Lanzoni is best recognized for his appearance on the covers of hundreds of romance novels. In 2015, while describing his career, Lanzoni told
The Guardian, I'd be the biggest hypocrite if I said I really worked very hard for my career, because it was given to me on a silver platter. I can't take any credit. My major focus was sports and going to the gym. Lanzoni hoped to live in America, calling it "the greatest country in the world."In his teenage years, Lanzoni participated in such sports as
horseback riding,
windsurfing, and
slalom and
downhill skiing. and moved to the US, to the frustration of his parents. whom Lanzoni called "the biggest photographer in the world" at the time. While dancing in a
Miami nightclub, Lanzoni was recognized by three women from his appearance on romance novel covers. Prior to the encounter, Lanzoni knew he had taken photos for use in book covers, but had never seen the finished product. In a 2021
People interview, Lanzoni recalls:[These] three girls come over and say, "You look exactly like the guy on our books!" I said, "That's a good pickup line." [After they return to show me the books,] I go like, "Oh my God, that's me." It was the first time I saw myself on the cover of the books. In 1990, Lanzoni acted as an angel in horror film
The Exorcist III. In the 1991 film
Scenes from a Mall, Lanzoni is credited for the role of "Handsome Man." In 1992,
Robert Gottlieb of
William Morris Agency became Lanzoni's literary agent; Lanzoni became the first bestselling male romance writer to use his real name.
Rogue (1994),
Viking (1994),
Comanche (1995), and
Champion (1995), all of which were written in collaboration with romance author Eugenia Riley. Lanzoni later collaborated with
Wendy Corsi Staub to write
Dangerous (1996),
Wild (1997), and
Mysterious (1998). charity event at
Pilot Field in Buffalo, New York During the
Christmas season of 1992, an all-Fabio
pin-up calendar for 1993 appeared in major bookstores and was a top seller. In 1993, Lanzoni released an album titled
Fabio After Dark, which included 17 tracks.
Billboard reported that Lanzoni's contributions "were all spoken word; he let guests like
Billy Ocean and
Dionne Warwick do the singing." Interspersed between the music are Lanzoni's soliloquies on his philosophies of love, such as "Fabio: On Inner Beauty" and "Fabio: On Humor." In 1993,
Versace contracted Lanzoni to model their
Mediterraneum fragrance. Lanzoni alleged in 2021 that the company still owed him $1 million in profits. In 1999, the
Los Angeles Times reported on a promotional meet-and-greet at the
Sherman Oaks Bullock's men's fragrance department. That year, he became the spokesman for spread brand
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! The following year, Lanzoni was featured as himself in a
Step by Step episode "Absolutely Fabio." In 1998, he appeared on ''
Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' doing a brief comedic sketch. In 1996, his manager Eric Ashenberg stated that Lanzoni was looking for "something more in the
Errol Flynn style, something romantic." In 2000, Lanzoni had a cameo in the stoner comedy film ''
Dude, Where's My Car? Lanzoni lampooned himself in comedy film Zoolander the following year, which featured over a dozen celebrity cameos. Screen Rant'' describes his cameo as one of the most memorable: in 2005. Fabio is showcased in
Zoolander early on. He appears after the opening sequence, as a fellow model at the ceremony the main characters attend. He is shown accepting an award before Male Model of the Year is awarded. Fabio's lines are funny, thanking the audience for naming him the best "actor slash model, and not the other way around." In 2002, 2003, and 2012, Fabio appeared in soap opera
The Bold and the Beautiful, as a close friend of the character
Sally Spectra, played by
Darlene Conley. In 2005, Lanzoni hosted the American reality television series
Mr. Romance. The series featured a dozen male contestants competing for the title of "Mr. Romance" and the opportunity to appear as a
romance novel cover model. and played the character Captain Hawk in
The Suite Life on Deck episode "Senior Ditch Day."
Spokesman Lanzoni appeared prominently in advertising for
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! and has been the spokesman for the company since 1994. He was also the spokesman for the
Geek Squad in 2007,
Oral-B's Sensitive Advantage Toothbrush in 2006 (whose ad was featured in
Times Square), and one of his most popular ads to date is for
Nationwide Insurance. In 2006, the commercial for Nationwide aired during the
Super Bowl and was the most viewed commercial for the game, garnering over 1 million views within two weeks. Other endorsements included Wickes Furniture, Ames Hardware, Old Spice, and the
American Cancer Society. On July 26, 2011,
Old Spice launched a campaign on YouTube in which Lanzoni challenges
Isaiah Mustafa to try to replace him as the New Old Spice Guy. The online challenge was entitled
Mano a Mano in el Baño (hand-to-hand in the bathroom). Mustafa emerged as the winner, though Lanzoni's Old Spice YouTube Channel received more than 9 million views in the week after its debut, rising to Number 4 on YouTube for the week. Once a spokesman for the American Cancer Society, Lanzoni has spoken for the controversial
Burzynski Clinic, where his sister was receiving treatment for ovarian cancer. In April 2013, Lanzoni stated in an interview that "[Stanislaw Burzynski] is a genius. He definitely, I believe, he has the cure for cancer... They have to let him get his office back and let him do his work..." Lanzoni's younger sister died In 2021, he launched a hair and skincare line for men titled Aston James, with the help of two Australian entrepreneurs. The company's mission is to "bring the experience of buying a
Rolex to the men's personal care space." Lanzoni has stated the company name Aston James is a
portmanteau of
Aston Martin and
James Bond. an event occurred that became popularly known as Lanzoni's "goose incident." During a promotional event, Lanzoni was seated in the front row for the inaugural ride of the
Apollo's Chariot roller coaster at
Busch Gardens Williamsburg. The goose died, and Lanzoni disembarked from the ride with blood on his face. The only video that exists was filmed from the ride entrance. There was an
on-ride camera, but Lanzoni claims the camera was never found. Lanzoni's injury required three stitches on his nose. Some sources claim the incident represented a paradigm shift in Lanzoni's career. On
The Morning Show in 2021, Lanzoni clarified the situation:Actually, the bird hit the camera, and a piece of the metal of the camera flew and cut the bridge of [my] nose. And that was a miracle. But... they were afraid of me suing
Budweiser, and so they blamed it on a bird. But actually, the bird hit the camera. The bird never hit my face... I was very fortunate, very lucky because I needed one stitch. ==Personal life==