Who Played Stacy’s Mom in Fountains of Wayne’s Music Video?
The Stacy’s Mom music video by Fountains of Wayne, released in 2003, was an undeniable cultural zeitgeist — the epitome of the pop-rock wave that was inescapable at the turn of the millennium. The song, which turned weird teenage fantasies into platinum pop-gold, was delivered with a wink, a sprinkler, and by a bikini-clad supermodel named Rachel Hunter. Though her role was exaggerated, it stood as a perfect definition of the “hot mom” archetype we’ve come to know as “MILF.”
Over two decades later, the music video still holds the strong appeal it had when it was released in the early 2000s. However, so much has changed, especially for the stars featured in the music video. For starters, Stacy’s mom is no longer modeling or hitting the screen in a bikini, and Stacy herself has taken to painting, drawing, and sculpting.
Rachel Hunter Was Already a Supermodel Before She Was Stacy’s Mom
Image Credit: Stratosphere Sound/Q Division/Clubhouse Recording
Rachel Hunter turned heads as Stacy’s mom in Fountains of Wayne’s iconic 2003 music video. It’s safe to say that it’s a role that cemented her status as a pop culture icon. But long before that, she was just a New Zealand girl with dreams of becoming a ballerina, a vet, or maybe even a gardener. However, her mother, Janeen, had other ideas and encouraged her to take on modelling — a suggestion Rachel initially resisted. That all changed after she met a photographer on the beach who helped propel her into the spotlight. At 17, she left school behind and dove into the fashion industry, quickly landing gigs in Milan, Paris, and New York.
Over the next few years, Hunter established her status as a well-sought-after model. She was on the covers of several popular fashion magazines, including Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. In addition to modeling, she is an actress with roles in projects such as Just a Little Harmless Sex (1998), Winding Roads (1999), and Suddenly Susan (1999). Then, fast forward to 2003, the Auckland native played the bikini-clad Stacy’s mom in the Fountains of Wayne music video.
Why Rachel Hunter Was The Perfect Choice For Stacy’s Mom
To really understand why Hunter was the perfect casting choice for the Stacy’s Mom music video, it’s worth taking yet another look at her background. From the late 1980s to the late 1990s, she was at the peak of her modeling career and married to the British rock star Rod Stewart. By that time, she was already a household name and a sex symbol, having appeared on the covers of several magazines, including Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. With her booming career, air of glamour and fame, she was better suited for the role than any other person. Her casting was not only visually impactful but also culturally symbolic. Adam Schlesinger, the band’s bassist, said it was easy to convince Rachel to play the role of Stacy’s Mom because “she was a fan, and she liked the song and the band, and she thought it was a good idea.”
Perhaps that’s why she was able to play her part perfectly with just the right mix of direction and self-awareness. It wasn’t just about how she put herself in the moment. It was how she became the fantasy rather than just its subject. Without saying a word in the video’s three minutes of running time, her screen presence effectively drives the narrative through visual cues. So, it is safe to say that her image was visually impactful enough, even without dialogue.
Where Is Rachel Hunter Today?
Image Credit: Rachel Hunter/Instagram
It has been over two decades since the release of the music video, Stacy’s Mom, so it’s no surprise that Rachel Hunter has moved on from the entertainment industry. She stepped away from modeling and acting, embracing new endeavors. Today, she is a certified yoga trainer and instructor after completing over 500 hours of yoga training and several meditation modules. Additionally, she hosts the thought-provoking podcast Human/Spirit, where she holds fascinating conversations on the connection between the human experience and the power of the spirit. She also organizes regular meditation retreats and classes on Moon Muse and The Abode and runs a blog where she shares her travel and personal experiences.
Beyond all these, it makes perfect sense for fans to be curious not only about Stacy’s mom but also about Stacy herself, who was played by Gianna Distenca (now Dispenza). She became popular after appearing in the video, and a few years later, she voiced Yay Bear in the 2007 short animation Señor Crab, and that was it. Dispenza has quit the limelight and acting and shifted her focus to the arts. She attended Studio Art Centers International, Florence, Italy, in 2008, the Colorado College in 2009, and the Academy of Art University, San Francisco, in 2010. Later on, in 2014, she earned a BFA in Sculpture at the San Francisco Art Institute and an MA in Painting from the Royal College of Art, London, in 2020. Today, Stacy from Stacy’s Mom is an artist, painter, and sculptor, and her work has been displayed at several exhibitions globally, including in Italy, the UK, and France.
