Valentina Cortese

Valentina Cortese (born in Milan, Italy January 1, 1923, died July 10, 2019), a celebrated Italian actress, graduated from the National Academy of Dramatic Arts in Rome and started acting in the theater. 

She first gained attention in La cena delle beffe (The Jester’s Supper, 1942) directed by Alessandro Blasetti, played both Fantine and Cosette opposite Gino Cervi in I miserabili (Les Misérables, 1948) directed by Riccardo Freda from the 1862 novel by Victor Hugo. In 1948 Cortese signed a contract with 20th Century Fox, acted in American movies like Thieves’ Highway (1949) by Jules Dassin, The House on Telegraph Hill (1951) by Robert Wise, The Barefoot Contessa (1954) by Joseph Mankiewicz with Humphrey Bogart and Ava Gardner. 

She won a Nastro d’Argento for Best Supporting actress for Le Amiche (1955) by Michelangelo Antonioni, was directed by Mario Bava in the noir La ragazza che sapeva troppo (The Girl Who Knew Too Much, 1963), by Federico Fellini in Giulietta degli spiriti (Juliet of the Spirits, 1965), by Franco Zeffirelli in Fratello Sole, Sorella Luna (Brother Sun, Sister Moon, 1972), by Francois Truffaut in La Nuit américain (Day for Night, 1973), a performance that earned her Golden Globe and Academy Awards nominations as Best Supporting Actress.

Cortese played the Queen in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) by Terry Gilliam, continued to act on the Italian stage directed by the likes of Giorgio Strehler, Franco Zeffirelli, Luchino Visconti.