Biography
Anthea Sylbert, an American costume designer and producer, was born Anthea Giannakouros in Brooklyn to Greek parents Nicholas T. Giannakouros (1912–1979) and Georgia (1915–1985). She studied art at Barnard College and the Parsons School of Design in New York but left plans for a Master's Degree after accepting a research position with a Broadway costume designer. Early in her career, she worked off-Broadway for minimal pay while supplementing her income by designing shoes for Capezio. Her first feature film as a costume designer was the modestly budgeted Eli Wallach comedy The Tiger Makes Out (1967), which had been passed over by established costume designers. Her then-husband, Paul Sylbert, served as production designer on the film. She later developed a strong professional relationship with Paul's twin brother, Richard Sylbert, also a production designer. Their collaborations included the iconic films Rosemary's Baby (1968) and Chinatown (1974). Jack Nicholson, who nicknamed her "Ant," reportedly liked his wardrobe in Chinatown so much that he kept it. Director Mike Nichols, a frequent collaborator, praised her designs as "brilliantly alive, witty, recognizable and having a very strong sense of character and story," noting her vital role in supporting and shaping the entire film.
Sylbert earned Oscar and BAFTA nominations for her work on Chinatown and Julia (1977), and in 2005 received a Career Achievement Award from the Costume Designers Guild. Her stage work included costume design for Neil Simon's Broadway production The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1971–73).
Beginning in 1977, Sylbert held various executive roles at Warner Brothers and United Artists, standing out as a rare female executive in the male-dominated film industry of the time. In 1978, Warner Brothers studio head John Calley promoted her to Vice President of Production, and two years later she attained the same position at United Artists. She became an independent producer in 1982, partnering with actress Goldie Hawn to establish the Hawn/Sylbert Movie Company. Their collaborations included the Goldie Hawn comedies Protocol (1984), Wildcats (1986), and Overboard (1987). Sylbert won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1996 for Outstanding Made for Television Movie for the biopic Truman (1995), starring Gary Sinise.
Sylbert retired from the film industry in 1999. She and her second husband, actor Richard Romanus, relocated to Skiathos, a small Greek island in the northern Aegean. She passed away there on June 18, 2024, at age 84. Her husband had died earlier in December 2023, also on Skiathos. A documentary about her career, titled Anthea Sylbert: My Life in 3 Acts, is reportedly in post-production.
