Stefania Rocca (born 24 April 1971) is an

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

actress. She is best known for her roles in the films ''

Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...

'' (1997), ''

The Talented Mr. Ripley ''The Talented Mr. Ripley'' is a 1955 psychological thriller novel by Patricia Highsmith. This novel introduced the character of Tom Ripley, who returns in four subsequent novels. It has been adapted numerous times for screen, including ''Purpl ...

'' (1999) and ''

Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...

'' (2002). Rocca also was the lead in

Dario Argento Dario Argento (; born 7 September 1940) is an Italian film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and film critic, critic. His influential work in the horror film, horror genre during the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in the subgenre known as ...

's ''

The Card Player ''The Card Player'' (Italian: ''Il cartaio'') is a 2004 giallo film directed by Dario Argento. The film stars Stefania Rocca and Liam Cunningham and is Argento's second giallo feature of the decade (following '' Sleepless''). The film features ...

''. Among her most recent appearances, she was in Alessandro D'Alatri's comedy film ''

Commediasexi ''Commediasexi'' is a 2006 Italian comedy film. Plot Starring Paolo Bonolis, Sergio Rubini and Stefania Rocca, the film mocks the Italian political class and its hypocrisy. The zealot politician Massimo (Paolo Bonolis), proponent of a law about ...

'' where she played the main character, Pia Roncaldi. She starred as Hannah in the 1997 film ''

Solomon Solomon (; , ),, ; ar, سُلَيْمَان, ', , ; el, Σολομών, ; la, Salomon also called Jedidiah (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Modern Hebrew, Modern: , Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Yăḏīḏăyāh'', "beloved of Yahweh, Yah"), ...

''.

Background and personal life

Rocca was born in

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...

, the daughter of a

Fiat Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiary ...

chief of security and a stylist. Beginning in her adolescence Rocca studied piano, singing, and dancing at the Teatro Stabile di Torino. In the late 1980s she moved to

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

where she started working as a model; in Milan she enrolled a series of acting courses. In 1993, thanks to a scholarship, she joined the

Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia The Centro sperimentale di cinematografia (Experimental Film Centre or Italian National film school) was established in 1935 in Italy and aims to promote the art and technique of cinematography and film. The centre is the oldest film school in ...

in Rome. She also studied at the

Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. Rocca is married to her long-time partner Carlo Capasa, whom she wed in a highly secretive ceremony in 2013. The couple has been together since 2005, and has two sons.

Career

Rocca made her acting debut with a secondary role in

Giulio Base Giulio Base (born 6 December 1964) is an Italian film director. He has received two doctorates, one in Literature and Philosophy and another in Theology, and has been a member of Mensa International since 1996. Career Base began his career a ...

's ''

Policemen A police officer (also called a policeman and, less commonly, a policewoman) is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, "police officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of the ...

'' but her breakout role was the blue haired Naima in the

Gabriele Salvatores Gabriele Salvatores (born 30 July 1950) is an Italian Academy Award-winning film director and screenwriter. Biography Born in Naples, Salvatores debuted as a theatre director in 1972, founding in Milan the Teatro dell'Elfo, for which he directe ...

cyberpunk Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian futuristic setting that tends to focus on a "combination of lowlife and high tech", featuring futuristic technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial intelligence and cyber ...

film ''

'' (1997). After enrolling a course at the

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, in 1998, Rocca had her first main role in the controversial erotic thriller '' Viol@'', and for her performance she was nominated to the

Nastro d'Argento for Best Actress The ''Nastro d'Argento'' (Silver Ribbon) is a film award assigned each year, since 1946, by ''Sindacato Nazionale dei Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani'' ("Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists") the association of Italian film critics. ...

. One year later, Rocca appeared in

Anthony Minghella Anthony Minghella, (6 January 195418 March 2008) was a British film director, playwright and screenwriter. He was chairman of the board of Governors at the British Film Institute between 2003 and 2007. He won the Academy Award for Best Directo ...

's ''

'' as

Jude Law David Jude Heyworth Law (born 29 December 1972) is an English actor. He received a British Academy Film Award, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards, two Tony Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. In 2007, he received an Honorary Césa ...

's lover, then she appeared in other international productions, including

Kenneth Branagh Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh (; born 10 December 1960) is a British actor and filmmaker. Branagh trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and has served as its president since 2015. He has won an Academy Award, four BAFTAs (plus t ...

's ''

Love's Labour's Lost ''Love's Labour's Lost'' is one of William Shakespeare's early comedies, believed to have been written in the mid-1590s for a performance at the Inns of Court before Elizabeth I of England, Queen Elizabeth I. It follows the King of Navarre and ...

'',

Mike Figgis Michael Figgis (born 28 February 1948) is an English film director, screenwriter, and composer. He was nominated for two Academy Awards for his work in ''Leaving Las Vegas'' (1995). Figgis was the founding patron of the independent filmmakers o ...

' experimental ''

Hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...

'' and

Tom Tykwer Tom Tykwer (; born 23 May 1965) is a German film director, producer, screenwriter, and composer. He is best known internationally for directing the thriller films ''Run Lola Run'' (1998), ''Heaven (2002 film), Heaven'' (2002), ''Perfume: The St ...

's ''

Heaven Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...

''. In 2003, Rocca had her main commercial success in Italy, with Alessandro D'Alatri's comedy ''

Casomai ''Casomai'' (also known as ''If by Chance'') is a 2002 Italian romantic comedy film written and directed by Alessandro D'Alatri. Cast *Fabio Volo: Tommaso * Stefania Rocca: Stefania *Gennaro Nunziante Gennaro Nunziante is an Italian film di ...

'', which also gave her a nomination for Best Actress at the Nastro d'Argento and

David di Donatello Awards The David di Donatello Awards, named after Donatello's ''David'', a symbolic statue of the Italian Renaissance, are film awards given out each year by the ''Accademia del Cinema Italiano'' (The Academy of Italian Cinema). There are 26 award cat ...

. In 2005, she played a blind lesbian in the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

-nominated drama ''

The Beast in the Heart ''Don't Tell'' ( it, La bestia nel cuore; ) is a 2005 film directed by Cristina Comencini, based on a novel written by her. It was nominated for Golden Lion prize at the 62nd Venice International Film Festival, and also for the Academy Award fo ...

'', and for her performance, she was nominated for the

David di Donatello for Best Supporting Actress The David di Donatello Award for Best Supporting Actress ( it, David di Donatello per la migliore attrice non protagonista) is a film award presented annually by the Accademia del Cinema Italiano (ACI, ''Academy of Italian Cinema'') to recognize the ...

. Since the mid-2000s, Rocca has mainly appeared on television. She is also active on stage.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rocca, Stefania 1971 births Living people Actors from Turin Italian film actresses Italian television actresses Italian stage actresses Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia alumni Actors Studio alumni Ciak d'oro winners