Anna Magnani - ©Theda Bara

The name I present to you in this post is that of one of the most talented actresses in Italian cinema, the Roman Anna Magnani, who was a huge success in Hollywood.

Anna Magnani was discovered in 1947, after winning the Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival. 9 years later, she would win the Oscar for Best Actress in 1956, for her performance in the film “The Rose Tattoo” (1955), playing the role of “Serafina Delle Rose”, a Sicilian widow who lives in the United States, in a typical Italian neighborhood. Anna also won for the film “The Rose Tattoo” (Best Foreign Actress), 1 Golden Globe Award in 1956 and 1 BAFTA Film Award in 1957. The actress was nominated once again for the Oscar for Best Actress, for “Mamma Roma” (1962), playing the title role in the film, but did not win the statuette.

Anna Magnani has a star on the Los Angeles Walk of Fame at 6385 Hollywood Boulevard in the Motion Picture category.

Anna Maria Magnani was born on March 7, 1908, in Rome, Italy, and died on September 26, 1973, in Rome, Italy, at the age of 65.

Anna Magnani was married for 15 years to Italian screenwriter and film director Goffredo Alessandrini (1904-1978) from 1935 to 1950, with whom she had one son, the former Italian football player, who played as a forward for Roma and later for Lazio, Luca Magnani (1942-). After their separation, Anna never remarried.