Elsa Martinelli
Elsa Martinelli was a prominent Italian actress and former fashion model known for her roles in Hollywood films.
Movie Actress
January 30, 1935
July 8, 2017
82
Elsa Martinelli, an Italian actress, model, and television personality, gained international fame in the 1950s and 1960s with her roles in films such as “The Indian Fighter,” “Hatari!”, and “The V.I.P.s.” She received the Best Actress award at the 1960 Cannes Film Festival for her performance in “The Savage Innocents.” Besides acting, Martinelli worked as a model and appeared on several television shows. She also served as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations. Born in Grosseto, Tuscany, Italy, she started her career as a model before transitioning to acting. In 1957, she briefly married Count Franco Mancinelli Scotti di San Vito before marrying her longtime partner, Willy Rizzo, with whom she had a child. Elsa Martinelli passed away at 82 years old. Notably, she was a leading Italian female export to Hollywood from the mid-1950s for over a decade.