Greta Scacchi
Encyclopedia
Greta Scacchi is an Italian-Australian actor.
, Italy, on 18 February 1960, the daughter of Luca Scacchi Gracco, an Italian art dealer and painter, and Pamela Carsaniga, an English dancer and antiques dealer. Scacchi's parents divorced when she was four, and her mother returned to her native England with Greta and her two older brothers, first to London, then to Haywards Heath
, West Sussex. In 1975 after her mother's remarriage to Giovanni Carsaniga, the family settled in Perth
, Australia, were she attended Hollywood Senior High School
and the University of Western Australia
(UWA). She made her theatrical debut at UWA's New Dolphin Theatre in Edward Bond
's play Early Morning
.
, with Miranda Richardson
and Amanda Redman
. In 1982 she made her film debut in the German movie, Das Zweite Gesicht (The Second Face), and gave versatile performances in films, such as Heat and Dust
(1983), The Ebony Tower
(1984), The Coca Cola Kid (1985), White Mischief
(1987), Presumed Innocent
(1990), The Player
(1992) and Country Life
(1994). She turned down the role of Catherine Trammell in Basic Instinct
(1992).
In 1996 she won an Emmy Award
for her work as Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna of Russia in the television film, Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny
, and was nominated for a Golden Globe and numerous other awards. In 2007 she received an Emmy Award
nomination for Supporting Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie for Broken Trail
.
Scacchi is fluent in English, French, German and Italian, which has made her a popular choice for European casting directors and has been an asset when working for European directors and producers.
In May 2011 she appeared alongside Anita Dobson
in the play Bette and Joan at London's Arts Theatre
, directed by Bill Alexander
, about the personal and professional relationship between Bette Davis
and Joan Crawford
.
, (1989–1993) produced a daughter, Leila (born March 1992). Scacchi also has a son, Matteo Mantegazza (born September 1997), by her Italian first cousin, Carlo Mantegazza.
Scacchi applied for British citizenship after turning 18, but was turned down because her father was not a British citizen. After appealing unsuccessfully, she decided not to apply for it again, and retained her Italian citizenship. In January 1995, she became an Australian citizen and has since had dual nationality.
She lived for many years in Hurstpierpoint
until moving in early 2011 to a rented property in East Grinstead
because of a dispute with her neighbour.
Early life
Scacchi was born Greta Gracco in MilanMilan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Italy, on 18 February 1960, the daughter of Luca Scacchi Gracco, an Italian art dealer and painter, and Pamela Carsaniga, an English dancer and antiques dealer. Scacchi's parents divorced when she was four, and her mother returned to her native England with Greta and her two older brothers, first to London, then to Haywards Heath
Haywards Heath
-Climate:Haywards Heath experiences an oceanic climate similar to almost all of the United Kingdom.-Rail:Haywards Heath railway station is a major station on the Brighton Main Line...
, West Sussex. In 1975 after her mother's remarriage to Giovanni Carsaniga, the family settled in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Australia, were she attended Hollywood Senior High School
Shenton College
Shenton College is a co-educational Independent Public Secondary school located in Shenton Park, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia.-History:...
and the University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
(UWA). She made her theatrical debut at UWA's New Dolphin Theatre in Edward Bond
Edward Bond
Edward Bond is an English playwright, theatre director, poet, theorist and screenwriter. He is the author of some fifty plays, among them Saved , the production of which was instrumental in the abolition of theatre censorship in the UK...
's play Early Morning
Early Morning
Early Morning is a surrealist farce by the English dramatist Edward Bond. It was first produced in 1968, opening on 31 March at the Royal Court Theatre in London. The play takes place in a contorted version of the court of Queen Victoria, and Victoria is portrayed as a lesbian. Her two sons are...
.
Career
In 1977 Scacchi left UWA to return to England to pursue an acting career, studying at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre SchoolBristol Old Vic Theatre School
The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, opened by Laurence Olivier in 1946, is an affiliate of the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama, an organisation securing the highest standards of training in the performing arts, and is an associate school of the Faculty of Creative Arts of the University of the...
, with Miranda Richardson
Miranda Richardson
Miranda Jane Richardson is an English stage, film and television actor. She has been nominated for two Academy Awards, and has won two Golden Globes and a BAFTA during her career....
and Amanda Redman
Amanda Redman
-External links:* ArtistsTheatreSchool.com* The-Little.co.uk...
