Isabella Rossellini
Encyclopedia
Isabella Fiorella Elettra Giovanna Rossellini (born 18 June 1952) is an Italian actress, filmmaker, author, philanthropist
, and model. Rossellini is noted for her 14-year tenure as a Lancôme
model, and for her roles in films such as Blue Velvet and Death Becomes Her
.
and Italian director Roberto Rossellini
. She has three siblings from her mother: her twin sister Isotta Ingrid Rossellini
, who is an adjunct professor of Italian literature
; a brother, Robertino Ingmar Rossellini; and a half-sister, Pia Lindström
, who formerly worked on television and is from her mother's first marriage with Petter Lindström. She has four other siblings from her father's two other marriages: Romano (died at age 9), Renzo, Gil, and Raffaella.
Rossellini was born in Rome, and raised there, as well as in Santa Marinella
and Paris. She underwent an operation for appendicitis at the age of five. At 13, she was diagnosed with scoliosis
. In order to correct it, she had to undergo an 18 month ordeal of painful stretchings, body casts, surgery on her spine using pieces of one of her shin bones (used to add supports for the individual vertebrae without risking foreign body rejection issues), and a recovery from that surgery. Consequently, she has permanent incision scars on her back and shin.
At 19, she went to New York
, where she attended Finch College
, while working as a translator and a RAI
television reporter. She also appeared intermittently on L'altra Domenica ("The Other Sunday"), a TV show featuring Roberto Benigni
. However, she did not decide to stay full time in New York until her marriage to Martin Scorsese
(1979–1982).
for British Vogue
and by Bill King for American Vogue. During her career, she has also worked with many other renowned photographers, including Richard Avedon
, Steven Meisel
, Helmut Newton
, Peter Lindbergh
, Norman Parkinson
, Eve Arnold
, Francesco Scavullo
, Annie Leibovitz
, Denis Piel
, and Robert Mapplethorpe
. Her image has appeared on such magazines as Marie Claire
, Harper's Bazaar
, Vanity Fair
, and ELLE
. In March 1988, an exhibition dedicated to photographs of her, called Portrait of a Woman, was held at the Musee d'Art Moderne in Paris.
Rossellini's modeling career led her into the world of cosmetics
, when she became the exclusive spokesmodel for the international cosmetics brand Lancôme
in 1982, replacing Nancy Dutiel in the United States and Carol Alt
in Europe. At Lancôme, in 1990, she was involved in product development for the fragrance Trésor. In 1996, she was removed as the face of Lancôme for being "too old", since she was in her 40s at the time.
In October 1992, Rossellini modelled for Madonna
's controversial book Sex
. Rossellini also appeared in Madonna's music video for her successful Top 5 hit song "Erotica
" released that autumn.
In 1995, Rossellini worked with the Coty Group and developed her own brand of cosmetics, Isabella Rossellini's Manifesto. She is signed to Trump Model Management
.
film A Matter of Time
. Her first role was the 1979
film Il Prato. She did not become successful with acting until after her mother's death in 1982, when she was cast in her first American film, White Nights (1985
). She is probably best known for her pivotal role as the tortured nightclub singer Dorothy Vallens in David Lynch
's Blue Velvet. Some other notable film roles include her work in Cousins
, Death Becomes Her
, Immortal Beloved
, and Fearless
.
In 2003, Rossellini had a recurring role on the television series, Alias
. In that same year, she also appeared in the Canadian
film The Saddest Music in the World
directed by Guy Maddin
. In 2004, she played the High Priestess Thar in the Sci Fi Channel
miniseries Legend of Earthsea
. In addition, she acted in an Off-Broadway production of The Stendhal Syndrome. She became an ambassador for the Silversea Cruise Line, which has her appearing in print ads and on their website.
In 2006, Rossellini appeared in several television documentaries. First, she narrated a two-hour television special on Italy for the Discovery Channel
's Discovery Atlas
series. In addition, on an episode of the Sundance Channel series Iconoclasts, which also featured the Segway PT
inventor Dean Kamen
, she told about her past and current activities. In 2007, Rossellini guest starred on two episodes of the television show 30 Rock
, playing Alec Baldwin
's character's ex-wife. She's also appeared on an episode of the TV series Friends
in 1996 as herself.
In 2008, Rossellini toured the festival circuit, including the Sundance Film Festival
, with a series of short films entitled Green Porno
, which she wrote and co-directed with Jody Shapiro. Each Green Porno film is two minutes long, and has Rossellini reenacting the mating rituals of various animals.
Based on her success with Green Porno, in 2009 Rossellini headed the judging panel of the first Metropolis Art Prize, an art video contest run by web and mobile video service Babelgum
, culminating in a large scale art display across the giant advertising monitors in Times Square, New York.
Rossellini has been announced as the President of the Jury for the 61st Berlin International Film Festival
in 2011.
Most recently, Rossellini played the role of Gabriella Guglielmi, mother of the first Hollywood sex icon Rudolph Valentino
in American silent movie "Silent Life", expected to be released in 2011.
nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV for her role in Crime of the Century and an Emmy Award
nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her work on the television series Chicago Hope
.
