favorite Italian actresses
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Asia Argento was born in Rome, Italy, into a family of actors and filmmakers, both occupations which she has herself pursued. She made her debut when she was only nine years old in Sergio Citti's Sogni e bisogni (1985). In 1988 she had the leading role in Cristina Comencini's first film, Zoo (1988), and was part of the cast of The Church (1989), directed by Michele Soavi. The following year she played Nanni Moretti's daughter in Red Wood Pigeon (1989) (also directed by Moretti).
It was with Close Friends (1992), written and directed by Michele Placido, that Asia's career really took off and she was able to move on from playing very young girls to more mature, complex roles. The movie was well-received at the Cannes International Film Festival. In Trauma (1993), she worked for the first time with her father, famed Italian horror director Dario Argento (her mother is one of Argento's favorite actresses, Daria Nicolodi, playing an anorexic girl in search of her parents' killer. The Phantom of the Opera (1998) is the third film she has made with her father, the others being Trauma (1993) (filmed in the US) and The Stendhal Syndrome (1996).
Asia's absorbed, intense style of acting was well-used in Giuseppe Piccioni's Condannato a nozze (1993). In 1993 she co-starred in Carlo Verdone's Perdiamoci di vista (1994) in which she played Arianna, a physically disabled girl--an intricate, difficult role that won her the David di Donatello for best actress (1993-1994). She also had a featured role in the international cast of Queen Margot (1994), directed by Patrice Chéreau. In 1995 she worked with Michel Piccoli in Peter Del Monte's Traveling Companion (1996), which again won her a David di Donatello and a Grolla d'oro.
In 1994 Asia turned her hand to directing and turned out two short films: "Prospettive" (an episode of the film DeGeneration (1994)) and "A ritroso". In 1996 she directed a documentary on her father and, in 1998, one on cult director Abel Ferrara, Abel/Asia (1998), which won an award at the Rome Film Festival. In 1999 Asia made her feature-directing debut with Scarlet Diva (2000), in which she was the leading actress and author of the screenplay. The film was released in May 2000 in Italy and the rest of the world. It won an award at the Williamsburg Film Festival in Brooklyn, New York. In 2001, after directing a number of music videos, she gave birth to her first daughter, Anna Lou. In 2002 she starred in The Red Siren (2002) by Olivier Megaton with Jean-Marc Barr and the action thriller xXx (2002), directed by Rob Cohen, with Vin Diesel.
Asia is also the author of a number of short stories published in many prestigious magazines such as "Dynamo," "L'Espresso," "Sette," and "Village," Her first novel, "I Love You, Kirk," was published in Italy by Frassinelli Editrice in October 1999 and in France by Florent Massot in 2001.- Greta Scacchi was born in Milan, Italy, to Pamela Carsaniga, an English dancer and Luca Scacchi, an Italian art dealer and painter. She grew up in Milan and Sussex, England. In 1975, her mother and second husband moved to Australia, where, after she left school, Greta worked as an Italian interpreter on a ranch. At age 18, she returned to England and trained at the Bristol Old Vic, paying her way through college by working as a model for catalogues. Played small parts as a stage actress before she made her first appearance on British television, then the young film maker Dominik Graf directed her in Das zweite Gesicht (1982). She learned German for this movie. (She also speaks fluent Italian and French.) After Heat and Dust (1983), she played parts in French, Italian and English movies and Australian television, working with the Taviani Brothers, Margareta von Trotta and Diana Kurys. She turned down Hollywood for many years but after appearing in White Mischief (1987) agreed to co-star in Presumed Innocent (1990), Shattered (1991) and The Player (1992).
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Luisa Ranieri was born on 16 December 1973 in Naples, Campania, Italy. She is an actress and writer, known for Letters to Juliet (2010), The Hand of God (2021) and Gli amici del bar Margherita (2009). She has been married to Luca Zingaretti since 23 May 2012. They have two children.- Actress
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Francesca Neri was born on 10 February 1964 in Trento, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy. She is an actress and producer, known for Hannibal (2001), Collateral Damage (2002) and Live Flesh (1997). She was previously married to Claudio Amendola.- Caterina Murino was born on September 15, 1977, in Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy. In 1996 she took fourth place in the Miss Italy contest. Then she moved to Milan, where she began working as a model in commercials for MasterCard, Swatch, Mercedes-Benz and Nescafe, among other gigs. From 1999-2000 she studied acting at the Scuola di Cinema e Teatro di Francesca de Sapio in Italy.
In 1999 she made her acting debut in a stage production of "Richard III" and appeared in several Italian-language plays. In 2002 she began her film and television career with bit parts in Italian, German and French productions. Her breakthrough came in 2004, when she co-starred opposite Jean Reno in the French comedy The Corsican File (2004).
