Ornella Muti

Ornella Muti
Muti in 2000
Born
Francesca Romana Rivelli

(1955-03-09) 9 March 1955 (age 69)
Rome, Italy
OccupationActress
Years active1970–present
Spouses
Alessio Orano
(m. 1975; div. 1981)
Federico Fachinetti
(m. 1988; div. 1996)
Children3; including Naike Rivelli

Francesca Romana Rivelli (born 9 March 1955), professionally known as Ornella Muti, is an Italian actress.

Among the best known Italian actresses,[1][2][3] in her career she has interpreted various genres, working alongside italian directors such as Damiano Damiani, Mario Monicelli, Dino Risi, Marco Ferreri, Carlo Verdone, Ettore Scola, Francesca Archibugi, Paolo Virzì, Umberto Lenzi, Francesco Nuti and many others. Outside of Italy, she is best known for her role as Princess Aura in the cult following science fiction movie Flash Gordon (1980).

Early life[edit]

Muti was born in Rome to a Neapolitan journalist father and Ilse Renate Krause, a Russian Baltic German sculptor from Estonia. Her maternal grandparents emigrated from Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg, Russia) to Estonia.[4]

Career[edit]

Muti modeled as a teenager and made her film debut in the 1970 film La moglie più bella (The Most Beautiful Wife) at the age of fourteen.[5] In the early seventies, thanks to the great success of the film, she starred in numerous comedies, mainly ascribed to the erotic genre. In 1974, she played in the Mario Monicelli Come Home and Meet My Wife, which became a huge success and brought her wide popularity. During the 1970s and 1980s she worked with the most popular Italian actors as Ugo Tognazzi, Vittorio Gassman, Marcello Mastroianni, Carlo Verdone, Renato Pozzetto, Paolo Villaggio, Francesco Nuti, Giancarlo Giannini in successful comedies as Nobody's Perfect, Bonnie and Clyde Italian Style, Rich and Poor, All the Fault of Paradise, Me and My Sister, Tonight at Alice's, and also dramatic movies as The Last Woman, The Bishop's Bedroom, Nest of Vipers, Break Up, Tales of Ordinary Madness and The Future Is Woman.

With Adriano Celentano she made two of the most successful comedies in the history of Italian cinema: The Taming of the Scoundrel and Madly in Love.

In recent years she has alternated between working in independent and mainstream films, TV drama and TV hosting as at the Sanremo Music Festival in 2022.

She is one of the few Italian actresses to achieve an international career across Europe where she has worked with Pedro Masó, Francisco Lara Polop, Mario Camus, Vicente Aranda, Lucas Belvaux, Georges Lautner, Volker Schlöndorff, Mike Hodges, Anthony Hickox, Mike Figgis, Peter Greenaway, and Grigory Chukhray. Her best known movies in Europe are Swann in Love in which she acted with Jeremy Irons and Alain Delon, The Bilingual Lover where she starred with Javier Bardem, Hotel, with Salma Hayek, David Schwimmer, Lucy Liu, Burt Reynolds, and John Malkovich, and The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part 1: The Moab Story, a multimedia project by Peter Greenaway.

In the United States she has worked with directors such as Woody Allen, John Landis, Eugene Levy, Buddy Giovinazzo and James Toback. She appeared also in Love and Money, Oscar, Once upon a Crime, Somewhere in the City and To Rome with Love and in the American TV movies Casanova, Wait Until Spring, Bandini, A Season of Giants and one episode of The Hitchhiker TV series.

In 1981, she turned down the lead role (later given to Carole Bouquet) in For Your Eyes Only because her costume designer, Wayne Finkelman, was not hired by the production.[6]

Personal life[edit]

In 1999, she insured her breasts for $350,000.[7]

In 2008, Muti introduced her own line of jewellery and subsequently opened several shops around the world.[8]

In 2015, the Italian court of Pordenone sentenced her to eight months in prison for having cancelled a theatrical performance following a health problem, which did not prevent her from participating in a social dinner with Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg in December 2010. She avoided prison by paying the sum of 30,000 euros to the Verdi theater as compensation.[9]