, and president and director of the Howard Gilman Foundation, a leading institution focused on the preservation of wildlife, arts, photography and dance. She received $100,000 from Disney to help with her conservation efforts in those two organizations. She has also helped with the Central Park Conservancy, and is a major benefactor of the Bellport-Brookhaven Historical Society of Bellport, Long Island
, where she is a part-time resident.
Rossellini is involved in training guide dogs for the blind. She is a former trustee of the George Eastman House
and a 1997 George Eastman
Award honoree for her support of film preservation. She is also a National Ambassador for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF
.
, and her mother Ingrid Bergman
.
In 2008, Rossellini wrote a number of television shorts on the Sundance Channel called Green Porno
. The short segments (about 2 minutes each) are written, hosted and acted out by Rossellini. She has written a book to accompany the third season - a multimedia experiment that contains a companion DVD, both of which serve as additional information for the series' third season.
She was married to Martin Scorsese
from 1979 to 1982. After her marriage to Scorsese ended, she married Jon Wiedemann (1983–1986), a Harvard-educated model from Texas (now a Microsoft executive). Later, she dated David Lynch
, Gary Oldman
, and Gregory Mosher
.
She has a daughter, Elettra Rossellini Wiedemann
(born 1983), and a son, Roberto (born 1992), whom she adopted with Gary Oldman.
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
, and model. Rossellini is noted for her 14-year tenure as a Lancôme
Lancôme
Lancôme Paris is a makeup brand. Owned by L'Oréal since 1964, Lancôme is part of the Luxury Products division, which offers skin care, fragrances, and makeup at higher-end prices....
model, and for her roles in films such as Blue Velvet and Death Becomes Her
Death Becomes Her
Death Becomes Her is a 1992 American dark slapstick screwball comedy fantasy film directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Goldie Hawn, Meryl Streep, and Bruce Willis...
.
Background and early life
Rossellini is a daughter of Swedish actress Ingrid BergmanIngrid Bergman
Ingrid Bergman was a Swedish actress who starred in a variety of European and American films. She won three Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards, and the Tony Award for Best Actress. She is ranked as the fourth greatest female star of American cinema of all time by the American Film Institute...
and Italian director Roberto Rossellini
Roberto Rossellini
Roberto Rossellini was an Italian film director and screenwriter. Rossellini was one of the directors of the Italian neorealist cinema, contributing films such as Roma città aperta to the movement.-Early life:Born in Rome, Roberto Rossellini lived on the Via Ludovisi, where Benito Mussolini had...
. She has three siblings from her mother: her twin sister Isotta Ingrid Rossellini
Ingrid Rossellini
Ingrid Rossellini is a daughter of actress Ingrid Bergman and director Roberto Rossellini.Rossellini received a BS, MA and Ph.D in Italian Literature from Columbia University in New York City, New York...
, who is an adjunct professor of Italian literature
Italian literature
Italian literature is literature written in the Italian language, particularly within Italy. It may also refer to literature written by Italians or in Italy in other languages spoken in Italy, often languages that are closely related to modern Italian....
; a brother, Robertino Ingmar Rossellini; and a half-sister, Pia Lindström
Pia Lindström
Friedel Pia Lindström in Stockholm, Sweden, is the first child of actress Ingrid Bergman and Dr. Petter Aron Lindström, a Swedish American Neurosurgeon....
, who formerly worked on television and is from her mother's first marriage with Petter Lindström. She has four other siblings from her father's two other marriages: Romano (died at age 9), Renzo, Gil, and Raffaella.
Rossellini was born in Rome, and raised there, as well as in Santa Marinella
Santa Marinella
Santa Marinella is a comune in the Province of Rome in the Italian region Lazio, located about 60 km northwest of Rome.It includes the beach resort of Santa Severa , and a medieval castle.-History:...
and Paris. She underwent an operation for appendicitis at the age of five. At 13, she was diagnosed with scoliosis
Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a medical condition in which a person's spine is curved from side to side. Although it is a complex three-dimensional deformity, on an X-ray, viewed from the rear, the spine of an individual with scoliosis may look more like an "S" or a "C" than a straight line...
. In order to correct it, she had to undergo an 18 month ordeal of painful stretchings, body casts, surgery on her spine using pieces of one of her shin bones (used to add supports for the individual vertebrae without risking foreign body rejection issues), and a recovery from that surgery. Consequently, she has permanent incision scars on her back and shin.
At 19, she went to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, where she attended Finch College
Finch College
Finch College was a baccalaureate women's college located in Manhattan, New York City, New York. It began as a finishing school for wealthy young women and later evolved into a liberal arts college...
, while working as a translator and a RAI
RAI
RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by the Ministry of Economic Development. Rai is the biggest television company in Italy...
television reporter. She also appeared intermittently on L'altra Domenica ("The Other Sunday"), a TV show featuring Roberto Benigni
Roberto Benigni
Roberto Remigio Benigni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI is an Italian actor, comedian, screenwriter and director of film, theatre and television.- Early years :...
