INTERNATIONAL MEDIA PERSONALITY
AUTHOR OF THE SELF ESTEEM REGIME
WOMEN’S ADVOCATE
PRODUCER/DIRECTOR/ENTREPRENEUR
“MY LOOK GOOD, FEEL GOOD, BE GOOD, GREATER GOOD PHILOSOPHY IS ONE THAT I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO ADOPT IN ORDER TO LIVE AN ESTEEMED LIFE.” – CLARISSA BURT
IN JUNE OF 2022, CLARISSA WAS KNIGHTED BY THE ROYAL ORDER OF CONSTANTINE THE GREAT AND SAINT HELEN JOINING THE RANKS OF 350 DAMES WORLDWIDE.
Clarissa Burt is an internationally acclaimed award-winning media personality, producer, director, writer, author, public speaker and former supermodel and winner of the Celebrity Survivor show! With hundreds of television and film credits to her name, this Who’s Who of International and American Women brings over 35 years of entertainment industry experience in both International and American markets.
Clarissa is the Founder and CEO of In the Limelight Media, a multi-media platform consisting of TV/video, a podcast and a digital magazine. Her shows can be seen on ROKU, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, etc. and her podcast is heard on 15 different distribution platforms.
Her internationally award-winning bestselling book entitled The Self-Esteem Regime published by Roman and Littlefield published on November 11th, 2021. The audiobook was published by Recorded Books two weeks later.
She was the first American to present Russian TV at the Kremlin, has had two private audiences with Pope John Paul II honoring her social work.
As the Ambassador to the United States, she actively helped African women win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011.
RECENT AWARDS
Entrepreneurial Excellence Award by the Women’s Economic Forum
USA Chair for the G100 Club/All Ladies League for Television and Broadcasting, Certificate Global Honor from Pune University, India,
Diploma of Recognition from the National Italian American Foundation, Washington, D.C.
Italian Consulate Los Angeles/Phoenix Honorary Member Recognition Award
BOARDS
Honorary Board Member Italy-USA Foundation
Honorary Board Member Sons & Daughters of Italy in Italy
Advisory Board – The Wounded Blue
Chair Eliances Media Committee
HIGHLIGHTS AND SPECIAL MENTIONS
POPE JOHN PAUL II
Ms. Burt’s extensive international social work garnered her two private audiences with Pope John Paul II honoring her social work.
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT BRUSSELS WITH THE CARAVAN OF AFRICAN WOMEN
As a women’s advocate and a leader of social change for a new standard of living, Clarissa was instrumental as Ambassador to the United States for the Walking Africa campaign that awarded African Women the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011.
CLARISSA ON A PANEL AT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
Clarissa is documented as the first American to present at the Kremlin and be on the front page of a Russian newspaper.
She was awarded the ‘Certificate of Global Honor” by the University of Pune, India and the “Women of Excellence” Award by the Women’s Economic Forum in Los Angeles.
CLARISSA WAS AWARDED THE CERTIFICATE OF GLOBAL HONOR
BY THE UNIVERSITY OF PUNE, INDIA
CLARISSA BEING AWARDED WITH THE ‘WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE” AWARD AT
THE WOMEN’S ECONOMIC FORUM IN LOS ANGELES.
CLARISSA BEING AWARDED WITH THE PROFILO DONNA AWARD IN ITALY
Clarissa is CEO/Founder of In the Limelight multi-media platform for women entrepreneurs. The In the Limelight Media mission aims to elevate the position and condition of women entrepreneurs globally both personally and professionally, providing educative, entertaining, and empowering content.
The platform consists of:
*Live Streaming Video – FB, LinkedIn, Twitter, Youtube
*On-Demand TV– ROKU/In the Limelight Website
*Podcast – Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts,
*Magazine Portal – In the Limelight website
SUPERMODEL
At 18, Clarissa signed with the Wilhelmina Modeling Agency in Manhattan. Soon after she moved to Milan and quickly began appearing on hundreds of magazine covers such as Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, and Cosmopolitan. Known as one of the top 30 runway girls in the world in the ‘80s, Clarissa graced the most important designer catwalks in Milan, Rome, Paris, New York, and Japan. Soon after, she would be called by global cosmetic houses such as Revlon, Dior, and Carita’, Helena Rubenstein and was chosen as “The Face” for Orlane Cosmetics for 10 years.
ACTRESS
Clarissa has performed in over 20 movies and can be remembered in award-winning films such as Warner Brother’s “The Never-Ending Story, part II,” where she played the Mean Queen “Xayide” and as Giulia in the Italian production “Caruso Pascosky di Padre Polacco”. Starring in hundreds of television shows, Clarissa quickly became a household name in Italy.
BEAUTY EDITOR/EXPERT
Clarissa has been the Beauty Editor for such international publications as The LA Fashion Magazine, Fashion Faces, and Runway. You can find her articles also in The Huffington Post, Supermodels Unlimited, Bella Petite, and Discover Phoenix to name a few.
A leading authority on beauty, image, and self-esteem, “Good Morning, Italy” called upon Clarissa to host the popular beauty segment, “Clarissa Suggests.” Clarissa Burt Hair extensions and accessories and Clarissa Burt Beauty Facial cremes were successfully launched on Home Shopping Network Italy.
PRODUCER
Television Producer: Clarissa added television producer to her credits in 1999. Clarissa Burt Media Group founded in Italy began with productions that included the nationally broadcast three-hour live broadcast of the Miss Universe Pageant, “The World Sports Awards”, “Quizzauto” and “Behind the Scenes with The Miss” all garnering her various coveted media awards internationally.