She is trilingual, speaking French, English and Italian. She is a versatile actress and a good athlete. Her talents include singing, dancing tango, flamenco and oriental dances, as well as horseback riding. She co-starred as Solange, one of three Bond girls, opposite Daniel Craig in Casino Royale (2006). - Actress
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Isabella Fogliazza in art Isabella Ferrari, was born in Ponte Dell'Olio. She debut in 1982 with the film "Sapore di Mare" directed by Carlo Vanzina and in 1983 in "Sapore di Mare 2", so her career took off and started participate in many cult comedies of the 80s such as: "Appuntamento a Liverpool" , "Chewingum" , "Il Ragazzo del Poni Express". In 1989 she starred in the film "Willi Signori e Vengo da lontano" directed by Francesco Nuti, in 1995 she worked on "Cronaca di un amore violato" directed by Giacomo Battiato, inspire by the book by Anna Maria Pellegrino "Diario di uno stupratore". The next year she works with Sergio Castellitto in "Hotel di Paura". In 1997 she was engaged by a French production in Alexandre Arcady's film "K" An important time in her artistic career is represented by "Romanzo di un Giovane Povero" with Alberto Sordi and directed by Ettore Scola, she won the Coppa Volpi Award (Venice International Film Festival) for best supporting actress. In 1998 she was in an Italian-French Production "Dolce far Niente", a comedy set in the 1800s followed by "Vajont" and "La lingua del Santo " directed by Carlo Mazzacurati. Throughout the years she participated as a protagonist in the television series "Distretto di Polizia", where she plays the police commissioner Giovanna Scalise, directed by her husband Renato De Maria and Antonello Grimaldi and then the mini-series "Liberi di Giocare", beside Pierfrancesco Favino. In 2005 she is the protagonist in the movie "Amatemi" by Renato de Maria and "Arrivederci Amore ciao" by Michele Soavi. She starred in the film "Vite Sospese" by Marco Turco, "Il Seme della Discordia" by Pappi Corsicato, "Saturno Contro" and "Un giorno Perfetto" by Ferzan Ozpetek (where she won the Pasinetti Award for the best actress), "Due partite" by Enzo Monteleone and then in the film "Caos Calmo" by Antonello Grimaldi. In 2006 she is in theaters with "Due Partite" by Cristina Comencini and "Il Catalogo" with Ennio Fantastichini, by Jean Claude Carriere and directed by Valerio Binasco. She participated in the show "Anestesia Totale" with Marco Travaglio and always with the latter he goes on stage in Italian theaters with "È Stato la Mafia". She had a cameo in the movie "To Rome with Love" by Woody Allen. In 2010 she returns to television with the Italian-German miniseries "Nel Bianco" based on the novel by Ken Follett and in the tv-film "Storia di Laura" by Andrea Porporati. In 2013 she is directed by Paolo Sorrentino in the Oscar-winning film "The Great Beauty". She also appears in Antonio Morabito's movie "Il Venditore di Medicine" and in the following year is one of the protagonists in Renato de Maria's movie "La Vita Oscena", presented at the International Venice Film Festival in the Horizons category. In 2017 she works again with Ferzan Ozpetek in "Napoli Velata", and then appears in "In Viaggio con Adele" by Alessandro Capitani and "Euphoria" by Valeria Golino. From 2018-2020 she is in the Netflix series "Baby" directed by Andrea De Sica, Anna Negri and Letizia Lamartire. She also appears in "Sotto I l Sole di Riccione" by Antonio Usbergo and Niccolò Celaia. In 2022 she appears in "La Mia Ombra è Tua" by Eugenio Cappuccio, "Sotto I l Sole di Amalfi" by Martina Pastori and Renato de Maria's movie "Rapiniamo I l Duce". In 2023 she worked on the tv series "Alfonso" by Eros Puglielli- Actress
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Matilda De Angelis is an Italian actress and singer. Her credits include the films Italian Race and Rose Island, and the television miniseries "The Undoing" and "The Law According to Lidia Poet." She started playing guitar and violin at the age of thirteen. She attended the Liceo Scientifico (science high school) "Enrico Fermi" in Bologna. In 2011, De Angelis began singing in the band Rumba De Bodas. The band also recorded an album, Karnaval Fou, which was released in 2014.- Actress
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Monica Anna Maria Bellucci was born on September 30, 1964 in the Italian village of Città di Castello, Umbria, the only child of Brunella Briganti and Pasquale Bellucci. She originally pursued a career in the legal profession. While attending the University of Perugia, she modeled on the side to earn money for school, and this led to her modeling career. In 1988, she moved to one of Europe's fashion centers, Milan, and joined Elite Model Management. Although enjoying great success as a model, she made her acting debut on television in 1990, and her American film debut in Bram Stoker's Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992). Her role in the French thriller The Apartment (1996), shot her to stardom as she won the French equivalent of an Oscar nomination. Other credits include Malena (2000), Under Suspicion (2000) and Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001).- Linda Caridi was born on 11 April 1988 in Milan, Lombardy, Italy. She is an actress, known for Last Night of Amore (2023), Ricordi? (2018) and The Ties (2020).
