From Shoes to Stunts: Spotlight on Anna Mastroianni

Anyone who’s stepped foot into the Sole shoe store in downtown can’t help but fall victim to the charms of its bubbly owner, Anna Mastroianni. Mastroianni is a bundle of energy with an unrivaled passion for people and Italian footwear. However unknown to most Westfield residents, Mastroianni lives a double life. The slim brunette sells shoes by day, and in her off hours, she is an accomplished Hollywood stuntwoman, actor, and voiceover talent. Patch sat down with the high-heeled star to get the full scoop.

“Come on in and try on anything you like!” Mastroianni urges as soon as Sole’s door swings open. “Even if you don’t want to buy any shoes, you have to try them on. These shoes are amazing!”

Mastroianni’s enthusiasm is contagious, and she credits much of her success to having a big, supportive family, a little luck, and her adventurous, fearless spirit. The road to becoming a Westfield footwear maven and Hollywood behind-the-scenes celebrity was a long, twisty, intertwining one—which is just the way she likes it.

Born one of six children to humble farmers in Italy, Mastroianni’s family moved to Plainfield when she was seven years old. She began her acting career in high school and later enrolled in the William Esper Studio for Acting in Manhattan. For ten years, she had a fruitful career landing roles in several plays, including an off-Broadway part in “Sweatshop.” Mastroianni took on a grueling round-the-clock cycle of simultaneous rehearsals, performances, and auditions for theater, TV, commercials, and films—all the while working at various “regular” jobs. Her career in imported footwear originated through the most unlikely of scenarios.

“I was acting and working for a market research firm at the time,” she explained. “I was really successful with them. I was making them a lot of money, and I thought I should be making me a lot of money.”

Mastroianni had just started thinking about launching her own business when one of her play’s co-stars offered her a business opportunity: to sell Italian wines in America via the Internet. However, after researching liquor licensing regulations, Mastroianni encouraged her co-star to switch gears.

“I told him that liquor licenses were a huge expense and not worth it,” she stated. “I told him he should stick with Italian products because they mean quality and they’re hard to come by. So I started brainstorming about other products. My nieces who lived in Italy had the best shoes and the best clothes, and I went to Italy to check it out. I wasn’t blown away by the clothes, but the shoes were amazing. There was nothing like them in America, not even close. I fell in love with Italian shoes.”

Mastroianni launched www.italianbaby.com with her partner and placed their first shoe order for $1,000. In 2000, she had ordered a second shipment for the spring collection when her co-star got cold feet and pulled out of their arrangement—leaving Mastroianni stuck with an entire shipment of shoes.

“My vendor in Italy trusted me, and even though I never paid a deposit, he made me my shoes,” Mastroianni remembers fondly. “So I took my savings, and I paid for all the shoes. They sent them over, and now I had hundreds of shoes, a tiny website, and no store. My brother used to own the bakery in town, Bovella’s, and he was kind enough to let me use the bakery after hours to sell my shoes. We did it for four days. My sister and I covered the counters with linens and we set up the shoes. We made up all these flyers, and my adorable niece stood on the corner in Westfield asking people to buy my shoes.”

Luckily for Mastroianni, customers did come—partly out of curiosity—and bought $1,200 worth of shoes in just two days.

“People couldn’t believe what they were seeing,” said Mastroianni. “Then we did the Spring Fling outside, and people were standing on the street, calling their friends in Canada and telling them, ‘You’ve never seen such great shoes!’ It was crazy! Then my old spot on Prospect Street became available, and that’s how Sole got started. We were very, very nicely received from the get-go. We established our reputation early and well. And then my new location popped up.”

Mastroianni’s big break into stunts also traces back to the family bakery, which was later taken over by her cousin Ralph. Peter Bucossi, a stunt coordinator for “Another World,” used to frequent the bakery, and he was in need of an actress who could drive. Mastroianni’s sister managed Bovella’s at the time and sung the praises of her aspiring actress sibling. As coincidence would have it, they all had gone to the same high school together.

