Nicoletta Machiavelli (1 August 1944 – 15 November 2015) was an Italian film actress, also known as Nicoletta Rangoni Machiavelli and Nicoletta Macchiavelli.

Life and career

The daughter of a Florentine father and of an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

mother, Machiavelli was a descendant of the philosopher and author

Niccolò Machiavelli Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli ( , , ; 3 May 1469 – 21 June 1527), occasionally rendered in English as Nicholas Machiavel ( , ; see below), was an Italian diplomat, author, philosopher and historian who lived during the Renaissance. ...

. She studied painting at the

Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze The Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze ("academy of fine arts of Florence") is an instructional art academy in Florence, in Tuscany, in central Italy. It was founded by Cosimo I de' Medici in 1563, under the influence of Giorgio Vasari. ...

. Following an audition for the role of Eva in

John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter, actor and visual artist. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered ...

's '' The Bible: In the Beginning...'', she was noted by the producer

Dino De Laurentiis Agostino "Dino" De Laurentiis (; 8 August 1919 – 10 November 2010) was an Italian-American film producer. Along with Carlo Ponti, he was one of the producers who brought Italian cinema to the international scene at the end of World War II. He ...

who put her under contract for seven years, a contract she eventually broke after three years. Her first role was

Ugo Tognazzi Ugo Tognazzi (23 March 1922 – 27 October 1990) was an Italian actor, director, and screenwriter. Early life Tognazzi was born in Cremona, in northern Italy but spent his youth in various localities as his father was a travelling clerk fo ...

's wife in '' A Question of Honour'', and following a few comedies, her early career was characterized by genre films, mainly

Spaghetti Western The Spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's film-making style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...

, notably

Sergio Corbucci Sergio Corbucci (; 6 December 1926 – 1 December 1990) was an Italian film director, screenwriter and producer. He directed both very violent Spaghetti Westerns and bloodless Bud Spencer and Terence Hill action comedies. He is the older bro ...

's ''

Navajo Joe ''Navajo Joe'' is a 1966 Spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Corbucci and starring Burt Reynolds as the titular Navajo Indian who opposes a group of bandits responsible for killing his tribe. Plot Having massacred an Indian village with h ...

''. Starting from the late 1960s Machiavelli started appearing in more ambitious

art film An art film (or arthouse film) is typically an independent film, aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made primarily f ...

s, working with

Hans-Jürgen Syberberg Hans-Jürgen Syberberg (born 8 December 1935) is a German film director, whose best known film is his lengthy feature ''Hitler: A Film from Germany''. Early life Born in Nossendorf, Province of Pomerania (1815–1945), Pomerania, the son of a ...

Pietro Germi Pietro Germi (; 14 September 1914 – 5 December 1974) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor, noted for his development of the neorealist and commedia all'Italiana genres. His 1961 film ''Divorce Italian Style'' earned him a Be ...

Dino Risi Dino Risi (23 December 1916 – 7 June 2008) was an Italian film director. With Mario Monicelli, Luigi Comencini, Nanni Loy and Ettore Scola, he was one of the masters of ''commedia all'italiana''. Biography Risi was born in Milan. He had an ol ...

Sergio Citti Sergio Citti (30 May 1933 – 11 October 2005) was an Italian film director and screenwriter, born in Rome. He often worked with Pier Paolo Pasolini, but also worked for others such as Ettore Scola. His own films include ''We Free Kings'', ...

Andrzej Żuławski Andrzej Żuławski (; 22 November 1940 – 17 February 2016) was a Polish film director and writer. Żuławski often went against mainstream commercialism in his films, and enjoyed success mostly with European art-house audiences. In the late 1 ...

, and

Liliana Cavani Liliana Cavani (born 12 January 1933, Carpi, Italy) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. She belongs to a generation of Italian filmmakers from Emilia-Romagna that came into prominence in the 1970s, including Bernardo Bertolucci, Pier Pa ...

, among others. In 1984, Machiavelli became a disciple of

Osho Rajneesh (born Chandra Mohan Jain; 11 December 193119 January 1990), also known as Acharya Rajneesh, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, and later as Osho (), was an Indian godman, mystic, and founder of the Rajneesh movement. He was viewed as a controv ...

and retired from show business. She eventually moved to

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

, where among other things she taught Italian at the

Bellevue College Bellevue College (BC) is a public college in Bellevue, Washington, United States. It is the largest of the 34 institutions that make up the Washington Community and Technical Colleges system and the third-largest institution of higher educatio ...

and at the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...