. However, she did not decide to stay full time in New York until her marriage to Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
(1979–1982).
Modeling
At the age of 28, her modeling career began, when she was photographed by Bruce WeberBruce Weber (photographer)
Bruce Weber is an American fashion photographer and occasional filmmaker. He is most widely known for his ad campaigns for Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Pirelli, Abercrombie & Fitch, Revlon, and Gianni Versace, as well as his work for Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair, Elle, Life, Interview, and Rolling Stone...
for British Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
and by Bill King for American Vogue. During her career, she has also worked with many other renowned photographers, including Richard Avedon
Richard Avedon
Richard Avedon was an American photographer. An obituary published in The New York Times said that "his fashion and portrait photographs helped define America's image of style, beauty and culture for the last half-century."-Photography career:Avedon was born in New York City to a Jewish Russian...
, Steven Meisel
Steven Meisel
Steven Meisel is an American photographer, who obtained popular acclaim with his work in US and Italian Vogue and his photographs of friend Madonna in her 1992 book Sex...
, Helmut Newton
Helmut Newton
Helmut Newton, born Helmut Neustädter was a German-Australian photographer. He was a "prolific, widely imitated fashion photographer whose provocative, erotically charged black-and-white photos were a mainstay of Vogue and other publications."-Early life:Newton was born in Berlin, the son of Klara...
, Peter Lindbergh
Peter Lindbergh
Peter Lindbergh, born Peter Brodbeck, is a German photographer and filmmaker, born on November 23, 1944 in Leszno, Poland. He currently lives in Paris, New York and Arles....
, Norman Parkinson
Norman Parkinson
Norman Parkinson, CBE was a celebrated English portrait and fashion photographer.-Biography:Parkinson was born in London, and educated at Westminster School. He began his career in 1931 as an apprentice to the court photographers Speaight and Sons Ltd...
, Eve Arnold
Eve Arnold
Eve Arnold, FRPS is an American photojournalist. She joined Magnum Photos agency in 1951, and became a full member in 1957....
, Francesco Scavullo
Francesco Scavullo
Francesco Scavullo was an American fashion photographer best known for his work on the covers of Cosmopolitan and his celebrity portraits.-Biography:...
, Annie Leibovitz
Annie Leibovitz
Anna-Lou "Annie" Leibovitz is an American portrait photographer.-Early life and education:Born in Waterbury, Connecticut, Leibovitz is the third of six children. She is a third-generation American whose great-grandparents were Jewish immigrants, from Central and Eastern Europe. Her father's...
, Denis Piel
Denis Piel
Denis Piel is a photographer and film director.Piel started his career in Brisbane Australia in 1961 apprenticed to be a litho printer. In 1962 he started work as an assistant in commercial photography studio...
, and Robert Mapplethorpe
Robert Mapplethorpe
Robert Mapplethorpe was an American photographer, known for his large-scale, highly stylized black and white portraits, photos of flowers and nude men...
. Her image has appeared on such magazines as Marie Claire
Marie Claire
Marie Claire is a monthly women's magazine first published in France but also distributed in other countries with editions specific to them and in their languages. While each country shares its own special voice with its audience, the United States edition focuses on women around the world and...
, Harper's Bazaar
Harper's Bazaar
Harper’s Bazaar is an American fashion magazine, first published in 1867. Harper’s Bazaar is published by Hearst and, as a magazine, considers itself to be the style resource for “women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture.”...
, Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
, and ELLE
Elle
Elle may refer to:*Elle, Central African Republic*Elle , a fashion publication*Ellé, a river in France*Elle , a female given name*Elle , a Sri Lankan game similar to baseball*Ælle of Sussex, a Saxon king...
. In March 1988, an exhibition dedicated to photographs of her, called Portrait of a Woman, was held at the Musee d'Art Moderne in Paris.
Rossellini's modeling career led her into the world of cosmetics
Cosmetics
Cosmetics are substances used to enhance the appearance or odor of the human body. Cosmetics include skin-care creams, lotions, powders, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail and toe nail polish, eye and facial makeup, towelettes, permanent waves, colored contact lenses, hair colors, hair sprays and...
, when she became the exclusive spokesmodel for the international cosmetics brand Lancôme
Lancôme
Lancôme Paris is a makeup brand. Owned by L'Oréal since 1964, Lancôme is part of the Luxury Products division, which offers skin care, fragrances, and makeup at higher-end prices....
in 1982, replacing Nancy Dutiel in the United States and Carol Alt
Carol Alt
Carol Ann Alt is an American model and actress.- Early life:Alt was born in Flushing, Queens, New York, the daughter of Muriel, an airline employee and model, and Anthony Alt, a fire chief. She was noticed waiting tables in her hometown of East Williston, New York. When she was 18, she decided to...
in Europe. At Lancôme, in 1990, she was involved in product development for the fragrance Trésor. In 1996, she was removed as the face of Lancôme for being "too old", since she was in her 40s at the time.
