José Greci (10 January 1941 – 1 June 2017) was an Italian film, television and stage actress.

Life and career

Born in

Ferrara Ferrara (, ; egl, Fràra ) is a city and ''comune'' in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital of the Province of Ferrara. it had 132,009 inhabitants. It is situated northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream ...

as Giuseppina Greci, the daughter of the journalist and television writer Luigi. In 1956 at just fifteen years old Greci enrolled at the Silvio D'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Art; after two years she left the Academy to debut on stage. Greci made her film debut in 1959, playing the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...

William Wyler William Wyler (; born Willi Wyler (); July 1, 1902 – July 27, 1981) was a Swiss-German-American film director and producer who won the Academy Award for Best Director three times, those being for ''Mrs. Miniver'' (1942), ''The Best Years of O ...

's ''

Ben-Hur Ben-Hur or Ben Hur may refer to: Fiction *'' Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ'', an 1880 novel by American general and author Lew Wallace ** ''Ben-Hur'' (play), a play that debuted on Broadway in 1899 ** ''Ben Hur'' (1907 film), a one-reel silent ...

''. From then she started appearing in dozens of genre films, soon becoming one of the most prolific actresses in 1960s Italian cinema, particularly becoming a star in the

sword-and-sandal Sword-and-sandal, also known as peplum (pepla plural), is a subgenre of largely Italian-made historical, mythological, or Biblical epics mostly set in the Greco-Roman antiquity or the Middle Ages. These films attempted to emulate the big-budget H ...

and eurospy genres. Also active on television, she gradually abandoned her career during the seventies. She died in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, Italy on 1 June 2017, aged 76.

Selected filmography

* ''La cento chilometri'' (1959) - The Cello Player Friend of Elena * ''

'' (1959) - Mary (uncredited) * ''

Revenge of the Barbarians ''Revenge of the Barbarians'' ( it, La vendetta dei barbari) is a 1960 film about the sack of Rome in AD 410 by the Visigoths. This film was written by Gastone Ramazzotti and directed by Giuseppe Vari. Cast Production Anthony Steel had moved ...

'' (1960) - Sabina * ''

Romolo e Remo ''Duel of the Titans'' ( it, Romolo e Remo, lit=Romulus and Remus) is a 1961 Italian / French film directed by Sergio Corbucci and starring Steve Reeves, Gordon Scott, and Virna Lisi. The film is about twin brothers revolt against tyranny in pre-R ...

'' (1961) - Estia * ''Le italiane e l'amore'' (1961) - (segment "Un matrimonio") * ''Il sangue e la sfida'' (1962) * '' Colossus of the Arena'' (1962) - Revia * ''

The Rebel Gladiators ''The Rebel Gladiators'' ( it, Ursus il gladiatore ribelle/ ''Ursus, the Rebel Gladiator'') is a 1962 Italian peplum film directed by Domenico Paolella starring Dan Vadis, Josè Greci and Alan Steel. Plot The newly crowned emperor Commodus ki ...

'' (1962) - Arminia * ''

War Gods of Babylon ''Le sette folgori di Assur'' (English title: ''War Gods of Babylon'') is a 1962 Italian film set in ancient Mesopotamia, which anachronistically portrays several figures as contemporaries who historically lived hundreds of years apart. Plot Mir ...

'' (1962) - Crisia * ''

Zorro and the Three Musketeers ''Zorro and the Three Musketeers'' ( it, Zorro e i tre moschettieri, also known as ''Mask of the Musketeers'' and ''Zorro vs. the Three Musketeers'') is a 1963 Italian comedy-adventure film directed by Luigi Capuano and starring Gordon Scott. Plo ...

'' (1963) - Isabella * '' Goliath and the Sins of Babylon'' (1963) - Regia / Chelima * '' The Bread Peddler'' (1963) - Amanda * '' Hercules and the Masked Rider'' (1963) - Dona Blanca - Francisco's Daughter * '' Hercules Against the Mongols'' (1963) - Bianca de Tudela * ''

The Ten Gladiators ''The Ten Gladiators'' ( it, I dieci gladiatori) is a 1963 Italian film directed by Gianfranco Parolini. Plot summary Roccia and a band of fellow gladiators join forces with a patrician named Glaucus Valerius to replace Nero, (and his evil henc ...