. She died of an undisclosed illness on 15 November 2015, aged 71.Obituary
"Ma Prem Anado"
OshoNews.com, 17 November 2015; retrieved 19 November 2015.

Selected filmography

* ''

Thrilling ''Thrilling'' is a 1965 Italian comedy film. The film is split into three distinct segments, each directed by a different director; namely Carlo Lizzani, Ettore Scola and Gian Luigi Polidoro. Cast Il vittimista * Directed by Ettore Scola * N ...

'' (1965) * '' A Question of Honour'' (1966) – Domenicangela Piras * ''

I nostri mariti ''I nostri mariti'' is a 1966 Italian comedy film directed by Luigi Filippo D'Amico, Dino Risi and Luigi Zampa. Cast * Alberto Sordi - Giovanni Lo Verso (segment "Il marito di Roberta") * Ugo Tognazzi - Carabiniere (segment "Il Marito di Attili ...

'' (1966) – Roberta (segment "Il Marito di Roberta") * ''

Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die ''Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die'' (Italian: ''Se tutte le donne del mondo... (Operazione Paradiso)'') is a James Bond spoof film released in 1966 as an Italian-American co-production between Dino De Laurentiis' Cinematografica and Columbia Pic ...

'' (1966) – Sylvia * '' The Hills Run Red'' (1966) – Mary Ann * ''

'' (1966) – Estella – Mrs. Lynne's maid * ''

Matchless Matchless is one of the oldest marques of British motorcycles, manufactured in Plumstead, London, between 1899 and 1966. A wide range of models were produced under the Matchless name, ranging from small two-strokes to 750 cc Four-stroke cy ...

'' (1967) – Tipsy * ''

Anyone Can Play ''Anyone Can Play'' ( it, Le dolci signore) is a 1968 Italian comedy film directed by Luigi Zampa and starring two Bond girls Ursula Andress and Claudine Auger. Cast * Ursula Andress as Norma * Virna Lisi as Luisa * Claudine Auger as Esmerelda ...

'' (1968) * '' A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die'' (1968) – Laurinda * '' Garter Colt'' (1968) – Lulu 'Garter' Colt * ''

Hate Thy Neighbor ''Hate Thy Neighbor'' ( it, Odia il prossimo tuo, also known as ''Hate Your Neighbor'') is a 1968 Italian Spaghetti Western film written and directed by Ferdinando Baldi. Cast * Clyde Garner: Ken Dakota * George Eastman: Gary Stevens * Nic ...

'' (1968) – Peggy Savalas * ''

Candy Candy, also called sweets (British English) or lollies (Australian English Australian English (AusE, AusEng, AuE, AuEng, en-AU) is the set of varieties of the English language native to Australia. It is the country's common language an ...

'' (1968) – Marquita * '' Scarabea: How Much Land Does a Man Need?'' (1969) – Scarabea * ''

Temptation Temptation is a desire to engage in short-term urges for enjoyment that threatens long-term goals.Webb, J.R. (Sep 2014). Incorporating Spirituality into Psychology of temptation: Conceptualization, measurement, and clinical implications. Sp ...

'' (1970) – Carla Veraldi * ''

A Noose for Django ''No Room To Die'' ( it, Una lunga fila di croci, also known as ''Hanging for Django'' and ''A Noose for Django'') is a 1969 Italian Spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Garrone Sergio Garrone (born 15 April 1925) is an Italian director, s ...

'' (1969) – Maya * ''

Monte Carlo or Bust! ''Monte Carlo or Bust!'' is a 1969 comedy film, also known by its American title, ''Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies''. A co-production of the United Kingdom, France and Italy, the story is based on the Monte Carlo Rally – fir ...

'' (1969) – Dominique * ''

Carnal Circuit ''Carnal Circuit'' ( it, Femmine insaziabili, german: Mord im schwarzen Cadillac, also known as ''The Insatiables'' and ''Beverly Hills'') is a 1969 Italian-German giallo written and directed by Alberto De Martino. Plot A man hides his best fri ...