In October 1992, Rossellini modelled for Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's controversial book Sex
Sex (book)
Sex is a coffee table book written by Madonna with photographs by Steven Meisel Studio and film frames taken from film shot by Fabien Baron. The book was edited by Glenn O'Brien. Sex was released on October 21, 1992 by Warner Books...
. Rossellini also appeared in Madonna's music video for her successful Top 5 hit song "Erotica
Erotica (song)
"Erotica" is the lead single from American singer-songwriter Madonna's fifth studio album, Erotica . The single was released in October 1992 by Maverick Records, and later included on her greatest hits albums GHV2 and Celebration...
" released that autumn.
In 1995, Rossellini worked with the Coty Group and developed her own brand of cosmetics, Isabella Rossellini's Manifesto. She is signed to Trump Model Management
Trump Model Management
Trump Model Management is a modeling agency founded by Donald Trump in 1999. Trump founded the boutique agency, and still owns and operates it.-Fashion models represented by Trump :*Ximena Navarrete*Siri Tollerod*Elena Melnik*Paul...
.
Film
Rossellini made her film debut with a brief appearance as a nun opposite her mother in the 19761976 in film
The year 1976 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*March 22 - Filming begins on George Lucas' Star Wars science fiction film...
film A Matter of Time
A Matter of Time (1976 film)
A Matter of Time is a 1976 American/Italian musical fantasy film directed by Vincente Minnelli. The screenplay by John Gay is based on the novel Film of Memory by Maurice Druon...
. Her first role was the 1979
1979 in film
The year 1979 in film involved some significant events.- Major events :* March 5 - Production begins on Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.* May 25 - Alien, a landmark of the science fiction genre, is released....
film Il Prato. She did not become successful with acting until after her mother's death in 1982, when she was cast in her first American film, White Nights (1985
1985 in film
-Events:* 3 December - Roger Moore steps down from the role of James Bond after twelve years and seven films. He is replaced by Timothy Dalton.* The Academy Award for Best Picture was won by Out Of Africa, while the highest grossing film was Back to the Future.* Bliss wins AFI Award for best Movie...
). She is probably best known for her pivotal role as the tortured nightclub singer Dorothy Vallens in David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
's Blue Velvet. Some other notable film roles include her work in Cousins
Cousins (film)
Cousins is a 1989 remake of a French film , with Ted Danson, Isabella Rossellini, Sean Young, William Petersen, Lloyd Bridges, and Keith Coogan.-Plot summary:...
, Death Becomes Her
Death Becomes Her
Death Becomes Her is a 1992 American dark slapstick screwball comedy fantasy film directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Goldie Hawn, Meryl Streep, and Bruce Willis...
, Immortal Beloved
Immortal Beloved (film)
Immortal Beloved is a 1994 film about the life of composer Ludwig van Beethoven . The story follows Beethoven's secretary and first biographer Anton Schindler as he attempts to ascertain the true identity of the Unsterbliche Geliebte addressed in three letters found in the late composer's private...
, and Fearless
Fearless (1993 film)
Fearless is a 1993 film directed by Peter Weir and written by Rafael Yglesias from his novel of the same name. It was shot entirely in California....
.
In 2003, Rossellini had a recurring role on the television series, Alias
Alias (TV series)
Alias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...
. In that same year, she also appeared in the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
film The Saddest Music in the World
The Saddest Music in the World
The Saddest Music in the World is a 2003 Canadian film directed by Guy Maddin. It stars Mark McKinney, Isabella Rossellini, Maria de Medeiros, David Fox and Ross McMillan....
directed by Guy Maddin
Guy Maddin
Guy Maddin, OM is a Canadian screenwriter, director, cinematographer and film editor of both features and short films from Winnipeg, Manitoba...
. In 2004, she played the High Priestess Thar in the Sci Fi Channel
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
miniseries Legend of Earthsea
Legend of Earthsea (TV miniseries)
Legend of Earthsea is a miniseries , a loose adaptation of the award-winning "Earthsea" novels by Ursula K. Le Guin...
. In addition, she acted in an Off-Broadway production of The Stendhal Syndrome. She became an ambassador for the Silversea Cruise Line, which has her appearing in print ads and on their website.
In 2006, Rossellini appeared in several television documentaries. First, she narrated a two-hour television special on Italy for the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
's Discovery Atlas
Discovery Atlas
Discovery Atlas is a documentary television series on the Discovery Channel and Discovery HD Theater which focuses on the cultural, sociological, and natural aspects of various countries by exploring their different peoples, traditions, and lands. The documentary follows the lives and individual...
series. In addition, on an episode of the Sundance Channel series Iconoclasts, which also featured the Segway PT
Segway PT
The Segway PT is a two-wheeled, self-balancing transportation machine invented by Dean Kamen. It is produced by Segway Inc. of New Hampshire, USA. The name "Segway" is a homophone of "segue" while "PT" denotes personal transporter....
inventor Dean Kamen
Dean Kamen
Dean L. Kamen is an American entrepreneur and inventor from New Hampshire.Born in Rockville Centre, New York, he attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute, but dropped out before graduating after five years of private advanced research for drug infusion pump AutoSyringe...
