Hollywood’s Bright Star Sydne Rome Vanishes After Devastating Accident

Hollywood has always been filled with stars. Some stay in the spotlight for many years, while others shine brightly for a short time before disappearing just as quickly as they appeared.

Over the years, legendary actresses like Marilyn Monroe, Brigitte Bardot, Jayne Mansfield, Raquel Welch, and Jean Harlow captured the public’s attention with their beauty and incredible talent.

Even while these actresses ruled the industry, there were others who were ready to take their place. One such actress was Sydne Rome, who was called the “golden girl” from the American Midwest.

Sydne didn’t follow the usual path to fame like most actresses. Instead of starting in Hollywood, she went to Europe. With her blonde hair and blue eyes, audiences loved her. It’s even said that she once dated the famous musician David Bowie.

Although Sydne had the looks and talent to succeed, her time in the spotlight was short-lived. Despite this, she has remained active over the years and has built a family of her own. Unfortunately, a tragic accident left her with scars that changed her life forever.

Sydne Rome was born in Akron, Ohio on March 17, 1951. Her father worked in plastic manufacturing, and her mother, as Sydne herself described, was a “born hippie.”

She grew up in an upper-middle-class family in the small town of Upper Sandusky, which had a population of just 5,000 people. The town was known for having the highest per capita income of any town in the United States.

Sydne Rome – Early Life
Throughout Hollywood, many children of famous actors have gone on to make a name for themselves in the industry. Some examples include Miley Cyrus, daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus; Dakota Johnson, whose parents were actors Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson; and Kate Hudson, the daughter of Goldie Hawn and Bill Hudson.

The term “nepo baby” is often used to describe these successful children of celebrities. It’s a catchy way to describe someone who gains fame thanks to their famous parent. While some kids of celebrities benefit from their family’s connections, it can also be difficult as they feel pressure to live up to their parents’ success.

For Sydne Rome, this wasn’t an issue. No one in her family had ever been involved in the entertainment business.

“There was nothing in the family that should have given me my craze for acting,” she told the Daily News in 1974. “My father had a plastic company, and my mother is just ‘mom.’ I have two sisters and two brothers, all younger.”

Sydne attended high school in Ohio, where she had already developed a strong interest in acting. She had big plans for her future, but everything changed when she spoke to those close to her.

Instead of moving to Illinois, Sydne Rome’s new home became Pennsylvania, where she attended the famous Carnegie Tech School of Acting at Pittsburgh University.

**First Shot at Hollywood Fame**
“I planned to enter Northwestern University after finishing high school. But I was told that if I were serious about acting, I should study at Tech. So I did, and I’m glad I did,” Sydne told *The Pittsburgh Press*.

At Carnegie Tech, Rome started honing her acting skills. She was taught by well-known vocal coach and voice actress Edith Skinner, as well as film executive Bern Stearn, whose daughter Sydne would later become close to. While studying there, she performed in plays like *A Midsummer Night’s Dream*, where she played Tania, and Anton Chekhov’s *The Sea Gull*, where she starred as Nina.

After completing her studies in Pennsylvania, the talented actress decided to move to California. She joined the Pasadena Playhouse, where she continued to shine on stage.

Despite starring in productions of works by famous playwrights like Shakespeare, Chekhov, and Tennessee Williams, Sydne’s first big chance at Hollywood fame did not go well. She missed out on a significant role in the film *Candy*, which was sent to her by her agent. After another year at the Pasadena Playhouse, she decided to try her luck in Europe.

There was no doubt that Sydne Rome was a beautiful woman. But in those days, just looking good wasn’t enough.

“I had a terrible time in Rome with young Italian directors who wanted me to act in the nude,” she told *The Daily News*. “I didn’t want to do it. Now my view is different. Playing in the nude has become part of our job. As long as it’s really needed in the script and doesn’t involve violent love scenes, it’s fine by me.”

Sydne Rome mostly appeared in small Italian films as the 1970s began.

**Compared to Brigitte Bardot**
Then, in 1972, she got her big break when she worked with director Roman Polanski in the film *What?* Although critics didn’t like the movie, it was an important step for Sydne. In 1973, she also married photographer and cameraman Emilio Lari.

By then, the young American actress was being compared to stars like Brigitte Bardot. The *Sunday Telegraph* even called her “the up-and-coming Jean Harlow or Raquel Welch, the ticking Sex Bomb of the nineteen-eighties” in 1979.