'' (1969) – Luisa Lamberti * '' It Takes a Thief'', ep. " Who'll Bid Two Million Dollars?" (1969) – Varina * ''

The Ravine ''The Ravine'' ( it, La cattura) is a 1969 Italian-Yugoslav-American war drama film written and directed by Paolo Cavara and starring David McCallum, Nicoletta Machiavelli and John Crawford. Plot The story takes place in winter, during World ...

'' (1969) – Anja Kovach * ''

Necropolis A necropolis (plural necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek ''nekropolis'', literally meaning "city of the dead". The term usually im ...

'' (1970) * ''

A Pocketful of Chestnuts ''A Pocketful of Chestnuts'' it, Le castagne sono buone) is a 1970 Italian comedy film directed by Pietro Germi. Plot Luigi Vivarelli is a television director, a cynical and unrepentant womanizer. One day he meets Carla Lotito, an architecture s ...

'' (1970) – Teresa * ''

Lover of the Great Bear ''Lover of the Great Bear'' ( it, L'amante dell'Orsa Maggiore, french: La ligne de feu, german: Nur der letzte kam durch, also known as ''The Smugglers'') is a 1971 Italian-French-German drama film directed by Valentino Orsini and starring Giulian ...

'' (1971) – Leonia * ''

The Policeman ''The Policeman'' ( he, השוטר אזולאי, HaShoter Azoulay, lit=The Policeman Azoulay) is a 1971 Israeli feature film, written and directed by satirist Ephraim Kishon. The title character is played by Shaike Ophir (credited as Shay K. Ophi ...

'' (1971) * '' Man with the Transplanted Brain'' (1971) – Héléna * '' Dirty Weekend'' (1973) – Sylva * ''

Tony Arzenta ''Tony Arzenta'' (internationally released as ''Big Guns'' and ''No Way Out'') is a 1973 Italian noir film directed by Duccio Tessari. The film was commercially successful. Plot When the Milan based mafia hitman Tony Arzenta asks to get out of ...

'' (1973) – Anna – wife of Tony * ''La coppia'' (1973) * ''

Bawdy Tales ''Storie scellerate'', internationally released as ''Bawdy Tales'', is a 1973 Italian comedy film directed by Sergio Citti. Plot The film is set in 1800, in Rome. Two thieves are imprisoned and condemned to death. To pass the time, the two tell ...

'' (1973) – Duchessa Caterina di Ronciglione * ''

Icy Breasts ''Icy Breasts'' (french: Les seins de glace, it, Esecutore oltre la legge, also known as ''Someone Is Bleeding'') is a 1974 French-Italian psychological thriller film written and directed by Georges Lautner and starring Alain Delon. It is based on ...

'' (1974) – Mrs. Rilson * '' That Most Important Thing: Love'' (1975) – Luce, la femme de Lapade * ''

Malicious Pleasure ''Malicious Pleasure'' (aka ''Evil Pleasure'', ''Sly Pleasure'' ( French title: ''Le malin plaisir'') is a French film directed by Bernard Toublanc Michel, released in 1975, and it stars Jacques Weber, Claude Jade, Anny Duperey, Nicoletta Machiavel ...

'' (1975) – Melisa * ''L'Année sainte'' (1976) – Carla, la terroriste * ''

Free Hand for a Tough Cop ''Free Hand for a Tough Cop'' ( it, Il trucido e lo sbirro / The Numbskull and the Cop), also known as ''Tough Cop'', is an Italian poliziottesco-action film directed in 1976 by Umberto Lenzi and the second entry into the Tanzi/Moretto/Monnezza sh ...

'' (1976) – Mara * ''

Beyond Good and Evil ''Beyond Good and Evil: Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future'' (german: Jenseits von Gut und Böse: Vorspiel einer Philosophie der Zukunft) is a book by philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche that covers ideas in his previous work ''Thus Spoke Zarath ...

'' (1977) – Amanda * ''La fuite en avant'' (1983) – Fiama (final film role)

References

External links

*
Actress Machiavelli Now Star Teacher
bellevuecollege.edu; accessed 19 November 2015. {{DEFAULTSORT:Machiavelli, Nicoletta 1944 births 2015 deaths 20th-century Italian actresses American film actresses American women academics Italian emigrants to the United States Italian film actresses Italian women academics Spaghetti Western actresses Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze alumni Italian people of American descent 21st-century American women