, she told about her past and current activities. In 2007, Rossellini guest starred on two episodes of the television show 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
, playing Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
's character's ex-wife. She's also appeared on an episode of the TV series Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
in 1996 as herself.
In 2008, Rossellini toured the festival circuit, including the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
, with a series of short films entitled Green Porno
Green Porno
Green Porno is a series of short films on animal sexual behaviour. The series, which began in 2008 and currently airs on The Sundance Channel, is conceived, written, and directed by its star, Isabella Rossellini....
, which she wrote and co-directed with Jody Shapiro. Each Green Porno film is two minutes long, and has Rossellini reenacting the mating rituals of various animals.
Based on her success with Green Porno, in 2009 Rossellini headed the judging panel of the first Metropolis Art Prize, an art video contest run by web and mobile video service Babelgum
Babelgum
Babelgum is a free to view Internet television platform supported by advertising. The project was set up in 2005 by Italian media and telecommunications entrepreneur Silvio Scaglia and scientist Erik Lumer, with the aim of developing interactive software for distributing TV shows and other forms...
, culminating in a large scale art display across the giant advertising monitors in Times Square, New York.
Rossellini has been announced as the President of the Jury for the 61st Berlin International Film Festival
61st Berlin International Film Festival
The 61st annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from February 10 to February 20, 2011, with actress Isabella Rossellini as the President of the Jury. The Coen Brothers film True Grit opened the festival. 300,000 tickets were sold in total during the event, to 20,000 attendees from 116...
in 2011.
Most recently, Rossellini played the role of Gabriella Guglielmi, mother of the first Hollywood sex icon Rudolph Valentino
Rudolph Valentino
Rudolph Valentino was an Italian actor, and early pop icon. A sex symbol of the 1920s, Valentino was known as the "Latin Lover". He starred in several well-known silent films including The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Sheik, Blood and Sand, The Eagle and Son of the Sheik...
in American silent movie "Silent Life", expected to be released in 2011.
Awards
Rossellini received a 1987 Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead for her role in Blue Velvet. In 1997, she received a Golden GlobeGolden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV for her role in Crime of the Century and an Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her work on the television series Chicago Hope
Chicago Hope
Chicago Hope is an American medical drama series created by David E. Kelley that ran from September 18, 1994, to May 5, 2000. It takes place in a fictional private charity hospital.-Premise:The show stars Mandy Patinkin as Dr...
.
Activism
Rossellini is involved in conservation efforts. She is a board member of the Wildlife Conservation NetworkWildlife Conservation Network
The Wildlife Conservation Network is a United States-based 5013 non-profit organization that partners with conservationists from around the world and is dedicated to developing community-based projects to help wildlife and people co-exist. WCN does this by providing their partners with capital,...
, and president and director of the Howard Gilman Foundation, a leading institution focused on the preservation of wildlife, arts, photography and dance. She received $100,000 from Disney to help with her conservation efforts in those two organizations. She has also helped with the Central Park Conservancy, and is a major benefactor of the Bellport-Brookhaven Historical Society of Bellport, Long Island
Bellport, New York
Bellport is a village in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 2,363 at the 2000 census. The village is named after the Bell family, early settlers of the area. The public education system in Bellport makes up the South Country Central School District consisting of six...
, where she is a part-time resident.
Rossellini is involved in training guide dogs for the blind. She is a former trustee of the George Eastman House
George Eastman House
The George Eastman House is the world's oldest museum dedicated to photography and one of the world's oldest film archives, opened to the public in 1949 in Rochester, New York, USA. World-renowned for its photograph and motion picture archives, the museum is also a leader in film preservation and...
and a 1997 George Eastman
George Eastman
George Eastman was an American innovator and entrepreneur who founded the Eastman Kodak Company and invented roll film, helping to bring photography to the mainstream...
Award honoree for her support of film preservation. She is also a National Ambassador for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF
U.S. Fund for UNICEF
The United States Fund for UNICEF is the United States non-profit non-governmental organization that supports the United Nations Children's Fund . Founded in 1947 by Helenka Pantaleoni, it is the oldest of the 36 UNICEF National Committees that support UNICEF worldwide through fundraising,...
.
Writing
Rossellini has written three books - her self-described fictional memoir, Some of Me (1997), Looking at Me (on pictures and photographers, 2002), and In the name of the Father, the Daughter and the Holy Spirits: Remembering Roberto Rossellini (2006), accompanied by the Guy Maddin-directed short film My Dad Is 100 Years Old (both the film and the book are tributes to her father). In the film, she played almost every role, including David Selznick, Alfred HitchcockAlfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
, and her mother Ingrid Bergman
Ingrid Bergman
Ingrid Bergman was a Swedish actress who starred in a variety of European and American films. She won three Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards, and the Tony Award for Best Actress. She is ranked as the fourth greatest female star of American cinema of all time by the American Film Institute...
.
In 2008, Rossellini wrote a number of television shorts on the Sundance Channel called Green Porno
Green Porno
Green Porno is a series of short films on animal sexual behaviour. The series, which began in 2008 and currently airs on The Sundance Channel, is conceived, written, and directed by its star, Isabella Rossellini....