Movie Producer: Clarissa is Associate Producer and actor on the ‘Wishman’ Movie 2019 worldwide release.
AUTHOR
The Italian Gluten-Free Gastronomy Cookbook – The Art of Preparing and Savoring Gluten-Free Meals due for released March 2018
Italiana Cucina Naturale Senza Glutine – EIFIS Editore Italy launched in Italy July of 2019 The Self-Esteem Regime – Roman & Littlefield, NYC launched November 2021 Redefinici la tua Autostima – Eifis Editore Italy launched December 2022
THE ‘WAY BACK’ STORY
It was evident early on that I was a camera hound as evidenced here in my first photo shoot in the summer of 1959 at 4 months old. I had already become quite the poser! Unbeknownst to me, “Little Chrissy”, at the time, this was the precursor of things to come.
FIRST POSE
I was born a talker! At a young age, I was frequently told I had been vaccinated with a phonograph needle…. (For those of you who don’t know what phonograph is, it’s the grandfather of the record player…. for those of you who don’t know what a record player is…you’re making me feel old!) Talking would become a huge part of my business!
Note: A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue recording and reproduction of sound.
I loved performing for family and friends as a child and landed my very first part as Mary Poppins in the kindergarten play! I loved to dance, sing, and act! Whether performing as Mary, as first soprano in the elementary school choir, marching in the junior high school band, twirling a baton down Main Street, or strutting in the color guard, performing was my true passion…. (It certainly wasn’t math!)
FIRST STAGE
June 1965 – The peanut with the black hat and the ankle socks in the middle is me as Mary!
I knew every word to every song and belted them out for all to hear!
Supercalifragilistic expialidocious! Got a standing ovation and I was hooked!
READY FOR MY CLOSE UP!
1974 – COLOR GUARD – GEORGETOWN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – GEORGETOWN, TEXAS
Although in my younger years I appeared to be fearless, becoming a teenager would accentuate the negative. I was gawky with bucked teeth and protruding ears. Tall and skinny, I was mortified when I had to buy my pants in the boy’s section at the Sears & Roebuck department store. I cried every summer when it came time to buy a bathing suit. Why did it seem that all the other girls fill out their suits so well? As a young girl, it was devastating.
Due to my parent’s separation, I would move numerous times from school to school. Needless to say, I became withdrawn and unsure of myself. My parents would reconcile, and I moved to Texas at the age of twelve.
After living in Texas for two and a half years my family transferred to New Jersey in my sophomore year. I was a good student and on the week-ends worked as a babysitter and a waitress to make own money. I had few friends and when not at school or work, mostly stayed close to home.
Well, thank goodness she got past THAT stage. I graduated high school in New Jersey at Watchung Hills Regional in 1977 and the rest would soon be history! Off to the bright light in New York City shortly thereafter Clarissa worked for some time as a secretary.
NEW YORK OR BUST
In my uncertain world, one thing was certain. I wanted to live in New York City! So, in 1979 at 20 years old, I moved to New York to pursue her secretarial career. My dream, however, since childhood had been to become a model. My debilitating lack of self-esteem had always held me back. It’s only after the insistent prompting of friends that I went to take ‘test’ pictures with a photographer. After sheepishly shopping the test shots to the three big New York modeling agencies, I choose to go with Wilhelmina and six months later I embarked on my journey to Paris and Milan. I would live in Europe for the next 30 years.
1980 NEW YORK CITY FIRST TIME IN FRONT OF A PHOTOGRAPHER’S CAMERA…TEST SHOTS (THOSE NAILS!)
Success isn’t immediate, but after about a year of learning the ropes in Milan, things were progressing nicely. I was the covers of numerous magazines, walking the runway for the world’s most important designers, and known as ‘the face’ of Orlane cosmetics, Carita’, Revlon, and ‘the legs’ for Christian Dior hosiery.
Next, the greatest dream of all! Television, Radio and Movies! My dream of working on television and movie sets becomes reality! I worked for Italian television for 15 years as one of the top emcees/presenters in the country on prime-time television.
Clarissa has performed in over 20 movies and can be remembered in award winning films such as Warner Brother’s “The Never Ending Story, part II,” where she played the Mean Queen “Xayide” and as Giulia in the Italian production “Caruso Pascosky di Padre Polacco”. Moving into radio production, “Clarissa Burt Talks” featured this multi-talented media celebrity on Voice America and World Talk Radio where she interviewed knowledgeable entrepreneurs and prominent thought leaders.
Clarissa has performed in over 20 movies and can be remembered in award winning films such as Warner Brother’s “The Never Ending Story, part II,” where she played the Mean Queen “Xayide” and as Giulia in the Italian production “Caruso Pascosky di Padre Polacco”. Moving into radio production, “Clarissa Burt Talks” featured this multi-talented media celebrity on Voice America and World Talk Radio where she interviewed knowledgeable entrepreneurs and prominent thought leaders.
Clarissa has performed in over 20 movies and can be remembered in award winning films such as Warner Brother’s “The Never-Ending Story, part II,” where she played the Mean Queen “Xayide” and as Giulia in the Italian production “Caruso Pascosky di Padre Polacco”.
IMAGES FROM CARUSO PASCOSKY DI PADRE POLACCO – ITALY 1988
In 1996, I started my own production company, Numen International. Among the many television projects I produced is The Miss Universe pageant for Italy – 18 camera, three-hour live broadcasts.
Working on QVC and Home Shopping Network Italy was for me a natural progression, bring my line of facial cremes and hair extensions to the public.
