There are few more memorable music videos from the early noughties that the one for Fountains Of Wayne’s anthem for lusty teens, “Stacy’s Mom”. Long since reappraised by less forgiving modern audiences as… problematic, let’s say, the song was actually an empty fantasy of a deluded youngster imagining a dream scenario that played out in a video that channeled all the excesses of 1980s hair metal videos. It’s safe to say that when Fountains of Youth told me that Stacy’s Mom had it going on, we all believed them.
The only mainstream hit for Fountains Of Wayne, some eight years after they formed – and as the lead song on their third album – “Stacy’s Mom” immediately captured the imagination of upstart pop punk fans. The song reached number 21 on the US Billboard Hot 100, but was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals. But its contemporary success pales in comparison to its legacy, as it’s still widely played by rock stations.
In the spirit of nostalgia that keeps “Stacy’s Mom” in a lot of pop punk fan’s thoughts to this day, it’s time to shatter your tenuous grasp of mortality and cause something of an existential crisis. Because if I have to, you have to: and I’ve just found out something oddly discomforting. Stacy from the Fountains Of Wayne video is now older than her Mom and the music video itself.
How Old Stacy & Stacy’s Mom From The Fountains Of Wayne Music Video Are
“Stacy’s Mom” at the center of the Fountains of Wayne music video of the same name was played by Rachel Hunter. Meanwhile, Stacy herself was played by Gianna Distenca (now Dispenza). Hunter was born on September 8, 1969. Prior to playing the hit single’s title character, Hunter was an illustrious supermodel having appeared everywhere ranging from Harper’s Bazaar, to Cosmopolitan, to Vogue, to Sports Illustrated, to Elle, to… well, to stop me from beating a dead horse, let’s just say she was everywhere you could imagine an aspiring supermodel would want to be.
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Hunter even managed to snag some movie and TV roles. In regard to her acting career, “Stacy’s Mom” was not Hunter’s first music video, as she previously appeared in the video for the song “Broken Arrow” by her then-husband Rod Stewart. Meanwhile, the actress who played Stacy, born on May 8, 1989, was making her onscreen debut upon the unveiling of “Stacy’s Mom.” Not much is known about what the Rhode Island native was up to beforehand, but playing Stacy can be called a breakout for the then-actor.
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At the time of “Stacy’s Mom’s” music video release, Gianna Dispenza was 13 years of age, while Rachel Hunter was 34. That was 21 years ago. In 2024, Rachel Hunter is 55 years old, while Dispenza is 35 years old. That means that the actor who played Stacy is officially older than the actor who played Stacy’s Mom was at the time of the music video, and even older than the music video itself. Obviously, the latter would be a given, but theoretically, if someone remade the video today, Stacy would be old enough to play Stacy’s Mom!
What Happened To The Girl Who Played Stacy?
Gianna Dispenza Made The Move From Acting to Art
As already qualified, not a lot is known about Gianna Dispenza’s life prior to the music video, but even after, Dispenza has maintained a private life away from the cameras and the spotlight. Besides providing the voice of Yay Bear in 2007 for Señor Crab (about a crab who stumbles upon the world’s most valuable diamond), Dispenza never had another acting credit after “Stacy’s Mom.” Instead, it appears that she quietly decided to exit Hollywood in an effort to pursue more loftier, personal ambitions.
For Dispenza today, her current passions apply to art. Gianna Dispenza spends her modern life working as an artist, working on pieces where she’s applying oil to canvas, and sometimes experimenting with sand and concrete on canvas. Her drawings and sculptures are available to see on her Instagram and her website, the latter of which is where her artwork can be purchased. Not all actors quit Hollywood and end up finding success post-acting, but Dispenza has cultivated a successful career that distances herself completely from her appearance in “Stacy’s Mom.”
This Stacy’s Mom Fact Shows The Power & Danger Of Nostalgic Music
When Nostalgia Backfires
Learning that the Stacy of “Stacy’s Mom” is old enough to, well, be Stacy’s Mom today is fascinating to me on a level that goes beyond just being another fun factoid. It speaks to the idea of nostalgia in media, particularly with music in this scenario. Nostalgia is all the rage today, which is exactly why remakes and reboots are so prevalent nowadays. When times get tough, someone can transport themselves to a time of yesteryear.
Music is the easiest means to feel transported to another era. A timeless song can make the listener feel ageless whenever they listen, particularly for a song like “Stacy’s Mom” which echoes the 2000s perfectly. Any 2000s kid can tell you that, especially someone the same age as Stacy. I’m not quite up there yet, but I can see how being that age and realizing, no, Stacy is a mom now can plunge any older millennial into an existential crisis. Again, not quite there yet, but boy, does this kind of music make me feel old.
Source: Instagram, giannadispenza.com