# Ornella Muti

Francesca Romana Rivelli (born 9 March 1955), professionally known as Ornella Muti, is an Italian actress.
Among the best-known Italian actresses, in her career, she has worked across various genres, working alongside Italian directors such as Damiano Damiani, Mario Monicelli, Dino Risi, Marco Ferreri, Carlo Verdone, Ettore Scola, Francesca Archibugi, Paolo Virzì, Umberto Lenzi, Francesco Nuti and many others. Outside of Italy, she is best known for her role as Princess Aura in the science fiction cult film Flash Gordon (1980).

## Career

Muti was born in Rome to a Neapolitan journalist father and Ilse Renate Krause, a Russian Baltic German sculptor from Estonia. Her maternal grandparents emigrated from Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg, Russia) to Estonia.
Muti modeled as a teenager and made her film debut in the 1970 film La moglie più bella (The Most Beautiful Wife) at the age of fourteen. In the early seventies, thanks to the great success of the film, she starred in numerous comedies, mainly ascribed to the erotic genre. In 1974, she played in the Mario Monicelli Come Home and Meet My Wife, which became a huge success and brought her wide popularity. During the 1970s and 1980s she worked with the most popular Italian actors as Ugo Tognazzi, Vittorio Gassman, Marcello Mastroianni, Carlo Verdone, Renato Pozzetto, Paolo Villaggio, Francesco Nuti, Giancarlo Giannini in successful comedies as Nobody's Perfect, Bonnie and Clyde Italian Style, Rich and Poor, All the Fault of Paradise, Me and My Sister, Tonight at Alice's, and also dramatic movies as The Last Woman, The Bishop's Bedroom, Nest of Vipers, Break Up, Tales of Ordinary Madness and The Future Is Woman.
With Adriano Celentano she made two of the most successful comedies in the history of Italian cinema: The Taming of the Scoundrel and Madly in Love.
In recent years she has alternated between working in independent and mainstream films, TV drama and TV hosting as at the Sanremo Music Festival in 2022.
She is one of the few Italian actresses to achieve an international career across Europe where she has worked with Pedro Masó, Francisco Lara Polop, Mario Camus, Vicente Aranda, Lucas Belvaux, Georges Lautner, Volker Schlöndorff, Mike Hodges, Anthony Hickox, Mike Figgis, Peter Greenaway, and Grigory Chukhray. Her best known movies in Europe are Swann in Love in which she acted with Jeremy Irons and Alain Delon, The Bilingual Lover where she starred with Javier Bardem, Hotel, with Salma Hayek, David Schwimmer, Lucy Liu, Burt Reynolds, and John Malkovich, and The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part 1: The Moab Story, a multimedia project by Peter Greenaway.
In the United States she has worked with directors such as Woody Allen, John Landis, Eugene Levy, Buddy Giovinazzo and James Toback. She appeared also in Love and Money, Oscar, Once upon a Crime, Somewhere in the City and To Rome with Love and in the American TV movies Casanova, Wait Until Spring, Bandini, A Season of Giants and one episode of The Hitchhiker TV series.
In 1981, she turned down the lead role (later given to Carole Bouquet) in For Your Eyes Only because her costume designer, Wayne Finkelman, was not hired by the production.

## Personal life

In 1999, she insured her breasts for $350,000.
In 2008, Muti introduced her own line of jewellery and subsequently opened several shops around the world.
In 2015, the Italian court of Pordenone sentenced her to eight months in prison for having cancelled a theatrical performance following a health problem, which did not prevent her from participating in a social dinner with Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg in December 2010. She avoided prison by paying 30,000 euros to the Verdi theatre as compensation.
Muti has been married twice, first to Alessio Orano (a fellow actor in The Most Beautiful Wife), from 1975 to 1981. She was married, secondly, to Federico Fachinetti, from 1988 to 1996. Muti has three children, including Naike Rivelli.
In 1994, she became a resident of Monaco.
On 1 February 2022, she announced that she would like to obtain Russian citizenship. She told TASS: "It would be nice for me to get citizenship, because it is part of my culture associated with my mother. She died this year, and it would be a gift for her."
In July 2022, Muti was criticised by right-wing and conservative politicians for supporting the legalisation of cannabis in Italy.

