Jewellery lover Italian actress Virna Lisi

Jewellery lover Italian actress Virna Lisi
Born in the Italian city of Ancona in 1936, Virna Pieralisi started her film career in adolescence. It happened when a good friend of the family, singer Giacomo Rondinella was struck by her beauty. She made her debut in 1953 in the movie “The Steel Rope”.
Next, she starred in a number of Italian films and musical comedies. Among them – “And Naples Sings”, Eighteen Year Olds, The Bachelor (1953), and “Les Hussards”, New Moon, and The Woman of the Day (1955). Besides, in the early 1960s she took part in several TV projects.
During her Hollywood experience Lisi worked with such actors as Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, Frank Sinatra and many others. Also, she had a chance to play with many talented and legendary European actors and actresses. In particular, Marcello Mastroianni, Franco Nero, Timothy Dalton, Anna Magnani, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Alain Delon, Jeanne Moreau and Claudia Cardinale. The winner of the Cesar prize at the Cannes Film Festival, her movie list includes more than 107 movies (1953 – 2011).

After the death of Marilyn Monroe, Hollywood bosses searched for a new mega star and a sex symbol. As a result, the producers chose Virna Lisi. She acted in “How to Murder Your Wife” (1964), and her role was simple in terms of acting. Noteworthy, her partners were the same that starred with Monroe. For decades Lisi appeared in several motion pictures. Among them – “Not with My Wife, You Don’t!” (1966) and “Assault on a Queen” (1966). Among her colleagues on the screen were Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Frank Sinatra.

Italian actress Virna Lisi

Interestingly, in 1965, the photo of shaving Virna Lisi in magazine ‘Esquire’ has flown around the whole world. Also, successful became the projects in the late 1960s – her role in the film “The 25th Hour”, “Arabella” (1967) and “The Secret of Santa Vittoria” (1969).

The following years, Virna was shot mostly at home. Also, in 1984 she became a prize winner at the “Cesar” and the Cannes Film Festival for her role of Queen Catherine de Medici in the historical drama “Queen Margot”. In subsequent years, the actress has appeared only once on the big screen, acting solely in television movies and series.

Married Franco Sands in 1960, Virna gave birth to a son, Corrado in July 1962. In addition to working in the movie, she was playing in the theater. Awarded a special prize “David Donatello” (1996) for the work as a whole, and the Prize for her career at the IFF Flaino, Italy, 1995.
Noteworthy, Lisi has retained her beauty to old age. She died on 18 December 2014 in Rome of cancer at age 78.

Italian actress Virna Lisi