. In 1982 she made her film debut in the German movie, Das Zweite Gesicht (The Second Face), and gave versatile performances in films, such as Heat and Dust
Heat and Dust (film)
Heat and Dust is a 1983 romantic drama film with a screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala based upon her novel, Heat and Dust. It was directed by James Ivory and produced by Ismail Merchant...
(1983), The Ebony Tower
The Ebony Tower
The Ebony Tower by John Fowles is a collection of five short novels with interlacing themes, built around a medieval myth: The Ebony Tower, Eliduc, Poor Koko, The Enigma and The Cloud.-The Ebony Tower:...
(1984), The Coca Cola Kid (1985), White Mischief
White Mischief
White Mischief is a 1987 film dramatising the events of the Happy Valley murder case in Kenya in 1941, when Sir Henry "Jock" Delves Broughton was tried for the murder of Josslyn Hay, Earl of Erroll....
(1987), Presumed Innocent
Presumed Innocent (film)
Presumed Innocent is a 1990 film adaptation of the best-selling novel of the same name by Scott Turow, which tells the story of a prosecutor charged with the murder of his female colleague and mistress....
(1990), The Player
The Player
The Player is a 1992 American satirical film directed by Robert Altman from a screenplay by Michael Tolkin based on his own 1988 novel of the same name....
(1992) and Country Life
Country Life (film)
Country Life is an Australian film made in 1994, adapted from the play Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov.The film was directed by Michael Blakemore. Actors appearing included Sam Neill and Googie Withers....
(1994). She turned down the role of Catherine Trammell in Basic Instinct
Basic Instinct
Basic Instinct is a 1992 erotic thriller directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas, and starring Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone....
(1992).
In 1996 she won an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for her work as Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna of Russia in the television film, Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny
Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny
Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny is a biographical 1996 TV film about Rasputin.-Awards:Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny won a Golden Globe for Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture made for TV. Alan Rickman, starring as Rasputin, won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his work in this movie...
, and was nominated for a Golden Globe and numerous other awards. In 2007 she received an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nomination for Supporting Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie for Broken Trail
Broken Trail
Broken Trail is a 2006 Western miniseries that originally aired on American Movie Classics as their first original movie. It stars Robert Duvall and Thomas Haden Church, and was directed by Walter Hill....
.
Scacchi is fluent in English, French, German and Italian, which has made her a popular choice for European casting directors and has been an asset when working for European directors and producers.
In May 2011 she appeared alongside Anita Dobson
Anita Dobson
Anita Dobson is an English television actress and singer. She gained her highest profile while playing Angie Watts in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders...
in the play Bette and Joan at London's Arts Theatre
Arts Theatre
The Arts Theatre is a theatre in Great Newport Street, in Westminster, Central London. It now operates as the West End's smallest commercial receiving house.-History:...
, directed by Bill Alexander
Bill Alexander (director)
William "Bill" Alexander Paterson is an award-winning British theatre director.Bill Alexander is an awarding winning British theatre director who has worked extensively with The Royal Shakespeare Company. He was artistic director of Birmingham Repertory Theatre between 1992 and 2002...
, about the personal and professional relationship between Bette Davis
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional...
and Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford , born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre....
.
Personal life
A marriage to American actor, Vincent D'OnofrioVincent D'Onofrio
Vincent Phillip D'Onofrio is an American actor, director, film producer, writer, and singer. Often referred to as an actor's actor, his work as a character actor has earned him the nickname of "Human Chameleon"...
, (1989–1993) produced a daughter, Leila (born March 1992). Scacchi also has a son, Matteo Mantegazza (born September 1997), by her Italian first cousin, Carlo Mantegazza.
Scacchi applied for British citizenship after turning 18, but was turned down because her father was not a British citizen. After appealing unsuccessfully, she decided not to apply for it again, and retained her Italian citizenship. In January 1995, she became an Australian citizen and has since had dual nationality.
She lived for many years in Hurstpierpoint
Hurstpierpoint
Hurstpierpoint is a village in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England. Together with Sayers Common it forms one of the Mid Sussex civil parishes, with an area of 2029.88 ha and a population of 6,264 persons....
until moving in early 2011 to a rented property in East Grinstead
East Grinstead
East Grinstead is a town and civil parish in the northeastern corner of Mid Sussex, West Sussex in England near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders. It lies south of London, north northeast of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester...
because of a dispute with her neighbour.
