Romano Orzari

Trained in the theatre, Romano has performed in over 80 different leading and supporting roles for feature films, short films and television series. He credits his ability to working on either a big Hollywood Production, an Indie Low-Budget Production or an actual No-Budget Production to the values of his working class immigrant parents. His father Stefano, a veteran resistance fighter in WWII, and his mother Carmina, a strong willed garment factory worker, gave plenty in forging Romano as a journeyman actor.

Fluent in Italian, French with some Spanish Romano originally studied engineering in college. Though the constant pull towards literature, art-history and filmmaking set him altogether onto a different path. Thanks to the films "City Lights" by Charlie Chaplin, "The Exterminating Angel" by Luis Bunuel and Frank McGuinness' play "Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme". Jumping on the opportunity to study with the play's director, Joe Dowling. Longstanding Artistic Director of the Guthrie in Minneapolis and the Abbey in Dublin, Ireland. Soon after Romano moved to New York City to strengthen his acting abilities, dedicating five years of training beginning at The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, followed by the Ron Stetson Studio, Robert Lewis Actor's Studio workshop and a significant three years at the Stella Adler Theatre Conservatory. Gratefully with his graduating year under the guidance of the legendary teacher, Mrs. Stella Adler. Revered teachers there included Alice Winston, Casey Keziah, Elizabeth Parish and the lovingly Jimmy Tripp.

While in his 2nd year at the Conservatory, he was encouraged by a classmate to attended a very large open audition, which resulted in a supporting debut role for the Jazz bio-pic "Bix", by critically acclaimed Italian director Pupi Avati. The film premiered in competition at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival, where The Hollywood Reporter and Variety gave praise to Romano's portrayal of the legendary American jazz pianist Hoagy Carmichael. Two months later, a near fatal accident put a hard stop to everything. While recuperating he found the strength returning to the screen with a defining lead role in the Independent film "Burnt Eden". Romano's seamless performance garnered The Yves Montand Best Actor Award at the 1998 Kyiv International Film Festival. This momentum landed him the Lead for the multi-Nominated, critically acclaimed and lasting fan-favorite television series "Omertà"; adding a Best Actor Nomination for a Series Drama at the 1999 Gemini Awards and the 2000 Metro Star Awards. In 2006 he received a Supporting ACTRA Awards Nomination for the film "Baby For Sale" and in 2007 at the Minnesota SMMASH Film Festival he received a Best Actor Nomination for the film "The Overlookers."

In keeping with his roots, restoring an 1840 farmhouse in the Hudson Valley of New York, Romano with his photographer wife Georgia Kokolis and their crafty daughter Emma Rose, hold together on to the gifts of nature. The family is completed by their brindled sidekick dogs Waldo and Willow, continuously kept in check by Theodore their roguish tabby cat...