Maria Grazia Cucinotta (; born 27 July 1968) is an Italian actress who has featured in films and television series since 1990. Internationally she is best known for her roles in Il Postino (The Postman) and The World Is Not Enough.
Early life Cucinotta was born 27 July 1968 in Messina in Sicily, Italy. In a May 2019 interview with Il Giornale, she related how she was taunted as a young girl for the size of her breasts, and that at age 19, she nearly underwent breast reduction surgery, saying, "My mother saved me at 19 when I was about to make the biggest mistake of my life. I wanted to have a breast reduction. For me, it was too bulky. Like all the women in my family, I have a size 6. I considered it a nightmare, especially as a young girl when I felt the eyes on me and the jokes of adults. They told me my breasts weren't suitable for modelling. But I cancelled the operation. My mother said she'd failed as a parent if I'd had that operation. Luckily, Renzo Arbore later called me to work as a showgirl, and my life changed."
Career After playing a few bit parts on television, her first movie role was in Michael Radford's critically acclaimed Il Postino (1994). Cucinotta played Beatrice Russo, the female love interest opposite Massimo Troisi. Despite the film being Cucinotta's first major role, Troisi had no doubt about her abilities, as Cucinotta later recalled:He was a director and an actor who had the patience to teach me everything because I arrived at that audition recommended by a woman, Nathalie Caldonazzo, who was Massimo's girlfriend. That film changed my life. I'm happy that people still talk about him and that film with which he brought Italianness around the world.National Review critic John Simon effusively praised Cucinotta's performance, describing it as "a cross between ancient Mediterranean love-goddess-hood and un-self-consciously sultry girlishness."
Cucinotta took part in the James Bond film The World is Not Enough (1999), playing a villain named "Cigar Girl". That same year, she also guest starred in The Sopranos episode "Isabella" as the titular character.
In 2005 Cucinotta appeared on The Simpsons episode "The Italian Bob", voicing Sideshow Bob's wife, Francesca. She also produced and acted in All the Invisible Children (2005), an anthology film serving as a charity fundraiser for UNICEF. Cucinotta appeared in the segment titled "Ciro", directed by co-producer Stefano Veneruso.
Cucinotta won the America Award of the Italy-USA Foundation in 2010. In 2012, Cucinotta received a star on the Italian Walk of Fame in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Personal life Maria Grazia Cucinotta is a Roman Catholic and devoted to Saint Anthony of Padua.
Filmography Films YearTitleRole(s) Notes1990Vacanze di Natale '90Arabella1993Abbronzatissimi 2 – Un anno dopoHotel waitressCameo appearanceCominciò tutto per casoThe PossessionAlto rischioOlga1994Il Postino: The PostmanBeatrice Russo1995The Day of the BeastSusannaThe GraduatesLetizia1996The MayorRita "Rituccia"ItalianiMaria1997Il decisionistaThe journalistCamere da lettoMaddalenaA Brooklyn State of MindGabriela1998The Second WifeAnna1999Ballad of the NightingaleAinaThe World Is Not Enough"Cigar Girl" (Giulietta Da Vinci)2000Picking Up the PiecesDesiJust One NightAurora2001Stregati dalla lunaMiria2004Our Italian HusbandMaria ScocozzaVanilla and ChocolatePenelope2005Miracle in Palermo!SaraFelix: Ein Hase auf WeltreiseMother (voice)Italian voice-overAll the Invisible ChildrenWaitressSegment: "Ciro"; also producer2006UranyaUranya2007Sweet Sweet MarjaCatiaLast Minute MaroccoValeriaAlso producerFelix 2 – Der Hase und die verflixte ZeitmaschineMother (voice)Italian voice-over2008Io non ci cascoDr. RosaAlso producer2009Purple SeaAgneseAlso producerThe Trick in the SheetMariannaAlso producerDeath of the VirginClaudiaFly LightCaterina2010La bella societàMariaThe Museum of WondersMemè2011Un giorno della vitaAmeliaThe RiteAunt AndriaTransgressionElenaThe OpeningMaria2012La tana del bianconiglioNadiaShort filmTeresa Manganiello: Sui passi dell'amoreFabrizia GregoriniLa moglie del sartoRosettaUn Amor de PelículaLaura2013TulpaProducer onlyEpicQueen Tara (voice)Italian voice-over2014Cam girlAgency directorMaldamoreVittoriaAlso producer2015Nomi e cognomiAnna RivaMagic CardMaria GraziaAsino violaAngiulina (voice)Italian voice-overBabbo Natale non viene da nordPsychologistAlso producer2016Oggi a te... domani a meDonatella2017Into the RainbowDr. Julia BianchiLa veritàGabriele's mother2018Shadow of the WolfEleonora2019Tutto liscioAnnaForse è solo mar di mareClaudiaIl gatto e la lunaSonya2021American NightDonna MariaGli anni belliAdele2023WonderwellAnna's motherIl meglio di teNicole
Television YearTitleRole(s) Notes1987Miss Italia 1987Herself / ContestantAnnual beauty contest1987–1988Indietro tutta!Herself / co-hostVariety show1988–1989CoccoHerself / VariousSketch comedy1991Andy e NormanSophieMain role1992Il TG delle vacanzeHerself / co-hostVariety show1996La signora della cittàRosa MinnitiMiniseriesPadre papàLuisa IorioMiniseries1997SolomonAbishagTelevision movie1998Vota la voceHerself / co-hostAnnual music festivalIl quarto reIzhiraTelevision movieWildsideLawyerEpisode: "Episode 37"1999The SopranosIsabellaEpisode: "Isabella"2000Maria MaddalenaMary MagdaleneTelevision movie2002Il bello delle donneRosy FumoMain role (season 2)2003Inferno BelowSantinaMiniseries2005The SimpsonsFrancesca (voice)Episode: "The Italian Bob"2007Imperium: PompeiiLaviniaMiniseries2008VIPNancy / NicolettaTelevision movie2009Così fan tutteMaria GraziaEpisode: "Five"2012Punto su di te!Herself / ContestantEpisode: "Episode 1"2017Celebrity MasterChef ItaliaHerself / ContestantCooking show (season 1)2018Miss Italia 2018Herself / JudgeAnnual beauty contest2021–presentL'ingrediente perfettoHerself / HostCooking program
Television appearances
References
External links 2006 Archived official website