Name: Virna Lisi
Date of Birth: 8 September 1937 Italian goddess Virni Lisi was merely one of a plethora of European movie beauties who proved over the course of their long careers, that they were capable of more than just visual performances. Born in 1937 as Virna Lisa Pieralisi, she began her film career as a teenager in 1953. Cast more for her looks than talent at the onset, her early pictures included _La donna del giorno (1956)_ (qv), _Don't Tempt the Devil (1962)_ , and the Italian-made spectacle _Romolo e Remo (1961)_ (qv). The pert and... sexy star also made a decorative dent in Hollywood comedy as a tempting blue-eyed blonde starring opposite 'Jack Lemmon (I)' (qv) in _How to Murder Your Wife (1965)_ (qv), and appearing with 'Tony Curtis (I)' (qv) in _Not with My Wife, You Don't! (1966)_ (qv). Confined to the same type of glamour roles here, she returned to Europe within a couple of years but hardly fared better in such mediocre movies as _Arabella (1967)_ (qv). In later decades, however, a career renaissance occurred for Virna. She began to be perceived as more than just a tasty dish, giving a wide variety of mature, award-winning performances. It all culminated in the role of a lifetime with the film _La reine Margot (1994)_ (qv), in which she played a marvelously malevolent Catherine de Medici and captured both the Cesar and Cannes Film Festival awards, not to mention the Italian version of the "Oscar." She has since reigned supreme as a character lead and support player.Read more Virna Lisi movies (actor)User Comments |
