Virna Lisi was a stunning Italian actress who made a brief but notable impact in Hollywood during the 1960s. Born Virna Lisa Pieralisi on November 8, 1936, she began her film career at the age of 17 with a co-starring role in the musical drama...e Napoli canta! (1953).
Initially cast for her photographic beauty, Lisi gained more experience in early pictures such as Lettera napoletana (1954) and La corda d'acciaio (1954) before earning her first top-billed movie lead in Piccola santa (1954) opposite Rosario Borelli.
Other notable films from the late 1950s and early 1960s that contributed to her growing reputation included Luna nova (1955),Le diciottenni (1955),La rossa (1955),The Doll That Took the Town (1957),Lost Souls (1959) opposite Jacques Sernas, Don't Tempt the Devil (1963),Sua Eccellenza si fermò a mangiare (1961),Duel of the Titans (1961),and Eva (1962) starring Jeanne Moreau.
In the late 1960s, Lisi made a decorative dent in Hollywood, starring opposite notable actors such as Jack Lemmon, Frank Sinatra, and Tony Curtis in films like How to Murder Your Wife (1965),Assault on a Queen (1966),and Not with My Wife, You Don't! (1966).
However, she eventually returned to Europe and struggled to find quality roles, appearing in films like Anyone Can Play (1967),The Girl Who Couldn't Say No (1968),The Christmas Tree (1969),The Statue (1971),Bluebeard (1972),and White Fang (1973) and its sequel Challenge to White Fang (1974).
It wasn't until middle age that Lisi experienced a career renaissance, with a string of quality performances in European films like Beyond Good and Evil (1977),The Cricket (1980),Time for Loving (1983),Buon Natale... Buon anno (1989),and Va' dove ti porta il cuore (1996) (Follow Your Heart).
The pinnacle of her career came with the role of the malevolent "Caterina de Medici" in Queen Margot (1994),for which she won the César and Cannes Film Festival awards, as well as the Italian Silver Ribbon award.
In the years leading up to her passing on December 14, 2014, at the age of 78, Lisi continued to work in TV, starring in TV movies and Italian TV series, including the title role in Anna's World (2004) and Donne sbagliate (2007) (Steel Women).