Filmography
- BergeracBergerac (TV series)Bergerac was a British television show set on Jersey. Produced by the BBC in association with the Seven Network, and screened on BBC1, it starred John Nettles as the title character Detective Sergeant Jim Bergerac, a detective in "Le Bureau des Étrangers" Bergerac was a British television show...
, Series 1, Episode 10, The Hood and the Harlequin BBC Television (1981) - Das Zweite Gesicht (1982)
- Dead on TimeDead on Time (1983 film)Dead on Time is a 1983 British short film directed by Lyndall Hobbs and written by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson. The film is a comedy which tells the story of Bernard Fripp a man who, on attending a routine check-up, is diagnosed by his doctor as having a rare disease leaving him only 30...
(1982) - Heat and DustHeat and Dust (film)Heat and Dust is a 1983 romantic drama film with a screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala based upon her novel, Heat and Dust. It was directed by James Ivory and produced by Ismail Merchant...
(1983) - The Ebony TowerThe Ebony TowerThe Ebony Tower by John Fowles is a collection of five short novels with interlacing themes, built around a medieval myth: The Ebony Tower, Eliduc, Poor Koko, The Enigma and The Cloud.-The Ebony Tower:...
(1984) - Camille (1984) TV
- Waterfront (1984) TV
- Defence of the RealmDefence of the RealmDefence of the Realm is a 1985 political thriller directed by David Drury. Starring Gabriel Byrne, Greta Scacchi and Denholm Elliott...
(1985) - Burke & Wills (1985)
- Dr. Fischer of Geneva (1985) TV
- The Coca-Cola KidThe Coca-Cola KidThe Coca Cola Kid is a romantic comedy Australian film, released in 1985. It was directed by Dušan Makavejev and starred Eric Roberts and Greta Scacchi. The film is based on short stories in The Americans, Baby, and The Electrical Experience by Frank Moorhouse, who wrote the screenplay...
(1985) - Carve You In Marble (August 1986)
- White MischiefWhite MischiefWhite Mischief is a 1987 film dramatising the events of the Happy Valley murder case in Kenya in 1941, when Sir Henry "Jock" Delves Broughton was tried for the murder of Josslyn Hay, Earl of Erroll....
(1987) - Good Morning, Babylon (1987)
- A Man in LoveA Man in Love (film)A Man in Love is a 1987 French-Italian drama film directed by Diane Kurys. Her first English language film, it was entered into the 1987 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Peter Coyote - Steve Elliott* Greta Scacchi - Jane Steiner...
(Un homme amoureux) (1987) - The Moon Woman (1988)
- Love and FearLove and FearLove and Fear is a 1988 drama film directed by Margarethe von Trotta. It was entered into the 1988 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Fanny Ardant as Velia* Greta Scacchi as Maria* Valeria Golino as Sandra Parini* Peter Simonischek as Massimo...
(1988) - Three Sisters (1988)
- Presumed InnocentPresumed Innocent (film)Presumed Innocent is a 1990 film adaptation of the best-selling novel of the same name by Scott Turow, which tells the story of a prosecutor charged with the murder of his female colleague and mistress....
(1990) - ShatteredShattered (film)Shattered is a 1991 Hitchcockian neo-noir/psychological thriller starring Tom Berenger, Greta Scacchi, Bob Hoskins, Joanne Whalley and Corbin Bernsen...
(1991) - Fires WithinFires WithinFires Within is a 1991 film directed by Gillian Armstrong. It stars Jimmy Smits and Greta Scacchi.-Cast:*Jimmy Smits as Nestor*Greta Scacchi as Isabel*Vincent D'Onofrio as Sam*Luis Avalos as Victor Hernandez*Bertila Damas as Estella Sanchez...
(1991) - Salt on Our Skin (1992)
- The PlayerThe PlayerThe Player is a 1992 American satirical film directed by Robert Altman from a screenplay by Michael Tolkin based on his own 1988 novel of the same name....