Muti has been married twice, first to Alessio Orano (a fellow actor in The Most Beautiful Wife), from 1975 to 1981.[5] She was married, secondly, to Federico Fachinetti, from 1988 to 1996.[5] Muti has three children: Naike Rivelli (born 1974), a fashion model, singer, and actress; a son, Andrea, and a second daughter, Carolina, both from her marriage to Fachinetti.[5]

In 1994, she became a resident of Monaco.[8]

On February 1, 2022, the actress announced that she would like to obtain Russian citizenship. She told TASS: "It would be nice for me to get citizenship, because it is part of my culture associated with my mother. She died this year, and it would be a gift for her."[10]

In July 2022, Muti was criticised by the far right for supporting the legalisation of cannabis in Italy.[11]

Filmography[edit]

Films[edit]

Film roles showing year released, title, role played, director and notes.[5]
Title Year Role Director Notes
The Most Beautiful Wife 1970 Francesca Cimarosa Damiano Damiani
Il sole nella pelle/ Summer Affair 1971 Lisa Giorgio Stegani
Oasis of Fear Ingrid Sjoman Umberto Lenzi
The House of the Doves 1972 Sandra Ruvo Claudio Guerín
Experiencia prematrimonial Alejandra Espinosa Pedro Masó
Fiorina la vacca Teresa Vittorio De Sisti
The Nun and the Devil 1973 Sister Isabella Domenico Paolella
Italian Graffiti Santuzza Morano Alfio Caltabiano
The Sensual Man Giovanna Marco Vicario
Una chica y un señor/ L'amante adolescente 1974 Caridad Pedro Masó
Cebo para una adolescente/ La segretaria/ Bait for an Adolescent Maribel Francisco Lara Polop
Appassionata Eugenia Rutelli Gianluigi Calderone
Come Home and Meet My Wife Vincenzina Rotunno Mario Monicelli
La Joven casada 1975 Camino Mario Camus
Pure as a Lily 1976 Lucia Mantuso Franco Rossi
The Last Woman Valeria Marco Ferreri
The Bishop's Bedroom 1977 Matilde Scrosati Dino Risi
Death of a Corrupt Man Valérie Georges Lautner
Viva l'Italia! Hitchhiking young woman and Stewardess Mario Monicelli, Dino Risi, Ettore Scola Segment: "Autostop and Senza parole"
Nest of Vipers 1978 Elena Mazzarini Tonino Cervi
First Love Renata Mazzetti Dino Risi
Break Up Ursenna "Sena" Enrico Maria Salerno
Neapolitan Mystery 1979 Lucia Navarro Sergio Corbucci
Life Is Beautiful Maria Grigory Chukhray
The Taming of the Scoundrel 1980 Lisa Silvestri Castellano & Pipolo
Flash Gordon Princess Aura Mike Hodges
Tales of Ordinary Madness 1981 Cass Marco Ferreri
Nobody's Perfect Chantal Pasquale Festa Campanile
Madly in Love Cristina Castellano & Pipolo
The Girl from Trieste 1982 Nicole Pasquale Festa Campanile
Love and Money Catherine James Toback
Bonnie and Clyde Italian Style 1983 Rosetta Foschini Steno
Rich and Poor Marta Nannuzzi Pasquale Festa Campanile
Swann in Love Odette Volker Schlöndorff
The Future Is Woman 1984 Malvinia Marco Ferreri
All the Fault of Paradise 1985 Celeste Francesco Nuti
Department Stores 1986 Luisa Castellano & Pipolo
Bewitched Anna Francesco Nuti
Chronicle of a Death Foretold 1987 Angela Vicario Francesco Rosi
Me and My Sister Silvia Carlo Verdone
Private Access 1988 Anna Francesco Maselli
The Sparrow's Fluttering Silvana Gianfranco Mingozzi
The King of Naples Maria Sophie of Bavaria Luigi Magni
Wait Until Spring, Bandini 1989 Maria Bandini Dominique Deruddere
Captain Fracassa's Journey 1990 Serafine Ettore Scola
Tonight at Alice's Alice Carlo Verdone
Oscar 1991 Sofia Provolone John Landis
Especially on Sunday Anna Giuseppe Tornatore, Marco Tullio Giordana, Giuseppe Bertolucci, Francesco Barilli Segment: "La domenica specialmente"
Count Max Isabella Matignon Christian De Sica
Vacanze di Natale '91 Giuliana Enrico Oldoini
Once Upon a Crime 1992 Elena Eugene Levy
Non chiamatemi Omar Viola Sergio Staino
The Bilingual Lover 1993 Norma Valenti Vicente Aranda
Tatiana, la muñeca rusa 1995 Tatiana Santiago San Miguel
Stella's Favor 1996 Stella Giancarlo Scarchilli
Somewhere in the City 1998 Marta Ramin Niami
Dirty Linen 1999 Bruna Mario Monicelli
The Unscarred 2000 Raffaella Buddy Giovinazzo
Tomorrow 2001 Stefania Zarenghi Francesca Archibugi
Una lunga lunga lunga notte d'amore Egle Luciano Emmer
Last Run Danny Anthony Hickox
Hotel Flamenco spokesperson Mike Figgis Cameo appearance
Aprés la vie 2002 Cécile Rivet Lucas Belvaux
Cavale Cécile Costes Lucas Belvaux
Une couple épatant Lucas Belvaux
Uomini & donne, amori & bugie 2003 Anna Eleonora Giorgi
The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part 1: The Moab Story Mathilde Figura Peter Greenaway
People 2004 Aphrodita Fabien Onteniente
The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things Grandma Asia Argento
Dimmi di sì Francesca Juan Calvo
La bambina dalle mani sporche 2005 Wanda Rosso Renzo Martinelli
Civico zero 2007 Nina Francesco Maselli
Ripopolare la reggia Marchesa Peter Greenaway
Io non ci casco 2008 Miss Lamberti Pasquale Falcone
To Rome with Love 2012 Pia Fusari Woody Allen
Checkmate 2016 Penury Jason Bradbury Short film
Magical Nights 2018 Federica Paolo Virzì
Wine to Love - I colori dell'amore Anna Domenico Fortunato
Mare di grano Ornella Fabrizio Guarducci
The Christmas Show 2022 Rita Alberto Ferrari

