Stefania Sandrelli

Born in Viareggio, Tuscany, on June 5th, 1946—yeah, Stefania Sandrelli started turning heads basically as soon as she could walk. At just 15, she snagged a beauty pageant title, which pretty much flung her straight into the world of Italian cinema. Her first gig? Sharing the screen with Ugo Tognazzi in "Il federale." Not too shabby for a teenager, right? Then she caught the eye of director Pietro Germi, landing a role in the classic comedy "Divorzio all’Italiana" alongside Marcello Mastroianni. But honestly, it was "Sedotta e abbandonata" that really put her on the map—everyone suddenly seemed to know her name. Life moved fast for her, both on and off the set. By 16, she was dating musician Gino Paoli and, in 1964, welcomed her daughter Amanda. The ‘70s were wild—she worked with big names like Bertolucci and Scola, and acted with legends: Gassman, Dustin Hoffman, De Niro, Depardieu. She kept switching things up too. In the ‘80s, she took on her boldest role in Tinto Brass’s "La chiave," becoming pretty much the poster woman for an entire generation’s fantasies. She didn’t stop there—films like "Speriamo che sia femmina" had her sharing the screen with stars like Catherine Deneuve. By the ‘90s, TV came calling—she became a household name as Gigi Proietti’s fiancée in "Il Maresciallo Rocca." Still, she dipped back into film with Bertolucci’s "Io ballo da sola" and Muccino’s "L’ultimo bacio," playing women tangled up in life’s messiness. In 2005, the Venice Film Festival threw her a Golden Lion, just to remind everyone how much she’s crushed it over the years. Even now, she’s still dazzling audiences—ageless, with that killer smile and those sparkly eyes.