Stefania Sandrelli

Vivacious and sexy in an androgynous sort of way, popular Italian actress Stefania Sandrelli was at her best starring as a lonely, sickly country woman trying to survive in a hostile post-WWII city in Antonio Pietrangeli’s Io la Conoscevo Bene (I Knew Her Well) (1965). Before launching her acting career in 1961 with Il Federale, Sandrelli was a beauty queen. She got her break appearing as a teenaged seductress in Pietro Germi’s Divorzio all’Italiana (Divorce Italian Style) (1961). In the U.S., she is best known for appearing in several films of Bernardo Bertolucci, notably Il Conformista (The Conformist) (1970). She has also worked with other prominent Italian directors including Ettore Scola. She had great success in Tinto Brass’ La Chiave (The Key) in 1984 and this led to her appearing in a few very racy films. Since then Sandrelli became a character actress. —allmovie guide