. The short segments (about 2 minutes each) are written, hosted and acted out by Rossellini. She has written a book to accompany the third season - a multimedia experiment that contains a companion DVD, both of which serve as additional information for the series' third season.
Personal life
Rossellini holds dual United States and Italian citizenship.She was married to Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
from 1979 to 1982. After her marriage to Scorsese ended, she married Jon Wiedemann (1983–1986), a Harvard-educated model from Texas (now a Microsoft executive). Later, she dated David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
, Gary Oldman
Gary Oldman
Gary Leonard Oldman is an English actor, voice actor, filmmaker and musician.A member of the 1980s Brit Pack, Oldman came to prominence via starring roles in British films Meantime , Sid and Nancy and Prick Up Your Ears , with his performance in the latter bringing him his first BAFTA Award...
, and Gregory Mosher
Gregory Mosher
Gregory Mosher is a long time director and producer of stage productions – at the Lincoln Center and Goodman Theatres, on and off-Broadway, at the Royal National Theatre, and in the West End. He is also a film and television director, producer, and writer...
.
She has a daughter, Elettra Rossellini Wiedemann
Elettra Rossellini Wiedemann
Elettra Rossellini Wiedemann is an American fashion model of Italian and Swedish descent. She is the daughter of Italian actress and model Isabella Rossellini and American Jonathan Wiedemann , who were married from 1983 to 1986 after having met at a Calvin Klein photo shoot...
(born 1983), and a son, Roberto (born 1992), whom she adopted with Gary Oldman.
Filmography
- A Matter of TimeA Matter of Time (1976 film)A Matter of Time is a 1976 American/Italian musical fantasy film directed by Vincente Minnelli. The screenplay by John Gay is based on the novel Film of Memory by Maurice Druon...
(1976) - Il Prato (The Meadow)
- Il Pap'occhio (1980)
- White Nights (1985) Darya Greenwood
- Blue Velvet (1986) Dorothy Vallens
- Oci Ciornie (1987)
- Tough Guys Don't DanceTough Guys Don't Dance (film)Tough Guys Don't Dance is a 1987 film written and directed by Norman Mailer based on his novel of the same name. It is a murder mystery/film noir piece that was scorned by audiences and critics alike. It was screened out of competition at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival.The script had revisions done...
(1987) Madeleine Regency - SiestaSiesta (film)Siesta is a 1987 film directed by Mary Lambert, and starring Ellen Barkin, Gabriel Byrne and Jodie Foster. It also stars Martin Sheen, Isabella Rossellini, Grace Jones, Julian Sands and Alexei Sayle....
(1987) Marie - Zelly and Me (1988)
- CousinsCousins (film)Cousins is a 1989 remake of a French film , with Ted Danson, Isabella Rossellini, Sean Young, William Petersen, Lloyd Bridges, and Keith Coogan.-Plot summary:...
(1989) - Red Riding Hood (1989) Lady Jean
- Wild at HeartWild at Heart (film)Wild at Heart is a 1990 American film written and directed by David Lynch, and based on Barry Gifford's 1989 novel Wild at Heart: The Story of Sailor and Lula. Both the book and the film revolve around Sailor Ripley and Lula Pace Fortune , a young couple from Cape Fear, North Carolina who go on...
(1990) - Dames Galantes (1990)
- Caccia Alla Vedova (1991)
- Death Becomes HerDeath Becomes HerDeath Becomes Her is a 1992 American dark slapstick screwball comedy fantasy film directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Goldie Hawn, Meryl Streep, and Bruce Willis...
(1992) Lisle von Rhoman - The Pickle (1993)
- The InnocentThe InnocentThe Innocent may refer to:* The Innocent , a film directed by Luchino Visconti* The Innocent , a drama film starring Andrew Hawley, Liam Neeson and Miranda Richardson...
(1993) - FearlessFearless (1993 film)Fearless is a 1993 film directed by Peter Weir and written by Rafael Yglesias from his novel of the same name. It was shot entirely in California....
(1993) Laura Klein - Wyatt EarpWyatt Earp (film)Wyatt Earp is a 1994 American semi-biographical Western film, written by Dan Gordon and Lawrence Kasdan and directed by Kasdan. It stars Kevin Costner in the title role as lawman Wyatt Earp, and features an ensemble cast that includes Dennis Quaid, Gene Hackman, Isabella Rossellini, Mark Harmon,...
(1994) - Immortal BelovedImmortal Beloved (film)Immortal Beloved is a 1994 film about the life of composer Ludwig van Beethoven . The story follows Beethoven's secretary and first biographer Anton Schindler as he attempts to ascertain the true identity of the Unsterbliche Geliebte addressed in three letters found in the late composer's private...
(1994) - Croce e delizia (1995)
- Big NightBig NightScott and Tucci won the New York Film Critics Circle Award and the Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best New Director. Tucci and Tropiano won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay...
