Irene Genna (4 January 1931 – 6 February 1986) was a Greek-born Italian film and television actress.

Life and career

Born in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

by an Italian father and a Greek mother, Genna made her high school studies in Greece, then she moved to Italy with her family. In Rome she enrolled at the school of the

Teatro dell'Opera di Roma The Teatro dell'Opera di Roma (Rome Opera House) is an opera house in Rome, Italy. Originally opened in November 1880 as the 2,212 seat ''Costanzi Theatre'', it has undergone several changes of name as well modifications and improvements. The pre ...

and she followed the acting courses held by actress

Teresa Franchini Teresa Franchini (19 September 1877 – 11 August 1972) was an Italian stage and film actress. She was a leading lady of the theatre in her youth, appearing in the first Italian staging of Oscar Wilde's '' Lady Windermere's Fan'' in 1905. Beginni ...

. Genna debuted at a very young age in

Mario Mattoli Mario Mattoli (; 30 November 1898 – 26 February 1980) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed 86 films between 1934 and 1966. His 1939 film ''Defendant, Stand Up!'' was shown as part of a retrospective on Italian comedy ...

's '' The Two Orphans''. She had her breakout in 1949, with

Renato Castellani Renato Castellani (4 September 1913 in Varigotti, Liguria – 28 December 1985 in Rome) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. Early life Son of a representative of Kodak, he was born in Varigotti, a hamlet at the time of Final Pia, ...

's neorealist post-war drama ''

It's Forever Springtime ''It's Forever Springtime'' (Italian: ''È primavera...'') is a 1950 Italy, Italian drama film directed by Renato Castellani. Plot Beppe Agosti, Florentine, baker's boy and orphan, is very popular with girls, especially the servants, for his ea ...

'', in which she also had her first major role. In spite of the critical appreciation she received, Genna's career mainly continued in less ambitious productions, including several

RAI RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana (; commercially styled as Rai since 2000; known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane) is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many ter ...

TV-series. In 1957 Genna married

Amedeo Nazzari Amedeo Nazzari (10 December 1907 in Cagliari – 5 November 1979 in Rome) was an Italian actor. Nazzari was one of the leading figures of Italian classic cinema, often considered a local variant of the Australian–American star Errol Flynn. Al ...

with whom she had a daughter,

Evelina ''Evelina, or the History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World'' is a novel written by English author Fanny Burney and first published in 1778. Although published anonymously, its authorship was revealed by the poet George Huddesford in wh ...

, also an actress, and she retired from show business.

Selected filmography

* ''

'' (1950) * '' The Bread Peddler'' (1950) * ''

Born of Unknown Father ''Born of Unknown Father'' (french: Né de père inconnu) is a 1950 French film directed by Maurice Cloche. Cast * Yvonne Dany *Irasema Dilián ... Rose Dormoy *Gabrielle Dorziat ... Mme. Mussot *Irene Genna ... Antoinette *Gilbert Gil ... Ra ...

'' (1950) * '' Verginità'' (1952) * '' Papà ti ricordo'' (1952) * ''

Martin Toccaferro ''Martin Toccaferro'' is a 1953 Italian comedy film directed by Leonardo De Mitri and starring Peppino De Filippo, Titina De Filippo and Wanda Osiris.Goble p.270 Cast * Peppino De Filippo as Martino Lazzari * Titina De Filippo as Miss Costanz ...

'' (1953) * '' Verdi, the King of Melody'' (1953) * ''

Past Lovers ''Past Lovers'' (Italian: ''Amanti del passato'') is a 1953 Italian melodrama film that was directed by Adelchi Bianchi and starring Lia Amanda, Vittorio Sanipoli and Irene Genna."Amanti del passato". ''Segnalazioni Cinematografiche''. Vol. XXXI ...

'' (1953) * ''

Finalmente libero! ''Finalmente libero!'' (i. e. "Finally free!") is a 1953 Italian comedy film written and directed by Mario Amendola and Ruggero Maccari and starring Carlo Dapporto and Nadia Gray.Ezio Colombo. "Finalmente libero!" (review). ''Festival'' (71). 8 Ma ...

'' (1954) * '' The Slave of Sin'' (1954)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Genna, Irene 1931 births 1986 deaths Actresses from Athens Italian film actresses Italian television actresses Greek emigrants to Italy 20th-century Italian actresses