Shalana Santana
Bust
35
Waist
23
Hip
35
Eyes
Brown
Hair
Black
Shoes
8
Height
5 Feet, 10 Inches

Net worth $2 Million

Birthday
April 23, 1983
Birthplace
Birth Sign

About

Born in Brasília on 23 April 1983, Shalana Santana is a Brazilian actress and former fashion model now based in Naples, Italy. Viewers may recognize her as Marielita in the neo-noir series L’Alligatore (2020) or as Professor Amina Venturi in the comedy film Arrivano i prof (2018). Earlier screen work ranges from the action drama Fuoco amico TF45 to a guest role in the long-running detective show Don Matteo—proving her range from serious thrillers to light-hearted stories.

Away from the set, Shalana speaks fluent Portuguese and Italian, plus good English, skills that have helped her move easily between Brazilian and Italian productions. Her 178-centimetre runway stature and warm on-camera presence owe something to the decade she spent modeling for agencies in São Paulo, Milan, and Rome before focusing on acting.

Before Fame

Shalana’s creative streak showed up early. She began local catalogue shoots in Brasília while studying communications, then turned that hobby into a full-time pursuit at age twenty. In 2006, she relocated to fashion-obsessed Milan, juggling castings with Italian classes and occasional TV commercial gigs. Five years later, she settled in Naples, where she enrolled in the “La Ribalta” film school to sharpen her screen craft and shed the label of “just a model.”

Her first acting experiences came back home; Brazilian viewers still recall her small part in the telenovela Desejos de Mulher. The Neapolitan move, however, proved decisive: local directors soon invited her to short films, and in 2014 she landed a supporting role in the indie drama The Grotto, marking her official cinematic debut.

Trivia

  • Tall tales: At 5′10″ (178 cm), she was once asked to switch from runway heels to flat shoes on an Italian set so the leading man wouldn’t vanish from the frame.
  • Polyglot perks: Besides four languages, she can mimic half a dozen accents—handy when playing immigrants or academics.
  • Bookworm vibes: Her Instagram bio lists archaeology, anthropology, and ancient cultures alongside literature and cinema, hinting at evenings lost in history tomes rather than red-carpet parties.
  • Music cameo: In 2020, she appeared with future husband Massimiliano Gallo in the Naples singer-songwriter Enzo Gragnaniello’s video “Fa Caldo,” a sultry summertime single.

Family Life

Shalana’s private timeline is as eventful as her résumé. She arrived in Naples with dentist Alessandro Lukacs, father of her elder son Leon, but the relationship ended amicably. In 2011, she started dating Neapolitan actor Massimiliano Gallo after working on the same stage project. Eleven years later—on 3 December 2022—the pair tied the knot during an intimate ceremony in Campania.

The couple welcomed their first child together, daughter Artemisia, on 19 February 2024. Tiny Artemisia joined a blended household that already included Leon and Gallo’s older daughter Giulia, and Shalana often jokes that learning lines is easier than co-ordinating three kids’ school schedules.

Associated With

Professionally, Shalana has crossed paths with some of Italy’s best-known storytellers. She shared the screen with Terence Hill during her guest spot on Don Matteo—an experience she calls “a crash course in understated comic timing.” Director Ivan Silvestrini cast her in Arrivano i prof, while Francesco Prisco picked her for Bob & Marys – Criminali a domicilio.

Her most frequent creative partner, though, remains Massimiliano Gallo: beyond their home life, the duo have toured theaters with his play Resilienza 3.0 and appear together in the ongoing production Stasera, punto e a capo! Audiences seem to love the real-couple chemistry, and Shalana appreciates having someone who understands the odd hours and sudden location changes that come with the job.

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