionsgate I Am That Man Detective Olsen On Demand The Message (Camp Arrowhead) Gerald Walker On Demand Rapid Eye Movement Steve Larabee Theatrical 2020 The Penitent Thief Tiran Amazon, On Demand; also producer The Chosen Moses PeacockTV Infidel Pierre Barthes Cloudburst, Universal 2021 Pups Alone Lenny Theatrical, Saban, Paramount Under the Stadium Lights Producer Theatrical, Saban, Paramount Destination Marfa Vincent, The Hitchhiker Released on DVD, Amazon, and Vudu 2022Angry NeighborsDamenial KrentoLionsgate; also producerWhat RemainsScottSTARZ, Gravitas Ventures; also executive producerFind HerFeliz LeonardStreaming; also producer Pursuit Of Freedom Bedros Theatrical, PureFlix Blackwood Henri Theatrical, SABAN Brut Force Cuco Streaming, XYZ 2023 Captain Fall The Butterfly Thug Netflix FBI Fabian Shabani CBS Nefarious Detective Russo Theatrical Release Mobking Big Bill Theatrical Release 2024 Saint Nick of Bethlehem Harvey Streaming 2024 Between Borders Duane Streaming 2024 Undefiled Manager Joe Baines Streaming 2025 Sarah's Oil Earl Raskin Theatrical Release 2025 S.W.A.T. Omar Marina CBS 2026 Bloodhound Detective Max Crane Post Production
References
External links
Broadway World Coverage – "110 Stories Opening Night" USOPEN Interview – "Savante produces 9/11 History" A Million Colours Review – All About Mzansi