(1996) - The FuneralThe Funeral (1996 film)The Funeral is a 1996 American crime-drama film directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Christopher Walken, Chris Penn, Annabella Sciorra, Isabella Rossellini, Vincent Gallo, Benicio del Toro and Gretchen Mol....
(1996) - 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) - Left LuggageLeft Luggage (film)Left Luggage is a 1998 Dutch film directed by Jeroen Krabbé.-Plot:While escaping from Nazis during WWII, a Jewish man buries two suitcases full of things dear to his heart in the ground. The war deprived him of his family, and afterwards he endlessly turns over the soil of Antwerp to find the...
(1998) - The ImpostorsThe ImpostorsThe Impostors is a 1998 farce motion picture written and directed by Stanley Tucci, starring Oliver Platt, Stanley Tucci, Alfred Molina, Tony Shalhoub, Steve Buscemi, and Billy Connolly....
(1998) - MerlinMerlin (film)Merlin is a television miniseries which originally aired in 1998 that retells the legend of King Arthur from the perspective of the wizard Merlin...
(1998) - Il Cielo cade (2000)
- EmpireEmpire (2002 film)-Plot:Victor Rosa is a drug dealer in New York who sells a specific brand of heroin called "Empire". His area, or "turf", is located in the South Bronx, where his other rivals all maintain an uneasy truce. They generally respect each other's borders and sanctity...
(2002) - Roger DodgerRoger Dodger (film)Roger Dodger is a 2002 American comedy-drama noir that explores the relationship between men, women, and sex. Directed by Dylan Kidd and starring Campbell Scott and Jesse Eisenberg, the film follows Roger Swanson and his nephew during a night on the town in search of sex.-Plot:After cynical New...
(2002) - The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part 1: The Moab StoryThe Tulse Luper SuitcasesThe Tulse Luper Suitcases is a multimedia project by Peter Greenaway, initially intended to comprise three "source" and one feature films, a 16-episode TV series, and 92 DVDs, as well as Web sites, CD-ROMs and books...
(2003) - The Saddest Music in the WorldThe Saddest Music in the WorldThe Saddest Music in the World is a 2003 Canadian film directed by Guy Maddin. It stars Mark McKinney, Isabella Rossellini, Maria de Medeiros, David Fox and Ross McMillan....
(2003) - The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part 2: Vaux to the SeaThe Tulse Luper SuitcasesThe Tulse Luper Suitcases is a multimedia project by Peter Greenaway, initially intended to comprise three "source" and one feature films, a 16-episode TV series, and 92 DVDs, as well as Web sites, CD-ROMs and books...
(2004) - King of the CornerKing of the CornerKing of the Corner is a 2004 film featured at the Newport Film Festival. It stars Peter Riegert and Isabella Rossellini, and includes Eric Bogosian, Dominic Chianese, Beverly D'Angelo and Rita Moreno. It was released in 2004. Peter Riegert also co-wrote and directed the film.It is a story of a...
(2004) - Heights (2004)
- La Fiesta Del Chivo (2005)
- My Dad is 100 Years Old (2005)
- The ArchitectThe Architect (film)The Architect is an American 2006 film directed by Matt Tauber in which architect Leo Waters is confronted by angry residents of a housing complex he designed...
(2006) - InfamousInfamous (film)Infamous is a 2006 American drama film, based on the 1997 book by George Plimpton, Capote: In Which Various Friends, Enemies, Acquaintances and Detractors Recall His Turbulent Career....
(2006) - Infected (2006)
- Oh La LaShorts in Motion: The Art of SeductionShorts in Motion: The Art of Seduction is a Canadian anthology of 10 original, two-minute mobile shorts for video cell phones, by directors, artists and personalities, including: Ann Marie Fleming, Mark McKinney, Guy Maddin, Isabella Rossellini, Theodore Ushev and Denis Villeneuve...
(2006) - The Last Jews of Libya (2007)
- The Accidental HusbandThe Accidental HusbandThe Accidental Husband is a 2008 American/Irish romantic comedy film directed by Griffin Dunne and starring Uma Thurman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Colin Firth, Isabella Rossellini, and Sam Shepard. The film is written by Mimi Hare, Clare Naylor and Bonnie Sikowitz, and is produced by Jennifer Todd,...
(2008) - Green PornoGreen PornoGreen Porno is a series of short films on animal sexual behaviour. The series, which began in 2008 and currently airs on The Sundance Channel, is conceived, written, and directed by its star, Isabella Rossellini....
(2008) - Two LoversTwo Lovers (film)Two Lovers is a 2008 American romantic drama film, taking its inspiration from Fyodor Dostoyevsky's short story "White Nights". which was already turned into a film by Luchino Visconti: Le Notti Bianche. The movie is directed by James Gray and stars Joaquin Phoenix, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Vinessa...
(2009) - My Dog TulipMy Dog TulipMy Dog Tulip is an American independent animated feature film based on the 1956 memoir of the same name by J. R. Ackerley, BBC editor, novelist and memoirist. The film tells the story of Ackerley's fifteen-year relationship with his German Shepherd Queenie, who had had been renamed Tulip for the...
