Virna Lisa Pieralisi (; 8 November 1936 – 18 December 2014), known as just Virna Lisi, was an Italian actress. Her international film appearances included How to Murder Your Wife (1965), Not with My Wife, You Don't! (1966), The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1969), Beyond Good and Evil (1977), and Follow Your Heart (1996). For the 1994 film La Reine Margot, she won Best Actress at Cannes and the César Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Career

Early career

Born in Ancona, Lisi began her film career in her teens. Discovered in Rome by two Neapolitan producers, Antonio Ferrigno and Ettore Pesce, she debuted in La corda d'acciaio (The Steel Rope, 1953). Initially, she appeared in musical films like E Napoli canta (Naples Sings, 1953) and Questa è la vita (Of Life and Love, 1954, with Totò). While initially cast in roles highlighting her physical appearance, such as Le diciottenni (Eighteen Year Olds) and Lo scapolo (The Bachelor), both released in 1955, she went on to more demanding roles, particularly in The Doll That Took the Town (1956), Eva (1962), and the spectacle Duel of the Titans (1961).

In the late 1950s, Lisi performed on stage at Piccolo Teatro di Milano in I giacobini by Federico Zardi under the direction of Giorgio Strehler. During the 1960s, Lisi appeared in comedies and participated in television dramas that were widely viewed in Italy. Lisi also promoted a toothpaste brand on television with a slogan that would become a catchphrase among Italians: "con quella bocca può dire ciò che vuole" (with such a mouth, she can say whatever she wants).

Hollywood career Though she turned down the Tatiana Romanova role in From Russia with Love (1963), Hollywood producers sought a new Marilyn Monroe and so, Lisi debuted in Hollywood comedy as a green-eyed blonde temptress with Jack Lemmon in How to Murder Your Wife (1965) and appeared with Tony Curtis in Not with My Wife, You Don't! (1966). Lisi then starred with Frank Sinatra, in Assault on a Queen (1966), in The Girl and the General, co-starring with Rod Steiger, and in two films with Anthony Quinn, The Secret of Santa Vittoria, directed by Stanley Kramer, and the war drama The 25th Hour. In 1969 she did a cameo appearance in If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium. In the 80s she played in two American movies, Miss Right and I Love N.Y.. She garnered attention for a photo of her 'shaving' her face that appeared on the March 1965 cover of Esquire magazine. In 1968 she turned down the role of Barbarella because she was not interested in a sexualized role

Later career in Europe

To overcome her typecasting playing seductresses, Lisi sought new types of roles, of evil women or of a lover in relationships of disparate age for example. In those years, she participated in Italian productions, in Casanova 70 and Le bambole (1965), Arabella (1967), and Le dolci signore (1968). She turned down the part played by Jane Fonda in Roger Vadim's Barbarella (1968). Lisi also starred in The Birds, the Bees and the Italians (1966) which shared the Grand Prix (then equivalent to the Palme d'Or, which was not awarded at the time) with A Man and a Woman at the Cannes Film Festival that year.

She told The New York Sunday Times that after marrying Franco Pesci, an Italian builder and architect, she briefly retired from acting in the early 1970s to spend more time with her husband and their son, Corrado. Nonetheless, Lisi's career underwent a renaissance with a number of projects, including Beyond Good and Evil (1977), Ernesto (1979), and The Cricket (1980). For the film La Reine Margot (1994), Lisi's portrayal of Catherine de' Medici won her both the César and Cannes Film Festival awards, along with a Silver Ribbon for Best Supporting Actress. In 2002, Lisi starred in The Best Day of My Life. Lisi then participated in many sitcoms and TV series. Her last movie was in the Italian comedy drama Latin Lover in 2014, shortly before her death.

Personal life and death She was married to Franco Pesci, an Italian property developer and architect. They were married for 53 years until his death, a year before her. After her marriage she briefly retired from acting, saying: "My husband was not very happy about my career, Franco is a jealous man — thank God! After we married he tried to take me away from all this movie business." She said he eventually relented.

On 18 December 2014, Lisi died of lung cancer in Rome at age 78. She is survived by a son, Corrado Pesci, and three grandchildren.

Legacy The Argentinian band Sumo (led by Luca Prodan) made a song for her, "" (1986), composed by Luca Prodan, whose brother, the actor Andrea Prodan, appeared with her in the movie I ragazzi di via Panisperna (1988). A Brazilian rock band named (1989–1997) was named after her. Meilland International SA named a rose after her in 1989.

