Biography
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.
Movies & TV Shows
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The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) — Queen Ariadne / Violet
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Day for Night (1973) — Séverine
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Jesus of Nazareth (1977) — Herodias
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Juliet of the Spirits (1965) — Valentina
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The Barefoot Contessa (1954) — Eleanora Torlato-Favrini
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La Classe américaine (1993) — The Helicopter Man's Wife (archive footage) (uncredited)
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The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1963) — Laura Craven-Torrani
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Barabbas (1961) — Julia
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Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1972) — Pica Di Bernardone
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Thieves' Highway (1949) — Rica
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Le Amiche (1955) — Nene
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When Time Ran Out... (1980) — Rose Valdez
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The House on Telegraph Hill (1951) — Victoria Kowelska
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The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1970) — Gabriella (uncredited)
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The Assassination of Trotsky (1972) — Natalia Trotsky
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Appassionata (1974) — Elisa Rutelli
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The Possessed (1965) — Irma
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The Rocket from Calabuch (1956) — Eloísa, la maestra de escuela
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The Visit (1964) — Mathilda Miller
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The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire (1971) — Madame Sobieski
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The Legend of Lylah Clare (1968) — Countess Bozo Bedoni
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Kidnap Syndicate (1975) — Grazia Filippini
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Sparrow (1994) — Madre Superiora
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Black Magic (1949) — Zoraida
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The Big Operator (1976) — Witwe
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Give Her the Moon (1970) — Madeleine de Lépine
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Secret People (1952) — Maria Brentano / Brent / Lena Collins
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The Jester's Supper (1942) — Lisabetta
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Via Montenapoleone (1987) — madre di Guido
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Tender Dracula (1974)
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Malaya (1949) — Luana
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Il cav. Costante Nicosia demoniaco, ovvero Dracula in Brianza (1975) — Olghina Franchetti
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Chronicle of a Homicide (1972) — Luisa Sola
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Nick the Sting (1976) — Regina
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Rome: Free City (1946) — La ragazza
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Ring of Darkness (1979) — Elena Merrill
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The Love Mates (1970) — Eva
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Federico Fellini's Autobiography (2000) — Self
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Love and Troubles (1958) — Marisa
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Antonioni: Documents and Testimonials (1965) — Self