# Monica Guerritore

Monica Guerritore (born 5 January 1958) is an Italian film, theatre, and television actress.

## Biography

Guerritore was born in Rome to a Neapolitan father and a Calabrian mother. She had her first small part in Vittorio De Sica's Una breve vacanza, at the early age of 13. After her official debut at just sixteen years of age under the direction of Giorgio Strehler in The Cherry Orchard, she tied herself romantically and artistically to film and theatre director Gabriele Lavia, acting in his theatrical performances mostly strong female characters like Jocasta, Lady Macbeth and Ophelia. Miss Julie in Strindberg's drama. The couple separated in 2001, during the rehearsals of Ingmar Bergman's Scenes from a Marriage in which she played Marianne. Guerritore continued her work with other directors, like Giancarlo Sepe, in Madame Bovary, Carmen, and The Lady of the Camellias.
Beside the stage career, Guerritore works on television and film, starting in 1976 along Marcello Mastroianni in Signore e signori, buonanotte. In 1977, she plays the title role in first RAI colour TV play Manon Lescaut; significant performances were in Salvatore Samperi's The Dark Side of Love (1985) and in Mauro Bolognini's The Venetian Woman (1986). She stayed far away from television for 17 years and came back on screen RAI in 1997 with the title role in Costanza, and in 1999 in Mario Caiano's L'amore oltre la vita. In 2004, she played Ambra Leonardi in Amanti e segreti, and in 2006 she played Ada Sereni in Gianluigi Calderone's Exodus.
Lavia directed her in many movies, often erotically toned, including Scandalous Gilda (1985), Evil Senses (1986) and a Sicilian film by Giovanni Verga, La lupa (1996). In theatre, she also wrote and directed Giovanna d'Arco (2004–2006), and Dall'Inferno all'Infinito (2008). In 2007, she played a part in Ferzan Özpetek's A Perfect Day (Un giorno perfetto), and in 2008 she took part to Ivano De Matteo's La bella gente. She has performed Saint Monica in Christian Duguay's Sant'Agostino.
Guerritore portrayed Anna Di Gastoni in the 2018 film My Big Gay Italian Wedding. In 2024, she starred as Gabriella in the Netflix Italian series Deceitful Love.

## Filmography
### Films

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1973 | A Brief Vacation | Maria | |
| 1974 | Lovers and Other Relatives | Rosy | |
| 1975 | The First Time on the Grass | Lotte | |
| 1976 | Goodnight, Ladies and Gentlemen | Paolo's assistant | Cameo appearance |
| 1977 | Stato interessante | Annabella | Segment: "Secondo episodio" |
| 1977 | Man in a Hurry | Marie de Bois-Rosé | |
| 1978 | Break Up | Silvia | |
| 1979 | Together? | Giulia | |
| 1980 | Men or Not Men | Bertha | |
| 1980 | Ombre | Monica | |
| 1981 | Forest of Love | Agnolella | |
| 1982 | Più bello di così si muore | Amelia | |
| 1982 | Io con te non ci sto più | Clara | |
| 1983 | Principe di Homburg | Natalia | |
| 1984 | The Dark Side of Love | Patrizia Viani | |
| 1985 | Scandalous Gilda | Gilda | |
| 1986 | The Venetian Woman | Valeria | |
| 1986 | Evil Senses | Vittoria | |
| 1988 | The Strangeness of Life | Anna | |
| 1992 | Crazy Underwear | Amalia | |
| 1996 | La lupa | Gnà Pina "La Lupa" | |
| 1998 | Femmina | Silvia | |
| 2000 | Scene da un matrimonio | Marianne | |
| 2007 | Liberarsi - Figli di una rivoluzione minore | Teresa | |
| 2008 | Sandrine in the Rain | Carolina | |
| 2008 | A Perfect Day | Mara Solari | |
| 2008 | La fabbrica dei tedeschi | Mother | |
| 2008 | The Seed of Discord | Andrologist | Cameo appearance |
| 2009 | La bella gente | Susanna | |
| 2011 | The Worst Week of My Life | Clara | |
| 2012 | Tell No One | Aurora | |
| 2018 | My Big Gay Italian Wedding | Anna Di Gastoni | |
| 2019 | Tuttapposto | Minister Beccaria | |
| 2022 | Femminile singolare | Simona | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1980 | La tela del ragno | Clarissa Hailsham-Brown | Television film |
| 1989 | Gioco senza fine | Silvia | Television film |
| 1996 | Uno di noi | Monica | Episode: "Una madre indegna" |
| 1998 | Costanza | Costanza | Television film |
| 1999 | L'amore oltre la vita | Franca | Television film |
| 2004–2005 | Amanti e Segreti | Ambra Castelli | Main role |
| 2007 | Exodus - Il sogno di Ada | Ada Sereni | Television film |
| 2007 | Fuga con Marlene | Marlene | Television film |
| 2010 | Restless Heart: The Confessions of Saint Augustine | Saint Monica | Television film |
| 2011 | Rossella | Olimpia | Main role (season 1) |
| 2012 | Sabato, domenica e lunedì | Rosa Priore | Television film |
| 2013 | Trilussa - Storia d'amore e di poesia | Rosa Tomei | Television film |
| 2015–2016 | Thou Shalt Not Kill | Lucia Ferro | Main role |
| 2021 | Speravo de morì prima | Fiorella Totti | 2 episodes |
| 2021 | Vita da Carlo | Sandra | Recurring role; 6 episodes |
| 2023 | The Good Mothers | Dalia | 2 episodes |
| 2024 | Deceitful Love | Gabriella De Rosa | Main role |