(1992) - Turtle BeachTurtle Beach (film)Turtle Beach is a 1992 Australian film directed by Stephen Wallace and starring Greta Scacchi and Joan Chen. The screenplay was written by Ann Turner, based on the novel of the same name by Blanche d'Alpuget...
(1992) - Country LifeCountry Life (film)Country Life is an Australian film made in 1994, adapted from the play Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov.The film was directed by Michael Blakemore. Actors appearing included Sam Neill and Googie Withers....
(1994) - The Browning VersionThe Browning Version (1994 film)The Browning Version is a 1994 film directed by Mike Figgis and starring Albert Finney. The film is based on the 1948 play by Terence Rattigan, which was previously adapted for film under the same name in 1951.-Plot:...
(1994) - Jefferson in ParisJefferson in ParisJefferson in Paris is a 1995 Franco-American historical drama film directed by James Ivory . The screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala is a semi-fictional account of Thomas Jefferson's tenure as the Ambassador of the United States to France prior to his Presidency, and his alleged relationships with...
(1995) - EmmaEmma (1996 film)Emma is a 1996 period film based on the novel of the same name by Jane Austen. Directed by Douglas McGrath, it stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeremy Northam, Toni Collette, and Ewan McGregor.- Synopsis :...
(1996) - CosiCosìCosì is a play by Australian playwright Louis Nowra which was first performed in 1992. Set in a Melbourne mental hospital in 1971, Così is semi-autobiographical.- Plot summary:Lewis is always desperate for work as he states "I need the money"...
(1996) - Rasputin: Dark Servant of DestinyRasputin: Dark Servant of DestinyRasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny is a biographical 1996 TV film about Rasputin.-Awards:Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny won a Golden Globe for Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture made for TV. Alan Rickman, starring as Rasputin, won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his work in this movie...
(1996) TV - The OdysseyThe Odyssey (TV miniseries)The Odyssey is a 1997 Emmy award-winning and Golden Globe-nominated American television miniseries. Directed by Andrei Konchalovsky, the miniseries aired in two-parts beginning on May 18, 1997 on NBC. The series later won the award for "Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or a Special"...
(1997) TV - The Serpent's KissThe Serpent's KissThe Serpent's Kiss is a 1997 film directed by Philippe Rousselot. It is a story about a Dutch garden architect named Meneer Chrome who has been hired by a wealthy metalworker to create an extravagant garden. The film also stars Greta Scacchi and Richard E...
(1997) - Love and RageLove and Rage (film)Love and Rage is a 1998 British Irish-German drama film directed by Cathal Black and starring Greta Scacchi, Daniel Craig and Stephen Dillane. It is based on a novel by James Carney....
(1998) - The Red ViolinThe Red ViolinThe Red Violin is a 1998 Canadian drama film directed by François Girard. It spans three centuries and five countries as it tells the story of a mysterious violin and its many owners...
(1998) - MacbethMacbethThe Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
(1998) TV - Ladies RoomLadies Room (film)Ladies Room, is a documentary film directed by Valentina Ippolito about women's views on men. It is set in the ladies toilet of Goose, a pub in the city centre of Oxford.-Film Synopsis:...
(1999) - Cotton MaryCotton MaryCotton Mary is a 1999 film directed by Ismail Merchant, best known as the producer half of Merchant Ivory and Madhur Jaffrey, actress and author of cookery books. It was filmed in India.-Plot:...
(1999) - Tom's Midnight GardenTom's Midnight GardenTom's Midnight Garden is a children's novel by Philippa Pearce. It won the Carnegie Medal in 1958, the year of its publication. It has been adapted for radio, television, the cinema, and the stage.-Plot summary:...
(1999) - The Manor (1999)
- Looking for AlibrandiLooking for AlibrandiLooking for Alibrandi is a 1999 Australian film written by Melina Marchetta based on the novel of the same name. The film sets in the 1990s Sydney, New South Wales and starring Australian actors, including Pia Miranda as Josephine Alibrandi, the film's main character, Anthony LaPaglia as her...
(1999) - Christmas Glory 2000 (2000) TV
- One of the Hollywood TenOne of the Hollywood TenOne of the Hollywood Ten is a Spanish and British bio-picture. The film was written and directed by Karl Francis.The drama focuses on screenwriter/director Herbert Biberman and his efforts to make, what would become the historic political film, Salt of the Earth , produced without studio backing...