'' (1963) - Livia * ''Death on the Fourposter'' (1964) - Kitty * '' Hercules Against the Barbarians'' (1964) - Arminia / Armina *

Sword of the Empire ''Sword of the Empire'' ( it, Una spada per l'impero) is a 1964 Italian ''peplum'' film directed by Sergio Grieco. Plot In AD 190 Rome is in terror. The barbarians have crossed the Alps leaving Rome under threat. Emperor Commodus is becomi ...

'' (1964) - Nissia, blonde slave * ''

Revenge of The Gladiators ''Revenge of The Gladiators'' ( it, La vendetta dei gladiatori) is a 1964 Italian peplum film written and directed by Luigi Capuano and starring Mickey Hargitay and José Greci.Marco Giusti, Steve Della Casa. ''Il grande libro di Ercole. Il cinem ...

'' (1964) - Priscilla * ''

Espionage in Tangier ''Espionage in Tangier'' ( es, Marc Mato, agente S. 077, it, S.077 spionaggio a Tangeri) is a 1965 Spanish-Italian spy film, inspired by James Bond and directed by Gregg C. Tallas.Marco Giusti. ''007 all'italiana''. Isbn Edizioni, 2010. pp. 257-2 ...

'' (1965) - Lee Randall * ''

Seven Rebel Gladiators ''Sette contro tutti'' or ''Seven Rebel Gladiators'' is a 1965 Italian film directed by Michele Lupo. Plot Cast *Roger Browne as Marcus Aulus (as Roger Brown) *José Greci as Assuer (as Liz Havilland) *Alfio Caltabiano as Vadius (as Al Northon) ...

'' (1965) - Assuer * ''

Operation Poker ''Operation Poker'' ( it, Operazione Poker, es, Operación Póker: agente 05-14) is a 1965 Italian-Spanish spy film produced, written and directed by Osvaldo Civirani. The first choice for the main role was Ken Clark, who was replaced by Roger B ...

'' (1965) - Helga * ''

Last Man to Kill ''Last Man to Kill'' ( it, Un milione di dollari per 7 assassini, french: 1.000.000 de dollars pour 7 assassinats) is a 1966 Italian-French crime-spy film written and directed by Umberto Lenzi and starring Roger Browne, Erika Blanc and Dakar. Th ...

'' (1966) - Ellen * '' Special Code: Assignment Lost Formula'' (1966) - Lynn * '' Maigret a Pigalle'' (1966) - Arlette * ''

Bury Them Deep ''Bury Them Deep'' ( it, All'ultimo sangue, also known as ''To the Last Drops of Blood'') is a 1968 Italian Spaghetti Western film written and directed by Paolo Moffa and starring Craig Hill. Plot Cast * Craig Hill as Clive Norton * Et ...

'' (1968) - Sign. Gennaroni * ''

All on the Red ''All on the Red'' ( it, Tutto sul rosso) is a 1968 Italian crime-thriller film written and directed by Aldo Florio and starring Brett Halsey. Plot Cast * Brett Halsey as Mike Chapman * Barbara Zimmermann as Belinda Duval * Piero Lulli ...

'' (1968) - Yvette * ''All'ultimo sangue'' (1968) - Consuelo * '' The Most Beautiful Couple in the World'' (1968) * ''

The Sicilian Connection ''The Sicilian Connection'' ( it, Afyon oppio, french: Action héroïne, also known as ''The Opium Connection'' and ''La filière'') is a 1972 Italian- French crime-thriller film directed by Ferdinando Baldi. Plot The Italian-American Joseph ...

'' (1972) - Lucia * '' Catene'' (1974) - (final film role)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Greci, Jose 1941 births 2017 deaths Italian film actresses Italian television actresses Italian stage actresses Actors from Ferrara Accademia Nazionale di Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico alumni