The Enduring Legacy of Virna Lisi: From Italy to Global Cinema Icon
Discover the captivating life and career of Virna Lisi, the iconic Italian actress who charmed audiences worldwide. Explore her filmography and journey to becoming a global cinema legend.
Virna Pieralisi, her real name, was born in Ancona on November 8, 1937, and later moved to the Italian capital with her family. Between 1954 and 1956, she worked on several low-visibility films until Francesco Maselli invited her for what would be her first big opportunity in The Woman of the Day (1957). In 1962, she was hired by Joseph Losey for the film Eva, starring Jeanne Moreau and Stanley Baker. The following year, she filmed Black Tulip with Alain Delon.
It was after this that she had her first opportunity in Hollywood, where she was even considered the new Marilyn Monroe due to her striking blonde hair. There, she made How to Murder Your Wife (1965) with Jack Lemmon, and Assault on a Queen (1966) with Frank Sinatra. With these productions, Virna, along with Sofia Loren and Claudia Cardinale, became part of the most sought-after trio in Italy. Her career was not limited to cinema, as she also worked in theater and television, achieving enormous fame in the latter. In 1969, she worked in Enrico Maria Salerno’s play Othello, and years later, played the sister of philosopher Nietzsche in Beyond Good and Evil. Virna achieved great recognition for her work in the television series …And Life Goes On (1984) by Dino Risi, which reflected the evolution of a bourgeois family. Her film career concluded with director Cristina Comencini, with whom she worked on Follow Your Heart (1996) and The Best Day of My Life (2002).
Virna Lisi passed away on December 18, 2014, at the age of 78 in Rome, after being diagnosed with an incurable disease. Her son revealed that she died “peacefully, in her sleep.”
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