Stephanie Vanessa Fantauzzi (born March 17, 1987) is an American television and film actress, model and singer of Brazilian and Italian descent. Fantauzzi is best known for her role of Estefania in Showtime's Shameless.
Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, but raised in Boca Raton, Florida, Fantauzzi is of Brazilian and Italian descent. She began her career as a model and singer, working in New York and Miami, and studied journalism and sociology while attending Florida Atlantic University in her late teens.While visiting Brazil with her father in 2009, Fantauzzi landed her first film role in Marcio Garcia's directorial debut, the award-winningPredi Fantauzzi went on to appear in numerous national commercials and television shows, including MTV’s Death Valley and Nickelodeon’s Big Time Rush.
In the fall of 2011, Fantauzzi began her recurring role as Estefania in Shameless, playing Jimmy's wife, the daughter of Brazilian drug lord Nando. On January 29, 2013, Showtime renewed Shameless for a fourth season.