(2000) - The Farm (2001) TV
- Festival in CannesFestival in CannesFestival in Cannes is a 2001 film directed by Henry Jaglom.The plot is an entertainment industry farce about filmmakers trying to make deals during the Cannes Film Festival....
(2001) - Jeffrey Archer: The Truth (2002) TV
- Daniel DerondaDaniel DerondaDaniel Deronda is a novel by George Eliot, first published in 1876. It was the last novel she completed and the only one set in the contemporary Victorian society of her day...
(2002) TV - The Buzz of the Flies (2003)
- Baltic StormBaltic StormBaltic Storm is a 2003 film written and directed by Reuben Leder about the MS Estonia disaster. Based on the book Die Estonia: Tragödie eines Schiffsuntergangs by German journalist Jutta Rabe, the film focuses on the confirmed transport of defense materials by the Swedish Armed Forces, and alleged...
(2003) - Beyond the SeaBeyond the Sea (film)Beyond the Sea is a 2004 biographical film based on the life of singer/actor Bobby Darin. Kevin Spacey, who stars in the lead role and used his own singing voice for the musical numbers, co-wrote, directed, and co-produced the film, which takes its title from the Darin song of the same name...
(2004) - Under False Name (2004)
- FlightplanFlightplanFlightplan is a 2005 thriller film directed by Robert Schwentke and starring Jodie Foster, Peter Sarsgaard, Erika Christensen, Kate Beahan, Greta Scacchi, and Sean Bean. It was released in North America on September 23, 2005...
(2005) - Broken TrailBroken TrailBroken Trail is a 2006 Western miniseries that originally aired on American Movie Classics as their first original movie. It stars Robert Duvall and Thomas Haden Church, and was directed by Walter Hill....
(2006) - Marple: By the Pricking of my ThumbsMarple (TV series)Marple is a British television series based on the Miss Marple and other murder mystery novels by Agatha Christie. It is also known as Agatha Christie's Marple. The title character was played by Geraldine McEwan from the first to third series, until her retirement from the role. She was replaced...
(2006) - The Book of RevelationThe Book of Revelation (film)The Book of Revelation is a 2006 Australian film directed by Ana Kokkinos, which she adapted with Andrew Bovell to screen from the novel by Rupert Thomson. It was produced by Al Clark, with original music by Cezary Skubiszewski...
(2006) - Hidden LoveHidden LoveHidden Love is a 2007 Italian-Belgian drama film directed by Alessandro Capone and starring Isabelle Huppert.-Cast:* Isabelle Huppert - Danielle* Greta Scacchi - Dr. Dubois* Mélanie Laurent - Sophie* Olivier Gourmet - Morris* Jean-Michel Larre - Luc...
(2007) - Brideshead RevisitedBrideshead Revisited (film)Brideshead Revisited is a 2008 British drama film directed by Julian Jarrold. The screenplay by Jeremy Brock and Andrew Davies is based on the 1945 novel of the same name by Evelyn Waugh, which previously had been adapted in 1981 as an eleven-episode television serial.-Plot:Although he aspires to...
(2008) - Shoot on SightShoot on SightShoot on Sight is a 2007 film directed by Jag Mundhra and produced by Aron Govil. The film was marketed and distributed globally by Aron Govil Productions Inc...
(2008) - Miss Austen RegretsMiss Austen RegretsMiss Austen Regrets is a BBC-produced drama film. The film is based on the last few years of Jane Austen's life as she looks back on her life and loves and helps her favorite niece, Fanny, find a husband...
(2008) - The Trojan HorseThe Trojan Horse (miniseries)The Trojan Horse is a Canadian political drama two-part miniseries that first aired on CBC Television on 30 March 2008. It is a sequel to the 2004 miniseries, H2O. It starred Paul Gross, Greta Scacchi and Tom Skerritt...
(2008) TV - Ways to Live ForeverWays to Live Forever (film)Ways to Live Forever is a drama film by director Gustavo Ron based on the award winning novel of the same name written by Sally Nicholls. The film stars Robbie Kay, Alex Etel, Ben Chaplin, Emilia Fox and Greta Scacchi. The film is produced by Life&Soul Productions, El Capitan Pictures and Formato...
(2010) - Hindenburg (2011) TV