Television[edit]

Television roles showing year released, title, role played, network, and notes[5]
Title Year Role Original network Notes
The Hitchhiker 1986 Sister Theresa HBO Episode: "True Believer"
Casanova 1987 Henriette ABC Television film
A Season of Giants 1989 Onoria Rai 1 Television film
Il Grande Fausto 1994 Giulia Occhini Rai 1 Miniseries
L'avvocato Porta 1997 Chiara Canale 5 Main role (season 1); 4 episodes
The Count of Monte Cristo 1998 Mercedes Iguanada TF1 Miniseries
Esther 1999 Vashti Rai 1 Television film
Lo zio d'America 2002 Maria Monticelli Rai 1 Main role (season 1); 8 episodes
Chi l'avrebbe mai detto 2006 Emma Rai 1 Miniseries
Il sangue e la rosa 2008 Barbara Forleis Canale 5 Main role
Doc West 2009 Debra Downing Canale 5 Television film
Sirene 2017 Ingrid Rai 1 Main role; 6 episodes

References[edit]

  1. ^ Ornella Muti at Google Books
  2. ^ Ornella Muti, una carriera straordinaria raccontata in 5 suoi film. La Stampa - Lastampa. 14 June 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  3. ^ "Ornella Muti". Donna Moderna. Archived from the original on 5 December 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  4. ^ Glotova, Alexandra (1 March 2011). "Интервью с Орнеллой Мути" [Interview with Ornella Muti]. YouTube (in Russian).
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Ornella Muti". IMDb. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  6. ^ Candida Morvillo (8 January 2018). "Ornella Muti: "Non so se amerò mai più, ma ho imparato a meditare"". Corriere della sera. Archived from the original on 7 January 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  7. ^ "Guarda che talento, lo voglio assicurare". la Repubblica (in Italian). 7 February 1999. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Ornella Muti". Monaco Tribune. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  9. ^ "L'actrice Ornella Muti condamnée à de la prison après avoir dîné avec Poutine". L'Express (in French). 27 February 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  10. ^ Gornostayeva, Yuliya (1 February 2022). "Актриса Орнелла Мути заявила о желании стать гражданкой России". Izvestia (in Russian). Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  11. ^ "Sanremo: Actress Ornella Muti sparks cannabis debate in Italy". Wanted in Rome. 2 February 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2022.

External links[edit]