Filmography Year Film Role Notes 1953Naples Sings Maria Mariani 1954Desiderio 'e sole LauraViolenza sul lago Laura, Marco's daughter Letter from Naples Anna EspositoThe Steel Rope Stella Cardinal Lambertini Maria di Pietramelara The Courier of Moncenisio Jeanne ThibaudPiccola santa Maria 1955Eighteen Year Olds Maria Rovani Addio Napoli! New Moon Lucia Disowned La rossa Maria Les Hussards Elisa The Bachelor Extra Uncredited1956Vendicata!1957The Doll That Took the Town (The Woman of the Day) Liliana Attenni1958Il Conte di Matera Greta Tramontana, Rambaldo's daughterToto, Peppino and the Fanatics Girl1959Vite perdute AnnaIl padrone delle ferriere Claire de BeaulieuWorld of Miracles Laura DamianiCaterina Sforza, la leonessa di Romagna Caterina Sforza1960Un militare e mezzo Anita Rossi1961Sua Eccellenza si fermò a mangiare Silvia5 marines per 100 ragazze GraziaDuel of the Titans Julia1962Eva Francesca Ferrara1963The Shortest Day Naja, an Austrian spyDon't Tempt the Devil Gina Bianchi1964The Black Tulip Caroline "Caro" Plantin Coplan Takes Risks Ingrid Carlsen1965How to Murder Your Wife Mrs. FordThe Dolls Luisa (segment "La telefonata")The Possessed TildeCasanova 70 GigliolaMade in Italy Virginia (segment "3 'La Donna', episode 1")Kiss the Other Sheik Dorothea (segment "L'ora di punta"), also known as The Man, the Woman and the Money1966The Birds, the Bees and the Italians Milena ZulianA Maiden for a Prince GiuliaAssault on a Queen Rosa LucchesiNot with My Wife, You Don't! Julie Ferris / Lieutenant Julietta Perodi1967The 25th Hour Suzanna MoritzThe Girl and the General AdaArabella ArabellaAnyone Can Play Luisa1968The Girl Who Couldn't Say No YolandaNominated—Nastro d'Argento for Best ActressBetter a Widow Rosa Minniti1969If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium John's Beautiful Cousin in RomeThe Christmas Tree Catherine GrazianiThe Secret of Santa Vittoria Caterina Malatesta1970Le Temps des loups Stella MonzoniThe Voyeur Claude1971The Statue Rhonda BoltLove Me Strangely Nathalie ReventRoma Bene Duchess Silvia Santi1972The Pebbles of Étretat AlnyBluebeard Elga1973Night Flight from Moscow Annabel LeeWhite Fang Sister Evangelina1974Challenge to White Fang Sister Evangelina1977Beyond Good and Evil Elisabeth Nietzsche Nastro d'Argento for Best Supporting ActressGolden Grolla for Best Actress1979Ernesto Ernesto's MotherBugie bianche Luisa Herrighe1980The Cricket Wilma Malinverni David di Donatello for Best ActressGolden Grolla for Best Actress1982Miss Right Anna1983Time for Loving Adriana Balestra David di Donatello for Best Supporting ActressNastro d'Argento for Best Supporting Actress1984Amarsi un po' Princess Marisa Cellini1987I Love N.Y. Anna Cotone1989I ragazzi di via Panisperna (Via Panisperna Boys) Ettore Majorana's MotherMerry Christmas... Happy New Year Elvira Nastro d'Argento for Best ActressNominated—David di Donatello for Best Actress1994La Reine Margot Catherine de Medici Cannes Film Festival Best Actress AwardNastro d'Argento for Best Supporting ActressCésar Award for Best Supporting ActressNominated—David di Donatello for Best Supporting Actress1995One Hundred and One Nights Herself – in Cannes1996Follow Your Heart Olga Nastro d'Argento for Best ActressItalian Golden Globe for Best ActressNominated—David di Donatello for Best Actress2002The Best Day of My Life Irene Nastro d'Argento for Best Supporting ActressFlaiano Prize for Best Actress – Audience Award2015Latin Lover Rita PosthumousNominated—David di Donatello for Best ActressNominated—Italian Golden Globe for Best Actress

Television Orgoglio e pregiudizio (television miniseries - 5 episodes) (1957) as Elizabeth Bennett Cenerentola (1961) as Cindarella (1961) (1962) as Sondra Finchley Christopher Columbus (1985) as Dona Moniz Perestrello (1996) Desert of Fire (1997) as Christine Duvivier (1999) as Laure de Berny (1999) as Sanna Le ali della vita (2000) as Sorella Alberta (2001) as Marchesa Orsola Il bello delle donne (2001) as Contessa Miranda Spadoni Caterina e le sue figlie (2005–2010) as Caterina L'onore e il rispetto (2006) as Ersilia Fortebracci

Awards David di Donatello Best Actress 1980: The Cricket Best Supporting Actress 1983: Time for Loving Nastro d'Argento Best Actress 1990: Merry Christmas... Happy New Year 1997: Follow Your Heart Best Supporting Actress 1978: Beyond Good and Evil 1983: Time for Loving 1995: La Reine Margot 2002: The Best Day of My Life César Award Best Supporting Actress1995: La Reine Margot Cannes Film Festival Best Actress1994: La Reine Margot

References

External links