Acting

Valentina Cortese

Born 1923-01-01 · Milan, Lombardy, Italy

Died 2019-07-10

Valentina Cortese (January 1, 1923 - July 10, 2019) was an Italian film actress. The Milan-born actress starred in The House on Telegraph Hill (1951) directed by Robert Wise, and costarring Richard Basehart and William Lundigan. Cortese, aged 28, married Basehart in 1951, and had one son with him before they divorced in 1960. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1975 for her performance in François Truffaut's Day for Night. Cortese appeared in Jules Dassin's Thieves' Highway (1949), Joseph L. Mankiewicz's The Barefoot Contessa (1954), Michelangelo Antonioni's Le Amiche (1955), Gérard Brach's The Boat on the Grass, Terry Gilliam's The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988), and in the Franco Zeffirelli projects such as the 1972 film Brother Sun, Sister Moon, his 1977 miniseries, Jesus of Nazareth and the 1993 film Sparrow.

Credits

Newest first

Diva!
2017
Le ragazze di Milano
as Self
2007
Michelangelo Antonioni: The Eye That Changed Cinema
as Self (archive footage)
2001
Federico Fellini's Autobiography
as Self
2000
Sparrow
as Madre Superiora
1994
La Classe américaine
as The Helicopter Man's Wife (archive footage) (uncredited)
1993
Buster's Bedroom
as Serafina Tannenbaum
1991
I promessi sposi
as Donna Prassede
1989
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
as Queen Ariadne / Violet
1988
Young Toscanini
as Comparsa (uncredited)
1988
Facciaffittasi
as Gina Grandi
1988
Facciaffittasi
as Gina Grandi
1988
Via Montenapoleone
as madre di Guido
1987
Blue Tango
as Rachele Cigno
1987
La Ferdinanda. Sonate für eine Medici-Villa
as Caterina de Dominicis
1981
When Time Ran Out...
as Rose Valdez
1980
Ring of Darkness
as Elena Merrill
1979
Tanto va la gatta al lardo...
as Wilma/Leonilde Bosco Casagrande
1978
Widows' Nest
as Dolores
1977
Jesus of Nazareth
as Herodias
1977
The Big Operator
as Witwe
1976
Nick the Sting
as Regina
1976
Son tornate a fiorire le rose
as Sabina Foschini
1975
Kidnap Syndicate
as Grazia Filippini
1975
Il cav. Costante Nicosia demoniaco, ovvero Dracula in Brianza
as Olghina Franchetti
1975
The Kiss
as Elizabeth Blixen
1974
Tender Dracula
1974
Amore mio non farmi male
as Sabina Foschini
1974
Appassionata
as Elisa Rutelli
1974
Day for Night
as Séverine
1973
The Assassination of Trotsky
as Natalia Trotsky
1972
Brother Sun, Sister Moon
as Pica Di Bernardone
1972
Chronicle of a Homicide
as Luisa Sola
1972
The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire
as Madame Sobieski
1971
The Boat on the Grass
as Catherine
1971
The Love Mates
as Eva
1970
First Love
as Mutter
1970
Give Her the Moon
as Madeleine de Lépine
1970
The Secret of Santa Vittoria
as Gabriella (uncredited)
1970
Oh, Grandmother's Dead
as Ornella
1969
Il killer
1969
Listen, Let's Make Love
as Lallo's Mother
1968
The Legend of Lylah Clare
as Countess Bozo Bedoni
1968
Black Sun
as Maria
1966
Juliet of the Spirits
as Valentina
1965
Antonioni: Documents and Testimonials
as Self
1965
The Possessed
as Irma
1965
Reporter’s Diary: 'Zoom on Fellini'
as Self
1965
I grandi camaleonti
as Giuseppina Bonaparte
1964
The Visit
as Mathilda Miller
1964
The Girl Who Knew Too Much
as Laura Craven-Torrani
1963
Story of San Michele
as Eleonora Duse
1962
Barabbas
as Julia
1961
Square of Violence
as Erica Bernardi
1961
Love and Troubles
as Marisa
1958
Kean: Genius or Scoundrel
as Fanny
1957
The Rocket from Calabuch
as Eloísa, la maestra de escuela
1956
Le Amiche
as Nene
1955
Il Conte Aquila
as Teresa Casati
1955
Adriana Lecouvreur
as Adriana Lecouvreur
1955
Magic Fire
as Mathilde Wesendonk
1955
The Barefoot Contessa
as Eleanora Torlato-Favrini
1954
Jailbirds
as Luprandi's wife
1954
Il matrimonio
1954
Angels of Darkness
as Vally
1954
Lulù
1953
La passeggiata
as Lisa
1953
Secret People
as Maria Brentano / Brent / Lena Collins
1952
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
as Dr. Bruni
1951
The House on Telegraph Hill
as Victoria Kowelska
1951
Lux Video Theatre
as Emilie Gallatin
1950
Shadow of the Eagle
as Elizabeth, Princess Tarakanova
1950
Malaya
as Luana
1949
Thieves' Highway
as Rica
1949
Black Magic
as Zoraida
1949
The Glass Mountain
as Alida Morrosini
1949
Crossroads of Passion
as Maria Pilar
1948
L'ebreo errante
as Ester
1948
Les Misérables - Storm Over Paris
as Cosetta
1948
Les Misérables
as Fantine
1948