Anna Maria Monticelli is an Australian actress, screenwriter and producer.

Early life Monticelli was born in 1952 in Tangiers in Morocco. In her childhood, she lived in five European countries, where, fluent in four languages, she was a translator for her French-Italian father and Spanish mother. The family emigrated to Australia when Monticelli was in her primary school years.

Career Using the professional name 'Anna-Maryka', Monticelli started out as a model in Sydney, gracing the covers of Australian Playboy, Cleo and Vogue and appearing in television commercials. She then began hosting a weekly ethnic morning television show on the ABC, while studying evening drama classes.

Monticelli went on to become an actress, with numerous roles in television series and films, both in Australia and the US. Some of her early film roles include 1981 New Zealand thriller Smash Palace with Terence Donovan, 1982 drama film Heatwave alongside Judy Davis and 1982 suspense thriller The Dark Room. She also appeared with Wendy Hughes in 1984 film My First Wife, playing the role of Hilary.

Further recognition came when Monticelli won the 1984 AFI Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her role as Anna in post-war drama film Silver City. Having originally used her married name 'Anna Jemison' professionally, she reverted back to her maiden name, Monticelli as she accepted the award.

In 1985, Monticelli appeared in American drama thriller Nomads, as Veronique, wife of Jean Charles Pommier, played by Pierce Brosnan. That same year, she also played Anne Winter, alongside Bryan Brown in The Empty Beach and appeared in family film Archer’s Adventure, opposite Nicole Kidman in one of her earliest roles.

Monticelli's television credits began with a guest role in 1981 sports drama series Sporting Chance with Noni Hazlehurst In 1984, she had an ongoing role as Eva Tarrant in Carson's Law, opposite Lorraine Bayly. In 1994, she appeared in the children's sci-fi adventure series Sky Trackers, in the regular role of Marie Colbert, alongside her husband Steve Jacobs. Further television credits include Family and Friends, Rafferty's Rules, Home and Away, The Girl from Tomorrow, the Mission Impossible television reboot and 1988 adventure miniseries, Emma: Queen of the South Seas, with Steve Bisley.

However, Monticelli's true passion lay in writing. Her first writing credit was 2001 feature film La Spagnola, which she also produced. After 28 failed approaches to producers who were too discouraged by the multilingual plot, Monicelli decided to produce the film herself, with husband Steve Jacobs assuming his first director's role. The film saw her nominated for a AFI Award for Best Original Screenplay in 2001 and a Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards for Best Original Screenplay in 2002. It was also Australia’s official entrant in the Foreign Language Category at the 2002 Academy Awards. It went on to receive several international awards and was widely distributed.

Monticelli's critically-acclaimed second film, Disgrace (2008), starring John Malkovich, was a screen adaptation of the Booker Prize-winning novel of the same name by J. M. Coetzee. The film won an array of awards, including the International Critic’s Award for Best Film at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival, Best Feature Film Adaptation at the 2008 AWGIE Awards and Best Screenplay at the 2010 Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards. It was also shortlisted for Best Literary Adaptation of 2009 at the Frankfurt International Book Fair and the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards. The film made the "10 Best Films of 2009" with Roger Ebert of The Chicago Sun, The New York Times and Stephen King for Entertainment Weekly.

Monticelli most recently produced the comedy film I’ve Always Wanted to Direct, which was shot just before Covid stopped the industry in its tracks. She also wrote her first play, Zugzwang.

Personal life Monticelli was first married to Channel Seven deputy news director Rick Jemison, before their separation in the early 1980s.

In 1985, together with American director John McTiernan, Monticelli had a daughter, Bella, who is also a director. McTiernan had directed Monticelli in the film Nomads.

Monticelli is married to actor and director Steve Jacobs. The couple met first met on the set of 1984 film Silver City in 1984, in which Jacobs also had a small part. They also appeared together in an episode of Mission Impossible and then fell in love on the set of Sky Trackers. Together, they formed Australian based company, 'Wild Strawberries' in the mid-1990s. The couple have lived in Palm Beach, north of Sydney, for over 40 years.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Type 1981 Smash Palace Jacqui Shaw / Alan's wife Feature film1982 Heatwave Victoria West Feature film The Dark Room Nicky / Ray's mistress Feature film1984 My First Wife Hilary Feature film Silver City Anna Feature film1985 After Hours Sandra Adams (first film credit as Anna-Maria Monticelli) Film short The Empty Beach Anne Winter Feature film 1986 Nomads Veronique 'Niki' Pommier Feature film 1994 Life Forms Mel Film short 2004 The Brother Catherine Film short

Television Year Title Role Type 1981 A Sporting Chance Guest role Episode 3: "Whatever Happened to Stephen Doyle?" 1982 For the Term of His Natural Life Alicia Miniseries, 1 episode1984 Special Squad Teresa Parrissa Episode 3: "Code of Silence" Carson's Law Eva Tarrant 21 episodes1985 Archer (aka Archer's Adventure) Anna Swift (first TV credit as Anna-Maria Monticelli) TV film Five Mile Creek Guest role 1 episode Handle with Care Kate TV film1987 The Edge of Power Gail Traynor TV film Play School Guest Presenter 2 episodes1988 Rafferty's Rules Diana Newby 1 episode Emma: Queen of the South Seas Princess Le'utu Miniseries, 2 episodes Mission: Impossible Lydia Episode 4: "The Condemned"1989 G.P. 1 episode Living with the Law 1 episode 1990 Family and Friends Luciana Rossi 1990; 1993 English at Work Herself 4 episodes1991 A Country Practice Guest role 2 episodes Chances Bella 1 episode 1992 The Girl from Tomorrow II Freya 1 episode 1993 Eggshells 1 episode1994 Under the Skin 2 episodes Sky Trackers Marie Colbert 26 episodes 1995 Singapore Sling: Road to Mandalay Tamara TV film2002 Home and Away Helen Poulos 3 episodes White Collar Blue Mrs. Cable TV pilot / film

As writer / producer Year Title Role Type Ref. 2001 La Spagnola Writer / producer Feature film 2008 Disgrace Writer / producer Feature film c.2020 I’ve Always Wanted to Direct (aka Siempre He Querido Dirigir) Producer Feature film

Awards Year Work Award Category Result Ref. 1984 Silver City AFI Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role 2001 La Spagnola Best Original Screenplay 2002 Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards Best Original Screenplay 2008 Disgrace AWGIE Awards Best Feature Film Adaptation Toronto International Film Festival International Critic’s Award for Best Film 2009 Frankfurt International Book Fair Best Literary Adaptation NSW Premier’s Literary Awards Best Literary Adaptation 2010 Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards Best Screenplay Best Film (producer) Anna Maria Monticelli Cavaliere Medal Order of Merit from the Italian Republic for services to the arts

References

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