Serena Grandi (born 23 March 1958, in

Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language, Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 1 ...

) is an Italian actress, famous as an

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most ...

and sex symbol in

Italian cinema The cinema of Italy (, ) comprises the films made within Italy or by Italian directors. Since its beginning, Italian cinema has influenced film movements worldwide. Italy is one of the birthplaces of art cinema and the stylistic aspect of film ha ...

of the 1980s and 1990s. Known for her junoesque body and voluptuous measurements, she was considered one of the main pin-up girls of Italy. Some films credited her as Vanessa Steiger. Horror film buffs know her for her two gory opuses, ''

Antropophagus ''Antropophagus'' (also known as ''Anthropophagus: The Beast'', ''The Savage Island'', and ''The Grim Reaper'') is a 1980 Italian horror film directed by Joe D'Amato and co-written by D'Amato and George Eastman, who starred in the film as a cann ...

'' (1980) and '' Delirium'' (1987).

Biography

Serena Grandi is the stage name for Serena Faggioli, born in

. She graduated in

computer programming Computer programming is the process of performing a particular computation (or more generally, accomplishing a specific computing result), usually by designing and building an executable computer program. Programming involves tasks such as anal ...

and was first employed in a scientific analysis laboratory. She started her acting career in 1980, playing a supporting role in the comedy film ''La Compagna di viaggio'' by Ferdinando Baldi. In the same year, Grandi played the role of Maggie in the controversial film ''

'', directed by

Joe D'Amato Aristide Massaccesi (15 December 1936 – 23 January 1999), known professionally as Joe D'Amato, was an Italian film director, producer, cinematographer, and screenwriter who worked in many genres ( westerns, decamerotici, peplum, war films, ...

. This film is well known among horror movie fans for its extreme gore sequences. After several minor roles, she took the title role in Tinto Brass' '' Miranda'', which gave her the status of sex symbol in her native

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

and set the path for her stardom. Through the 1980s, Grandi made nearly 20 films, mainly appearing in " Commedie sexy all'italiana" and erotic films, but also starring in sword epics such as ''

The Adventures of Hercules ''The Adventures of Hercules'' ( it, Le avventure dell'incredibile Ercole) is the 1985 sequel to the 1983 film ''Hercules''. It was written and directed by Luigi Cozzi and has bodybuilder-turned-actor Lou Ferrigno reprising his role as the title ...

'' and in some horror films. In 1987 Lamberto Bava gave her the role of Gloria in his film '' Delirium''. In 1991 she married the antiquarian Beppe Ercole, 20 years her senior, with whom she had a son Edoardo; the couple divorced in 1998. In the 1990s, Grandi started to back away from the spotlight; during this time she focused her career on television series. In 2003-2004 Grandi spent 157 days under house arrest, accused of having sold a few grams of cocaine. The case was later dismissed. In 2006, Grandi was a candidate in the list of Azione Sociale, a right-leaning party led by

Alessandra Mussolini Alessandra is a female given name of Italian origin, meaning ''defender of men''. It is the Italian form of the female given name Alexandra and the female form of the male given name Alessandro. Alessandra may refer to: * Alessandra Ambrosio (bo ...

, but she was not elected. The same year she published her first novel, ''L’amante del federale''. In 2008, after a break of ten years, she returned to acting. In 2017 Grandi competed in Grande Fratello VIP, the Italian adaptation of

Celebrity Big Brother ''Big Brother VIP'', is an adaptation of the '' Big Brother'' reality television series. It is the celebrity version of its parent franchise ''Big Brother'', the celebrity version airs in several countries, however, the housemates or houseguest ...

Filmography

Films

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Grandi, Serena 1958 births Living people Actors from Bologna Italian film actresses Italian television actresses Italian stage actresses Italian female models