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Claudia Gerini was born in Rome, where she did classical studies and dance training. Her acting career began when an advertising agency cast her in several commercials.
Claudia Gerini has had a long movie career in Italy and abroad, working with actors and directors like Sergio Castellito, Giuseppe Tornatore, Mel Gibson, acting both in comedic and dramatic roles. Her first star-making role was in "Viaggi di nozze" with comedian Carlo Verdone, with whom she will still works from time to time.
In theater, Claudia Gerini appeared in the show "Angelo e Beatrice" by Francesco Apolloni. She recently returned to the stage with the one-woman show "Storie di Claudia," written and directed by Giampiero Solari, a musical which highlights all her skills: dance, singing and acting.
She has acted in some of the most interesting projects of contemporary Italian cinema, such as "La Sconosciuta" by Giuseppe Tornatore, "Non ti muovere" by Sergio Castellitto, "Una famiglia perfetta" by Paolo Genovese, "Diverso da chi" by Umberto Carteni and many others.
Claudia Gerini has two daughters (Rosa and Linda ) and never stops studying and training. In addition to Italian, she fluently speaks English, French and Spanish.- Actress
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Laura Morante was born on 21 August 1956 in Santa Fiora, Tuscany, Italy. She is an actress and writer, known for Cherry on the Cake (2012), The Son's Room (2001) and Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man (1981). She has been married to Francesco Giammatteo since 3 October 2004. She was previously married to Georges Claisse and Daniele Costantini.- Romina Mondello was born on 1 March 1974 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. She is an actress, known for To the Wonder (2012), Palermo-Milan One Way (1995) and Nostromo (1996). She has been married to Nicola Veccia Scavalli since 6 April 2003. They have one child.
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Born in Bologna, she is an actress and photographer. She has acted, among others, for Michelangelo Antonioni, Liliana Cavani, Marco Tullio Giordana, Gus Van Sant, and Mia Handsen-Love. In 2008 she began to exhibit her photography; in 2011 she was at the Biennale di Venezia, in 2014 her first solo exhibit in Tokyo. She debuted as a director In 2000 with the short Per sempre, which was in competition at the 57a Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica di Venezia, and won the Nastro d'Argento Prize.- Actress
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Micaela Ramazzotti was born on 17 January 1979 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. She is an actress and director, known for Like Crazy (2016), The First Beautiful Thing (2010) and Felicità (2023). She has been married to Paolo Virzì since 17 January 2009. They have two children.- Anna Galiena was born on 22 December 1949 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. She is an actress, known for The Hairdresser's Husband (1990), Black Angel (2002) and Senza pelle (1994).
- Serena Grandi was born on 23 March 1958 in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. She is an actress, known for The Great Beauty (2013), Miranda (1985) and Donne sottotetto (Centro storico) (1992). She was previously married to Beppe Ercole.
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Maria Grazia Cucinotta (born 27 July 1968) is an Italian actress who has featured in many films and television series since 1990. She has also worked as a producer, screenwriter and model. Cucinotta was born in Messina, Province of Messina, Sicily, Italy. She is well known in Italy as a movie and television actress, but internationally she is best known for her roles in Il Postino and as the Bond girl, credited as the Cigar Girl, in the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough.- Actress
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Giovanna Mezzogiorno was born on 9 November 1974 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. She is an actress and director, known for Vincere (2009), Love in the Time of Cholera (2007) and Facing Windows (2003). She has been married to Alessio Federico Fugolo since 24 October 2009. They have two children.- Miriam Giovanelli was born on 28 April 1989 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. She is an actress, known for Limoncello (2007), Gavilanes (2010) and Dracula 3D (2012). She has been married to Xabi Ortega since 23 September 2017. They have one child.
- Michela De Rossi was born on 25 January 1993 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. She is an actress, known for The Many Saints of Newark (2021), Boys Cry (2018) and While the Men Are Away (2023).
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Valeria Bruni Tedeschi was born on 16 November 1964 in Turin, Piedmont, Italy. She is an actress and writer, known for Like Crazy (2016), Il est plus facile pour un chameau... (2003) and Human Capital (2013).- Sonia Aquino was born on 10 July 1977 in Avellino, Campania, Italy. She is an actress, known for The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004), Casa Eden and Madame (2004).
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Michela Cescon was born on 13 April 1971 in Treviso, Veneto, Italy. She is an actress and director, known for Piazza Fontana: The Italian Conspiracy (2012), Primo amore (2004) and Blue Eyes (2021).- Actress
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Jasmine Trinca was born on 24 April 1981 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. She is an actress and director, known for The Gunman (2015), The Son's Room (2001) and Fortunata (2017).- Gaia Messerklinger is known for La porta sul buio (2018), Le indagini di Lolita Lobosco (2021) and Don Matteo (2000).