(2009) - The Solitude of Prime NumbersThe Solitude of Prime NumbersThe Solitude of Prime Numbers is a 2010 Italian drama film based on the novel of the same name by Paolo Giordano, and directed by Saverio Costanzo...
(2010) - KeyholeKeyhole (film)Keyhole is an upcoming Canadian film directed by Guy Maddin, starring Jason Patric, Isabella Rossellini, Udo Kier and Kevin McDonald. It will tell the story of a gangster who returns to his home and embarks on an odyssey through the house, one room at a time...
(2011) - Chicken with PlumsChicken with Plums (film)Chicken with Plums is a 2011 French drama film directed by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud. It is based on the graphic novel of the same name. The film premiered in competition at the 68th Venice International Film Festival on 3 September 2011...
(2011) - Silent Life (2011)
Television
- The Tracey Ullman ShowThe Tracey Ullman ShowThe Tracey Ullman Show was an American television variety show, hosted by British comedian and onetime pop singer Tracey Ullman. It debuted on April 5, 1987 as the Fox network's second primetime series after Married... with Children, and ran until May 26, 1990. The show blended sketch comedy shorts...
(3 episodes, 1989–1990) - Ivory Hunters (1990)
- Lies Of the Twins (1991)
- Fallen AngelsFallen Angels (TV series)Fallen Angels was an American neo-noir anthology television series that ran from 1993 to 1995 on the Showtime pay cable station and was produced by Propaganda Films. No first-run episodes were shown in 1994....
" (1 episode, 1993) - The GiftThe Gift (1994 film)The Gift is a 30 minute made for television movie directed by Laura Dern and starring Jason Adelman, Bonnie Bedelia, Peter Horton, Diane Ladd, Isabella Rossellini and Mary Steenburgen. It is about a woman trying to cope with the prospect of breaking up with her longtime partner and moving on with...
(1994) - Tales from the CryptTales from the Crypt (TV series)Tales from the Crypt, sometimes titled HBO's Tales from the Crypt, is an American horror anthology television series that ran from 1989 to 1996 on the premium cable channel HBO...
(1 episode, 1995) - FriendsFriendsFriends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
(1 episode, 1996) - Crime of the Century (1996)
- Chicago HopeChicago HopeChicago Hope is an American medical drama series created by David E. Kelley that ran from September 18, 1994, to May 5, 2000. It takes place in a fictional private charity hospital.-Premise:The show stars Mandy Patinkin as Dr...
(2 episodes, 1997) - 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) - MerlinMerlin (film)Merlin is a television miniseries which originally aired in 1998 that retells the legend of King Arthur from the perspective of the wizard Merlin...
(1998) - The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
(1 episode, in 'Mom and Pop Art' 1999) - Don QuixoteDon Quixote (2000 TV film)Don Quixote is a 2000 television film adaptation of the classic novel Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, made by Hallmark Entertainment and distributed by Turner Network Television A dubbed-into-Spanish version was distributed by Divisa Home Video . It was shown in three parts in...
(2000) - NapoleonNapoléon (miniseries)Napoleon is a historical miniseries which explored the life of Napoleon Bonaparte. In 2002, it was the most expensive television miniseries in Europe, costing the equivalent of $US46,330,000 to produce. The miniseries covered Napoleon's military successes and failures, including the Battles of...
(2002) - Monte WalshMonte WalshMonte Walsh is taken from the title of a 1963 western novel by Jack Schaefer. The movie has little to do with the plot of Schaefer's book. It was directed in 1970 by cinematographer William A. Fraker in his directorial debut, and starred Lee Marvin, Jeanne Moreau and Jack Palance. The movie was set...
(2003) - Earthsea (2004)
- AliasAlias (TV series)Alias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...
(5 episodes, 2004–2005) - Filthy Gorgeous (2006)
- Discovery Atlas: Italy RevealedDiscovery AtlasDiscovery Atlas is a documentary television series on the Discovery Channel and Discovery HD Theater which focuses on the cultural, sociological, and natural aspects of various countries by exploring their different peoples, traditions, and lands. The documentary follows the lives and individual...
(2006) - Iconoclasts (2006)
- 30 Rock30 Rock30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
(2 episodes, 2007) - Green PornoGreen PornoGreen Porno is a series of short films on animal sexual behaviour. The series, which began in 2008 and currently airs on The Sundance Channel, is conceived, written, and directed by its star, Isabella Rossellini....
(Sundance Channel)-18 episodes (2008–2009) - The PhantomThe PhantomThe Phantom is an American adventure comic strip created by Lee Falk, also creator of Mandrake the Magician. A popular feature adapted into many media, including television, film and video games, it stars a costumed crimefighter operating from the fictional African country Bengalla.The Phantom is...
(2009)
External links
- The Babelgum Metropolis Art Prize, of which Isabella Rossellini is the head judge.
- Isabella Rossellini at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- Interview with Isabella Rossellini before the release of The Saddest Music in the World.
- Interview with Isabella Rossellini after 14 years with Lancôme
- Interview with Isabella Rossellini about her career and her parent's legacy