The Italian actress and Sex Symbol Ornella Muti celebrates 70
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Muti collaborated with prominent directors and gained international recognition for her role as Princess Aura in the 1980 science fiction film “Flash Gordon”
The Italian actress and Sex Symbol Ornella Muti celebrates 70
Renowned for her extensive work in European cinema, the Italian actress Ornella Muti was born Francesca Romana Rivelli on March 9, 1955, in Rome, Italy. She is the daughter of a Neapolitan journalist father and Ilse Renate Krause, a sculptor of Estonian descent. Her older sister, Claudia Rivelli, also pursued a career in acting.
Muti began modeling as a teenager and made her film debut at the age of 15 in Damiano Damiani’s “La moglie più bella” (1970), inspired by the true story of Franca Viola, the first Italian woman to refuse a forced marriage. To avoid confusion with another actress named Luisa Rivelli, she adopted the stage name Ornella Muti, derived from characters in Gabriele D’Annunzio’s literary works.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Muti collaborated with prominent directors such as Marco Ferreri, appearing in films like “L’ultima donna” (1976) and “Storie di ordinaria follia” (1981). She gained international recognition for her role as Princess Aura in the science fiction film “Flash Gordon” (1980). Her performances in “Un amour de Swann” (1984) alongside Jeremy Irons and “Cronaca di una morte annunciata” (1987), based on Gabriel García Márquez’s novel, further showcased her versatility.
In the 1990s, Muti expanded her repertoire to include American productions, starring in comedies such as “Oscar” (1991) with Sylvester Stallone and “Once Upon a Crime” (1992). She continued to work in European cinema, taking on diverse roles that highlighted her adaptability as an actress.
Beyond her film career, Muti has appeared in television series and theater productions, maintaining a significant presence in the entertainment industry. In 1994, readers of Class magazine voted her the “Most Beautiful Woman in the World,” a testament to her enduring appeal.
Muti’s personal life includes two marriages: first to actor Alessio Orano from 1975 to 1981, and later to Federico Fachinetti from 1988 to 1996. She has three children: Naike Rivelli, who has followed in her mother’s footsteps as an actress, and two from her marriage to Fachinetti, a son named Andrea and a daughter named Carolina.
Look back at Ornella Muti as Princess Aura in the 1980 cult sci-fi movie “Flash Gordon”
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