Biography
Vivacious and sexy in an androgynous sort of way, popular Italian actress Stefania Sandrelli was at her best starring as a lonely, sickly country woman trying to survive in a hostile post-WWII city in Antonio Pietrangeli's
Io la Conoscevo Bene (I Knew Her Well) (1965). Before launching her acting career in 1961 with
Il Federale, Sandrelli was a beauty queen. She got her break appearing as a teenaged seductress in
Pietro Germi's Divorzio all'Italiana (Divorce Italian Style) (1961). In the U.S., she is best known for appearing in several films of
Bernardo Bertolucci, notably Il Conformista (
The Conformist) (1970). She has also worked with other prominent Italian directors including
Ettore Scola. She had great success in
Tinto Brass' La Chiave (
The Key) in 1984 and this led to her appearing in a few very racy films. Since then Sandrelli became a character actress. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide