Marisa Pavan (born Maria Luisa Pierangeli; 19 June 1932) is an Italian actress who first became known as the twin sister of film star Pier Angeli (Anna Maria Pierangeli) before achieving success in her own screen career.

Early life and career

Pavan and her twin sister, Pier Angeli, were born in 1932 in

Cagliari Cagliari (, also , , ; sc, Casteddu ; lat, Caralis) is an Italian municipality and the capital of the island of Sardinia, an autonomous region of Italy. Cagliari's Sardinian name ''Casteddu'' means ''castle''. It has about 155,000 inhabitant ...

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...

, the children of Enrichetta (née Romiti) and Luigi Pierangeli, a construction engineer. The two girls also had a younger sister, Patrizia Pierangeli, who became an actress as well. Pavan had no dramatic training when she signed a Hollywood contract with

Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. The following busin ...

at age 19. Although her screen debut was in 1952 in ''

What Price Glory What Price Glory? may refer to: * ''What Price Glory?'' (1926 film), directed by Raoul Walsh * ''What Price Glory'' (1952 film), directed by John Ford * ''What Price Glory?'' (play), a 1924 play by Maxwell Anderson and Laurence Stallings; basis for ...

'', Pavan's breakthrough role came three years later, when she was cast as

Anna Magnani Anna Maria Magnani (; 7 March 1908 – 26 September 1973) was an Italian actress.Obituary ''Variety'', 3 October 1973, pg. 47 She was known for her explosive acting and earthy, realistic portrayals of characters. Born in Rome, she worked her ...

's daughter in ''

The Rose Tattoo ''The Rose Tattoo'' is a three-act play written by Tennessee Williams in 1949 and 1950; after its Chicago premiere on December 29, 1950, he made further revisions to the play for its Broadway premiere on February 2, 1951, and its publication by ...

''. That part was initially assigned to her twin sister, but by the time production began, Angeli was unavailable for the role. Pavan's performance earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She also won the Golden Globe Award for ( Best Supporting Actress) for her performance in the film. Pavan co-starred in films such as '' Diane'' (1956), ''

The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit ''The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit'' is a 1956 American drama film based on the 1955 novel '' The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit'' by Sloan Wilson. The film focuses on Tom Rath, a young World War II veteran trying to balance his marriage and fami ...

'' (1956), ''

The Midnight Story ''The Midnight Story'' is a 1957 American CinemaScope film noir crime film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Tony Curtis, Marisa Pavan and Gilbert Roland. The film was originally slated to be titled ''The Eyes of Father Tomasino'', after the ...

'' (1957) and ''

John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-American naval captain who was the United States' first well-known naval commander in the American Revolutionary War. He made many friends among U.S political elites ( ...

'' (1959). She also played Abishag in

King Vidor King Wallis Vidor (; February 8, 1894 – November 1, 1982) was an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter whose 67-year film-making career successfully spanned the silent and sound eras. His works are distinguished by a vivid, ...

's biblical epic ''

Solomon and Sheba ''Solomon and Sheba'' is a 1959 American epic historical romance film directed by King Vidor, shot in Technirama (color by Technicolor), and distributed by United Artists. The film dramatizes events described in The Bible—the tenth chapter of ...

'' (1959). Her later films included ''

A Slightly Pregnant Man ''A Slightly Pregnant Man'' (french: L'Événement le plus important depuis que l'homme a marché sur la Lune, lit=The Most Important Event Since Man Walked on the Moon; it, Niente di grave, suo marito è incinto, lit=No Big Deal, Your Husband I ...

'' (1973), ''

Antoine and Sebastian ''Antoine and Sebastian'' (french: Antoine et Sébastien) is a 1974 French comedy-drama film directed by Jean-Marie Périer and starring François Périer, Jacques Dutronc, Ottavia Piccolo and Keith Carradine. Cast * François Périer as An ...

'' (1974) and the television miniseries ''

The Moneychangers ''The Moneychangers'' is a 1975 novel written by Arthur Hailey. The plot revolves around the politics inside a major bank. Plot summary As the novel begins, the position of CEO of one of America's largest banks, ''First Mercantile American'', ...

'' (1976). In 1985, she played Chantal Dubujak on ''

Ryan's Hope ''Ryan's Hope'' is an American soap opera created by Claire Labine and Paul Avila Mayer, airing for 13 years on ABC from July 7, 1975, to January 13, 1989. It revolves around the trials and tribulations within a large Irish-American family in th ...

''.

Personal life

On 27 March 1956, Pavan married French actor

Jean-Pierre Aumont Jean-Pierre Aumont (born Jean-Pierre Philippe Salomons; 5 January 1911 – 30 January 2001) was a French actor, and holder of the Légion d'Honneur and the Croix de guerre 1939–1945, Croix de Guerre for his World War II military service. Ea ...

Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara ( es, Santa Bárbara, meaning "Saint Barbara") is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coas ...

, and the couple remained together until Jean-Pierre's death in 2001. They had two sons: Jean-Claude, born in 1957, and Patrick, in 1960.

Selected filmography

* ''

'' (1952) * ''

I Chose Love ''I Chose Love'' (French: ''J'ai choisi l'amour'', Italian: ''Ho scelto l'amore'') is a 1953 French-Italian comedy film directed by Mario Zampi and starring Renato Rascel and Marisa Pavan. It was shot at the Cinecittà studios in Rome. Plot Bor ...

'' (1953) * ''

Down Three Dark Streets ''Down Three Dark Streets'' is a 1954 American film noir crime film directed by Arnold Laven and starring Broderick Crawford and Ruth Roman. The screenplay was written by Gordon Gordon and Mildred Gordon, based on their novel ''Case File FBI'' ...

'' (1954) * ''

Drum Beat A drum beat or drum pattern is a rhythmic pattern, or repeated rhythm establishing the meter and groove through the pulse and subdivision, played on drum kits and other percussion instruments. As such a "beat" consists of multiple drum strokes ...

'' (1954) * ''

'' (1955) * ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was ren ...

'' – "You Got to Have Luck" (1956) * '' Diane'' (1956) * ''

'' (1956) * ''

'' (1957) * ''

'' (1959) * ''

'' (1959) * ''Shangri-La'' (TV movie, 1960) * '' Naked City'' – "Requiem for a Sunday Afternoon" as Josephine (1961) * ''

Combat Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...

'' – Season 2 Episode 12 "Ambush" as Marie Marchand (1963) * ''

The F.B.I. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

'' – Season 1 Episode 9 "The Exiles" as Maria Blanca (1965) * ''The Diary of Anne Frank'' (TV movie, 1967) * ''Cutter's Trail'' (TV movie) (1970) * ''

'' (1973) * ''

'' (1974) * ''

Hawaii Five-O Hawaii Five-O or Hawaii Five-0 may refer to: * ''Hawaii Five-0'' (2010 TV series), an American action police procedural television series * ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1968 TV series), an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productio ...

'' (TV, 1977) "East Wind, Ill Wind" – Madame Sandanarik * '' The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald'' (TV movie, 1977) * ''

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...

'' "Formula 407" (TV, 1977)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pavan, Marisa 1932 births Living people Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe (film) winners Expatriate actresses in the United States Italian actresses Italian expatriates in the United States People from Cagliari People of Marchesan descent Italian twins