That comparison could have put a lot of pressure on any actress, but Sydne took it all in stride.

“[Brigitte] is wonderful, exciting, very open, terribly available. She is every man’s dream. Perhaps at first look, I seem less available. But I think audiences will take a second look and think differently. And I am a better actress than Bardot,” she said.

Even though Rome seemed to have everything needed to succeed in Hollywood, she never quite made it. Her first film was in 1969, starring in *Some Girls Do*, but it didn’t help her career. So, she decided to try her luck in another part of the world, acting in many French, Italian, and German films.

As the 1970s came to a close, Sydne Rome got a role in the film *Just a Gigolo*, directed by David Hemmings, where she starred alongside the famous David Bowie.

“We were friends. When I went to Berlin for the first script readings, I was told they hadn’t found the leading man. Bowie had an interest in that period of Germany, between the two world wars, so I thought maybe David would like to do this part. I called him and asked if I could send him the script. We did so, and he accepted,” she told *NME* in 2021.

**Romance with David Bowie**
It was even rumored that the two were romantically involved, which Sydne later confirmed in an interview on Italian television.

“I met him because he called me to accompany him to Paris for the premiere of his film, and I accepted [the offer for *Just a Gigolo*] immediately,” Sydne said. “We were together for a year. He was so much fun and exciting.”

Sydne later moved to Rome, where she lived for over ten years. By the 1980s, she turned to music, releasing several albums, but unfortunately, none of them became successful.

Sydne also starred in several films, including the 1980 movie *L’uomo puma* (The Pumaman). With a low rating of 2.2 out of 10 on IMDb, the film was not well-received. She also worked on documentaries, including one about Formula 1, filmed in Rio de Janeiro.

Though she still dreamed of becoming a big star, Sydne was frustrated with how the film industry had changed.

“I’m well-known worldwide, except in America,” she said. “I love creative work, but I hate the business side of my ‘career.’ An actress can feel like she’s just a business asset—that no one cares about her, only what she represents in terms of a deal.”

“Being in films can be terrible for a woman. No, it’s not just having advances made at you—I can handle that,” Sydne continued. “But it’s the years you have to work before anyone really respects you. Actresses are not supposed to have any brains.”

She concluded: “Maybe that’s why so many actors and actresses feel insecure—women more than men. I have several actress friends, and we cry on each other’s shoulders. Actually, actors make friends easily because they don’t belong to any particular class—they’re not aristocrats, or middle-class, or lower-class. They can fit in anywhere.”

**Car Crash Left Sydne Rome Scarred for Life**
Sadly, Sydne’s marriage to Emilio did not last. She remarried to Dr. Roberto Bernabei, and together, they decided to adopt two sisters, Vanessa and Jesse, from the favelas of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Dr. Bernabei became a respected medical worker and, in 2021, was appointed as the personal physician to Pope Francis.

Sydne’s career continued with many roles in various productions, but her big break in the United States never came. However, she found more important things in life, such as a peaceful, loving family.

Then, in 2009, Sydne’s life changed dramatically. While driving her car with one of her eight-year-old daughters in the vehicle, she was involved in a serious car accident.

In an interview on the Italian talk show *Vieni da Me*, Sydne explained that she had been driving her car for the first time after it had been in the garage for three weeks.

With her daughter in the car, Sydne lost control and crashed into a tree. The airbag deployed and caused a lot of damage to her face.

“I went to the hospital, and they stitched up my skin,” Rome said. She explained that the doctors didn’t realize her facial muscles were also damaged in the accident. “That part of my face became paralyzed, and 10 years ago I had physical therapy. Today, I’m a little bit better.”

Looking at old photos, Sydne sadly said she didn’t recognize her face because of the change to the right side of it.

**Sydne Rome Today**
“I know it’s me, but it’s like seeing another person,” she added.

Even with this tough injury, Sydne didn’t let it stop her. She kept working in the entertainment industry and most recently appeared in the Italian film *La Quattordicesima Domenica Del Tempo Ordinario*, which was released in 2023.

Now 72 years old, Sydne Rome had a recurring role in the Italian television series *Don Matteo*, where she appeared in 53 episodes between 2021 and 2022.

While Sydne didn’t become the next Brigitte Bardot, she has always followed her passion. Despite the tragic accident, she continued doing what she loves.

Please share this article if you believe you should always follow your dreams!