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 Mario Rivelli and Ilse Renate Krause, a Russian Baltic German sculptor from Estonia. Her maternal grandparents had emigrated from 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.
In May 2025, she joined the cast of Bertrand Mandico's upcoming film Roma Elastica.
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, her co-star from The Most Beautiful Wife, Summer Affair, and Experiencia prematrimonial, 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.TitleYearRoleDirectorNotesThe Most Beautiful Wife1970Francesca CimarosaDamiano DamianiSummer Affair1971LisaGiorgio SteganiAlso known as Sun on the SkinOasis of FearIngrid SjomanUmberto LenziThe House of the Doves1972Sandra RuvoClaudio GuerínExperiencia prematrimonialAlejandra EspinosaPedro MasóFiorina la vaccaTeresaVittorio De SistiThe Nun and the Devil1973Sister IsabellaDomenico PaolellaItalian GraffitiSantuzza MoranoAlfio CaltabianoThe Sensual ManGiovannaMarco VicarioUna chica y un señor/ L'amante adolescente1974CaridadPedro MasóCebo para una adolescente/ La segretaria/ Bait for an AdolescentMaribelFrancisco Lara PolopAppassionataEugenia RutelliGianluigi CalderoneCome Home and Meet My WifeVincenzina RotunnoMario MonicelliLa Joven casada1975CaminoMario CamusPure as a Lily1976Lucia MantusoFranco RossiThe Last WomanValeriaMarco FerreriThe Bishop's Bedroom1977Matilde ScrosatiDino RisiDeath of a Corrupt ManValérieGeorges LautnerViva l'Italia!Hitchhiking young woman and StewardessMario Monicelli, Dino Risi, Ettore ScolaAlso known as I Nuovi Mostri, segments: "Autostop" and "Senza parole"Nest of Vipers1978Elena MazzariniTonino CerviFirst LoveRenata MazzettiDino RisiBreak UpUrsenna "Sena"Enrico Maria SalernoNeapolitan Mystery1979Lucia NavarroSergio CorbucciLife Is BeautifulMariaGrigory ChukhrayThe Taming of the Scoundrel1980Lisa SilvestriCastellano & PipoloFlash GordonPrincess AuraMike HodgesTales of Ordinary Madness1981CassMarco FerreriNobody's PerfectChantalPasquale Festa CampanileMadly in LoveCristinaCastellano & PipoloThe Girl from Trieste1982NicolePasquale Festa CampanileLove and MoneyCatherineJames TobackBonnie and Clyde Italian Style1983Rosetta FoschiniStenoRich and PoorMarta NannuzziPasquale Festa CampanileSwann in LoveOdetteVolker SchlöndorffThe Future Is Woman1984MalviniaMarco FerreriAll the Fault of Paradise1985CelesteFrancesco NutiDepartment Stores1986LuisaCastellano & PipoloBewitchedAnnaFrancesco NutiChronicle of a Death Foretold1987Angela VicarioFrancesco RosiMe and My SisterSilviaCarlo VerdonePrivate Access1988AnnaFrancesco MaselliThe Sparrow's FlutteringSilvanaGianfranco MingozziThe King of NaplesMaria Sophie of BavariaLuigi MagniWait Until Spring, Bandini1989Maria BandiniDominique DeruddereCaptain Fracassa's Journey1990SerafineEttore ScolaTonight at Alice'sAliceCarlo VerdoneOscar1991Sofia ProvoloneJohn LandisEspecially on SundayAnnaGiuseppe Tornatore, Marco Tullio Giordana, Giuseppe Bertolucci, Francesco BarilliSegment: "La domenica specialmente"Count MaxIsabella MatignonChristian De SicaVacanze di Natale '91GiulianaEnrico OldoiniOnce Upon a Crime1992ElenaEugene LevyNon chiamatemi OmarViolaSergio StainoThe Bilingual Lover1993Norma ValentiVicente ArandaTatiana, la muñeca rusa1995TatianaSantiago San MiguelStella's Favor1996StellaGiancarlo ScarchilliSomewhere in the City1998MartaRamin NiamiDirty Linen1999BrunaMario MonicelliThe Unscarred2000RaffaellaBuddy GiovinazzoTomorrow2001Stefania ZarenghiFrancesca ArchibugiUna lunga lunga lunga notte d'amoreEgleLuciano EmmerLast RunDannyAnthony HickoxHotelFlamenco spokespersonMike FiggisCameo appearanceAprés la vie2002Cécile RivetLucas BelvauxOn the RunCécile CostesLucas BelvauxAn Amazing CoupleLucas BelvauxUomini & donne, amori & bugie2003AnnaEleonora GiorgiThe Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part 1: The Moab StoryMathilde FiguraPeter GreenawayPeople2004AphroditaFabien OntenienteThe Heart Is Deceitful Above All ThingsGrandmaAsia ArgentoDimmi di sìFrancescaJuan CalvoLa bambina dalle mani sporche2005Wanda RossoRenzo MartinelliCivico zero2007NinaFrancesco MaselliRipopolare la reggiaMarchesaPeter GreenawayIo non ci casco2008Miss LambertiPasquale FalconeTo Rome with Love2012Pia FusariWoody AllenCheckmate2016PenuryJason BradburyShort filmMagical Nights2018FedericaPaolo VirzìWine to Love - I colori dell'amoreAnnaDomenico FortunatoMare di granoOrnellaFabrizio GuarducciThe Christmas Show2022RitaAlberto Ferrari 2026 Bertrand Mandico Completed
Television +Television roles showing year released, title, role played, network, and notesTitleYearRoleOriginal networkNotesThe Hitchhiker1986Sister TheresaHBOEpisode: "True Believer"Casanova1987HenrietteABCTelevision filmA Season of Giants1989OnoriaRai 1Television filmIl Grande Fausto1994Giulia OcchiniRai 1MiniseriesL'avvocato Porta1997ChiaraCanale 5Main role (season 1); 4 episodesThe Count of Monte Cristo1998Mercedes IguanadaTF1MiniseriesEsther1999VashtiRai 1Lo zio d'America2002Maria MonticelliRai 1Main role (season 1); 8 episodesChi l'avrebbe mai detto2006EmmaRai 1MiniseriesIl sangue e la rosa2008Barbara ForleisCanale 5Main roleDoc West2009Debra DowningCanale 5Television filmSirene2017IngridRai 1Main role; 6 episodes
References
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