Fausto Fanti Explained

Fausto Fanti
Birthname:Fausto Fanti Jasmin
Birth Date:October 20, 1978
Birth Place:Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Death Place:São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Resting Place:Cemitério Municipal de Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Alias:Renato
Blondie Hammett
Yearsactive:1999–2014
Children:1
Relatives:Franco Fanti (brother)
Known For:Hermes & Renato, Massacration

Fausto Fanti Jasmin (October 20, 1978 – July 30, 2014) was a Brazilian actor, humorist and musician. He was one of the founding members of the comedy troupe Hermes & Renato (portraying its titular "Renato") and the original guitarist of parodic heavy metal band Massacration under the alias Blondie Hammett.[1]

Biography

Fanti was born in Petrópolis on October 20, 1978. In 1999 he founded Hermes & Renato alongside his friends Marco Antônio Alves, Adriano Silva, Felipe Torres and Bruno Sutter; he briefly attended an advertising course in college before asking for a leave of absence to dedicate himself solely to Hermes & Renato.[2] Known for their off-color humor, frequently reliant on pop culture references, they amassed a strong cult following throughout the late 1990s/early to mid-2000s during their tenure on MTV Brasil.[3] [4] Considered by his peers the group's "leader"[5] and "intellectual mentor",[6] Fanti portrayed some of its most well-known characters, such as the titular "Renato", "Gozo the Clown" (a parody of Bozo), "Padre Gato" ("Hot Priest") and "Blondie Hammett", the guitarist of comedy band Massacration;[7] [8] he also served as one of Massacration's main lyricists/composers alongside Bruno Sutter.[9] Hermes & Renato briefly changed its name to "Banana Mecânica" from 2010 to 2013 after leaving MTV to join RecordTV, recovering the former name after returning to MTV, where they stayed until the channel ceased its activities.

Throughout most of his life Fausto suffered from bouts of depression; his brother Franco Fanti would elaborate that, during his final years, he was "obsessive", "on the verge of paranoia and not taking any antidepressants".[10] [11] According to statements by his acquaintances, his mental health was also further negatively affected following his separation from his wife, Karla Peixoto Sento Sé, in early 2014, with whom he had a daughter, Nina (8 years old at the time of his death); they married in 1997.[12] On July 30, 2014, he was found dead on his bathroom at his apartment in the bairro of Perdizes, West Zone of São Paulo, with a belt around his neck, by his wife and two of his Hermes & Renato colleagues, Adriano Silva and Marco Antônio Alves;[13] the attorney investigating the case stated that, "without a doubt", it was a suicide.[14] In a statement to news portal R7.com, a close friend of Fanti's who asked to remain anonymous would compare his death to the case of Charlie Brown Jr. vocalist Chorão, who also sunk into depression following his separation from his companion and had died following a cocaine overdose the year prior.[15]

His wake was held at the Cemitério do Araçá,[16] and his body was later taken to be buried at his hometown of Petrópolis.[17] [18] Franco eventually replaced Fausto on Hermes & Renato when it went to FX in 2015;[19] in 2019 he stated that he himself had been diagnosed with bipolar II disorder,[20] [21] and began using his social media to chronicle his struggles with mental illness.[22]

Discography

Massacration

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Massacration: humorista Fausto Fanti é encontrado morto. Whiplash.net. Samuel Coutinho. July 30, 2014. March 24, 2021. Portuguese.
  2. Web site: Hermes e Renato. Ramiro Zwetsch. ISTOÉ. 2000. February 23, 2021. Portuguese. September 5, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210905112904/http://www.terra.com.br/istoegente/36/divearte/tv_hermes.htm. dead.
  3. Web site: 'Hermes e Renato' completa 10 anos na MTV e pode virar longa-metragem até 2011. Bruno Dias. Abril.com. March 10, 2009. February 16, 2021. Portuguese. https://web.archive.org/web/20090314065036/http://www.abril.com.br/noticias/diversao/hermes-renato-completa-10-anos-mtv-pode-virar-longa-metragem-2011-426777.shtml. March 14, 2009. dead.
  4. Web site: A musa do escracho. Chico Silva. ISTOÉ. September 18, 2002. July 26, 2020. Portuguese.
  5. Web site: Ex-integrante do Hermes e Renato fala sobre Fausto Fanti: 'Ele era o líder do grupo'. R7.com. July 31, 2014. February 26, 2021. Portuguese.
  6. Web site: 'Que ele seja lembrado como genial', dizem amigos de Fausto Fanti. G1. Rodrigo Ortega. July 31, 2014. July 26, 2020. Portuguese.
  7. Web site: Relembre personagens de Fausto Fanti em 'Hermes & Renato'. G1. July 31, 2014. July 26, 2020. Portuguese.
  8. Web site: 15 personagens inesquecíveis de Fausto Fanti, do 'Hermes & Renato'. Aurélio Araújo. Medium. July 30, 2015. July 26, 2020. Portuguese.
  9. Web site: Detonator lança álbum solo e diz que Massacration foi 'engolido por zumbis'. Thiago Rahal Mauro. Folha de S.Paulo. November 11, 2014. February 11, 2021. Portuguese.
  10. Web site: Irmão confirma depressão de Fausto Fanti: 'Quase obsessivo e não tomava remédios'. Aurora Aguiar. R7.com. July 31, 2014. July 26, 2020. Portuguese.
  11. Web site: Irmão diz que Fausto Fanti, do 'Hermes & Renato', estava em depressão. Felipe Pinheiro. UOL. July 31, 2014. July 26, 2020. Portuguese.
  12. Web site: Há 17 anos com Fausto Fanti, viúva se emociona: 'Ele é o amor da minha vida e vive dentro do meu coração'. Aurora Aguiar. R7.com. July 31, 2014. July 26, 2020. Portuguese.
  13. Web site: Fausto Fanti, humorista do Hermes & Renato, é encontrado morto em SP. G1. July 30, 2014. July 26, 2020. Portuguese.
  14. Web site: Delegado diz não ter dúvidas de que Fausto Fanti cometeu suicídio. Jaqueline Falcão. O Globo. July 31, 2014. July 26, 2020. Portuguese. subscription.
  15. Web site: 'É uma história parecida com a do Chorão, a diferença é que não tinha drogas', diz amigo de Fausto Fanti. R7.com. July 31, 2014. February 26, 2021. Portuguese.
  16. Web site: Corpo de Fausto Fanti, da dupla Hermes & Renato, será velado no Cemitério do Araçá. R7.com. July 31, 2014. December 9, 2020. Portuguese.
  17. Web site: Corpo de Fausto Fanti é enterrado em Petrópolis, no Rio de Janeiro. Luciana Tecidio. Ego. August 1, 2014. August 4, 2020. Portuguese.
  18. Web site: Fausto Fanti é sepultado com aplausos e rosas em Petrópolis. UOL. August 1, 2014. January 24, 2023. Portuguese.
  19. Web site: 'Vamos seguir em frente pelo Fausto', anunciam atores de 'Hermes & Renato'. G1. August 21, 2014. February 2, 2021. Portuguese.
  20. Web site: Irmão do humorista Fausto Fanti, falecido há cinco anos, alerta sobre saúde mental. A Tribuna. August 2, 2019. February 26, 2021. Portuguese.
  21. Web site: Cinco anos após morte de Fausto Fanti, irmão revela depressão e faz alerta. Paulo Pacheco. UOL. July 30, 2019. September 5, 2021. Portuguese.
  22. Web site: Lágrimas do palhaço. Giacomo Vicenzo. UOL. June 16, 2023. June 23, 2023. Portuguese.