## Filmography
### Films

Film roles showing year released, title, role played, director and notes. :
| Title | Year | Role | Director | Notes |
| The Most Beautiful Wife | 1970 | Francesca Cimarosa | Damiano Damiani | |
| Il sole nella pelle/ Summer Affair | 1971 | Lisa | Giorgio Stegani | |
| Oasis of Fear | 1971 | Ingrid Sjoman | Umberto Lenzi | |
| The House of the Doves | 1972 | Sandra Ruvo | Claudio Guerín | |
| Experiencia prematrimonial | 1972 | Alejandra Espinosa | Pedro Masó | |
| Fiorina la vacca | 1972 | Teresa | Vittorio De Sisti | |
| The Nun and the Devil | 1973 | Sister Isabella | Domenico Paolella | |
| Italian Graffiti | 1973 | Santuzza Morano | Alfio Caltabiano | |
| The Sensual Man | 1973 | Giovanna | Marco Vicario | |
| Una chica y un señor/ L'amante adolescente | 1974 | Caridad | Pedro Masó | |
| Cebo para una adolescente/ La segretaria/ Bait for an Adolescent | 1974 | Maribel | Francisco Lara Polop | |
| Appassionata | 1974 | Eugenia Rutelli | Gianluigi Calderone | |
| Come Home and Meet My Wife | 1974 | Vincenzina Rotunno | Mario Monicelli | |
| La Joven casada | 1975 | Camino | Mario Camus | |
| Pure as a Lily | 1976 | Lucia Mantuso | Franco Rossi | |
| The Last Woman | 1976 | Valeria | Marco Ferreri | |
| The Bishop's Bedroom | 1977 | Matilde Scrosati | Dino Risi | |
| Death of a Corrupt Man | 1977 | Valérie | Georges Lautner | |
| Viva l'Italia! | 1977 | Hitchhiking young woman and Stewardess | Mario Monicelli, Dino Risi, Ettore Scola | Also known as I Nuovi Mostri, segments: "Autostop" and "Senza parole" |
| Nest of Vipers | 1978 | Elena Mazzarini | Tonino Cervi | |
| First Love | 1978 | Renata Mazzetti | Dino Risi | |
| Break Up | 1978 | Ursenna "Sena" | Enrico Maria Salerno | |
| Neapolitan Mystery | 1979 | Lucia Navarro | Sergio Corbucci | |
| Life Is Beautiful | 1979 | Maria | Grigory Chukhray | |
| The Taming of the Scoundrel | 1980 | Lisa Silvestri | Castellano & Pipolo | |
| Flash Gordon | 1980 | Princess Aura | Mike Hodges | |
| Tales of Ordinary Madness | 1981 | Cass | Marco Ferreri | |
| Nobody's Perfect | 1981 | Chantal | Pasquale Festa Campanile | |
| Madly in Love | 1981 | Cristina | Castellano & Pipolo | |
| The Girl from Trieste | 1982 | Nicole | Pasquale Festa Campanile | |
| Love and Money | 1982 | Catherine | James Toback | |
| Bonnie and Clyde Italian Style | 1983 | Rosetta Foschini | Steno | |
| Rich and Poor | 1983 | Marta Nannuzzi | Pasquale Festa Campanile | |
| Swann in Love | 1983 | Odette | Volker Schlöndorff | |
| The Future Is Woman | 1984 | Malvinia | Marco Ferreri | |
| All the Fault of Paradise | 1985 | Celeste | Francesco Nuti | |
| Department Stores | 1986 | Luisa | Castellano & Pipolo | |
| Bewitched | 1986 | Anna | Francesco Nuti | |
| Chronicle of a Death Foretold | 1987 | Angela Vicario | Francesco Rosi | |
| Me and My Sister | 1987 | Silvia | Carlo Verdone | |
| Private Access | 1988 | Anna | Francesco Maselli | |
| The Sparrow's Fluttering | 1988 | Silvana | Gianfranco Mingozzi | |
| The King of Naples | 1988 | Maria Sophie of Bavaria | Luigi Magni | |
| Wait Until Spring, Bandini | 1989 | Maria Bandini | Dominique Deruddere | |
| Captain Fracassa's Journey | 1990 | Serafine | Ettore Scola | |
| Tonight at Alice's | 1990 | Alice | Carlo Verdone | |