Without having any prior stunt driving experience and without a second’s hesitation, Mastroianni took the job, signed NBC’s contract listing her as a stunt driver, and was told all she’d have to do is “hit a mark, pick up a hitchhiker, and take off.” What she didn’t know was that “Another World” was introducing a new character to the show, there would be a ton of publicity, and the scene would turn out to be a very big deal.

“It was an outdoor shoot at Ringwood Lake,” said Mastroianni. “They showed me the car  I was supposed to drive: a ‘57 Chevy cherry red, old, gorgeous car. There were all these twisty-turny roads, it had rained the whole night before, and it was a huge car. Plus everybody thought I was an experienced stunt driver, but I really had no idea what I was doing! The first shot up, the director tells me I’m supposed to pull up quick and barely miss the mailbox. So I’m thinking I need to make this look dangerous. The steering wheel was manual, so it was really hard to turn. I barely miss the mailbox, and I stop short. Then they ask me to do it again, and I think to myself ‘I have to make it even more dangerous.’ So I do it again. The director calls ‘Cut!,’ turns to me, and says, ‘You, you’re crazy! But you’re a professional and that’s what we paid you for.’”

According to Mastroianni, the rest of the day got worse and worse, as the director proceeded to have her do u-turns on the highway and then “see” a general store at the last minute, hit the brakes, screech and skid on a 45-degree angle, and stop a foot from the camera for a bumper shot.

“I used to drive in New York City every day, so I’m a skilled driver, but I’m a regular driver!” Mastroianni reflects. “I didn’t know how to skid—and at 45 degrees??? I don’t know how I did it to this day, but I did it. All the people come rushing out to high-five me. It was so surreal.”

After the shoot, Mastroianni was approached by various newspapers, soap opera magazines, and the show’s producer—all who wanted to know what other stunt work she had done before. The publicity led to a stunt job offer for the blockbuster Will Smith movie “Independence Day.”

“It was the best day on the set I’ve ever had,” said Mastroianni. “We did all these fun things—nothing too crazy. Because there were so many stunt people used and stunt coordinators used as stunt people, I met so many people in one day that would have taken other stunt people years, a lot of work, and a lot of solicitation. By the end of the day, a lot of the stunt coordinators were asking me for my resume and photo. It was such an amazing experience.”

From there, Mastroianni landed a doubling job for Goldie Hawn in “First Wives Club.”

“The progression was crazy!” exclaimed Mastroianni. “I work on a $60 million budget movie knowing nothing about what I’m doing, and then my third job is doubling Goldie Hawn. In one scene, I’m on a treadmill next to Bette Midler and Diane Keaton. For an actor, that’s beyond a dream. It’s been a blessing.”

Mastroianni’s latest work includes stunts for “The Sopranos,” “NYPD Blue,” “Law & Order,” both “Spider Man” sequels, and last year’s “The Rebound” starring Catherine Zeta Jones. She has also done voiceover work for radio, TV, and commercial demos. She hardly ever watches her own films, and she has only been injured twice on set, both times on “The Sopranos.”

“Once I got hit by a car on the Sopranos, and I hurt myself doing that,” Mastroianni stated. “I was doubling this 73 year-old lady who gets run over by her friend. You really have to hoist yourself up over the car to make it look real. The other time I was doubling Adriana. I was supposed to fall down, and my face hit the concrete. The hard stuff I never hurt myself on. It’s the easy stuff that gets me.”

Now that both her shoe business and her Hollywood career are flying high, what’s next for the hard-working Mastroianni? Stunts in imported Italian heels?

“One of my dear friends invited me to be a part of his theater company,” commented the busy entrepreneur. “They’re working on a play called “Strange Snow,” which is the play that was made into “Jacknife” with Robert De Niro. We’re doing readings now, and it will premiere in February or March. After that, I’m not sure. For me, interacting with people is the most fun—whether it’s selling them a pair of shoes or hanging out on the set or acting. I’m definitely not afraid. I definitely have courage. I got into this totally blind, and I’ve basically figured this stuff out as I went along. I just crossed my fingers and prayed that it all would work out. And if nothing else, I can fall down well, I’m an okay driver, and I've got some really great shoes!”