Mariangela Melato (1941–2013)

Actress | Writer | Soundtrack

Date of Birth 19 September 1941, Milan, Lombardy, Italy

Date of Death 11 January 2013, Rome, Lazio, Italy (pancreatic cancer)

Mini Bio (1)

Mariangela Melato was born on September 19, 1941 in Milan, Lombardy, Italy. She was an actress and writer, known for Flash Gordon (1980), Swept Away (1974) and Lulu the Tool (1971). She died on January 11, 2013 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.

Trade Mark (1)

Deep sultry voice

Trivia (9)

Her continental success did not extend itself to Hollywood, appearing in a couple of flat films: Flash Gordon (1980) and So Fine (1981).

Her sexy star was secure with Wertmuller's wildly successful stranded-at-sea foreign import "Swept Away" with Giancarlo Giannini. Madonna attempted to play her role in the disastrous 2002 film remake directed by husband Guy Ritchie.

Scintillating blonde Italian leading lady best known for her torrid work in the films of Lina Wertmüller, Claude Chabrol, 'Vittorio de Sica', et al. in the 1970s.

Studied at the Milan Theatre Academy.

Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1983

Member of the jury at the Venice Film Festival in 1989.

Sister of actress and singer Anna Melato.

Had a long relationship with Renzo Arbore (late 1960s - early 1980s).

She provided the voice of Julia Lambert in the Italian version of Being Julia (2004).

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0577423/

Mariangela Melato (born 18 September 1941) is an Italian actress.

Melato was born in Milan and studied at the Milan Theatre Academy. A striking, blonde actress, she began her stage career in the early 1960s and rose to fame after delivering powerful performances for a number of notable Italian stage directors such as Dario Fo, Luchino Visconti and Luca Ronconi.

Her cinematic debut came in 1969 with Pupi Avati`s Thomas e gli indemoniati and Melato would continue to deliver memorable performances in the 1970s and grew to become a highly respected leading lady of many acclaimed and award-winning Italian films. Her memorable early film roles include the school teacher in Nino Manfredi`s comedy Between Miracles (1971) and the female leads in Elio Petri`s The Working Class Goes to Heaven (1971) and Vittorio De Sica`s Lo chiameremo Andrea (We`ll Call Him Andrew, 1972).

Melato received much praise for her role as Giancarlo Giannini`s Milanese mistress in The Seduction of Mimi (1972), directed by Lina Wertmüller. This was to be the start of a very successful working relationship with Wertmüller, who also cast Melato and Giannini as the leads in her next film, Love and Anarchy (1973), in which Melato plays an anarchic prostitute. The popular duo of Melato and Giannini were then paired in a third film by Wertmüller; Swept Away by an Unusual Destiny in the Blue Sea of August (1974). Melato`s critically acclaimed comedic performance in this film as a spoiled, unsympathetic aristocrat is one of her most internationally known roles.

For the remainder of the 1970s, Melato worked with some Europe`s most renowned directors, including Claude Chabrol in Nada (1974), Elio Petri in Todo modo (1976) and Luigi Comencini in Il gatto (1978). She also worked on television; playing the role of Princess Bithiah, in the miniseries Moses the Lawgiver (1974), which was also released in a theatrical version.

After attaining international success with many of her films, Melato attempted to make a career for herself in America as well. She played one of her most famous parts with a supporting role as villainess General Kala in Flash Gordon (1980). She also played the female lead opposite Ryan O`Neal in the comedy So Fine (1981). However, she failed to attain the same success that she had in Italy and quickly went back to her native country, where she went on to act in a number of comedies and dramas. She also reunited with Lina Wertmüller for the film Summer Night, with Greek Profile, Almond Eyes and Scent of Basil (1986) but gradually appeared in fewer films, and did more theater. She gave one of her most wonderful theatrical performances in the leading role of The Miracle Worker, and continues to be active in both theatre and cinema.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariangela_Melato