| Oscar | 1991 | Sofia Provolone | John Landis | |
| Especially on Sunday | 1991 | Anna | Giuseppe Tornatore, Marco Tullio Giordana, Giuseppe Bertolucci, Francesco Barilli | Segment: "La domenica specialmente" |
| Count Max | 1991 | Isabella Matignon | Christian De Sica | |
| Vacanze di Natale '91 | 1991 | Giuliana | Enrico Oldoini | |
| Once Upon a Crime | 1992 | Elena | Eugene Levy | |
| Non chiamatemi Omar | 1992 | Viola | Sergio Staino | |
| The Bilingual Lover | 1993 | Norma Valenti | Vicente Aranda | |
| Tatiana, la muñeca rusa | 1995 | Tatiana | Santiago San Miguel | |
| Stella's Favor | 1996 | Stella | Giancarlo Scarchilli | |
| Somewhere in the City | 1998 | Marta | Ramin Niami | |
| Dirty Linen | 1999 | Bruna | Mario Monicelli | |
| The Unscarred | 2000 | Raffaella | Buddy Giovinazzo | |
| Tomorrow | 2001 | Stefania Zarenghi | Francesca Archibugi | |
| Una lunga lunga lunga notte d'amore | 2001 | Egle | Luciano Emmer | |
| Last Run | 2001 | Danny | Anthony Hickox | |
| Hotel | 2001 | Flamenco spokesperson | Mike Figgis | Cameo appearance |
| Aprés la vie | 2002 | Cécile Rivet | Lucas Belvaux | |
| Cavale | 2002 | Cécile Costes | Lucas Belvaux | |
| Une couple épatant | 2002 | Cécile Costes | Lucas Belvaux | |
| Uomini & donne, amori & bugie | 2003 | Anna | Eleonora Giorgi | |
| The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part 1: The Moab Story | 2003 | Mathilde Figura | Peter Greenaway | |
| People | 2004 | Aphrodita | Fabien Onteniente | |
| The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things | 2004 | Grandma | Asia Argento | |
| Dimmi di sì | 2004 | Francesca | Juan Calvo | |
| La bambina dalle mani sporche | 2005 | Wanda Rosso | Renzo Martinelli | |
| Civico zero | 2007 | Nina | Francesco Maselli | |
| Ripopolare la reggia | 2007 | Marchesa | Peter Greenaway | |
| Io non ci casco | 2008 | Miss Lamberti | Pasquale Falcone | |
| To Rome with Love | 2012 | Pia Fusari | Woody Allen | |
| Checkmate | 2016 | Penury | Jason Bradbury | Short film |
| Magical Nights | 2018 | Federica | Paolo Virzì | |
| Wine to Love - I colori dell'amore | 2018 | Anna | Domenico Fortunato | |
| Mare di grano | 2018 | Ornella | Fabrizio Guarducci | |
| The Christmas Show | 2022 | Rita | Alberto Ferrari | |

### Television

Television roles showing year released, title, role played, network, and notes :
| Title | Year | Role | Original network | Notes |
| The Hitchhiker | 1986 | Sister Theresa | HBO | Episode: "True Believer" |
| Casanova | 1987 | Henriette | ABC | Television film |
| A Season of Giants | 1989 | Onoria | Rai 1 | Television film |
| Il Grande Fausto | 1994 | Giulia Occhini | Rai 1 | Miniseries |
| L'avvocato Porta | 1997 | Chiara | Canale 5 | Main role (season 1); 4 episodes |
| The Count of Monte Cristo | 1998 | Mercedes Iguanada | TF1 | Miniseries |
| Esther | 1999 | Vashti | Rai 1 | Television film |
| Lo zio d'America | 2002 | Maria Monticelli | Rai 1 | Main role (season 1); 8 episodes |
| Chi l'avrebbe mai detto | 2006 | Emma | Rai 1 | Miniseries |
| Il sangue e la rosa | 2008 | Barbara Forleis | Canale 5 | Main role |
| Doc West | 2009 | Debra Downing | Canale 5 | Television film |
| Sirene | 2017 | Ingrid | Rai 1 | Main role; 6 episodes |