Letícia Román (''née'' Novarese; born 12 August 1941) is an Italian film actress.

Early years

Román was born Letizia Novarese in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

in 1941. She was the daughter of stage actress Giuliana Gianni and screenwriter/costume designer Nino Novarese. Taught by tutors, Roman received the equivalent of an American high school education. She is fluent in five languages. Roman said that her parents did not want her to be an actress, but after arriving in Hollywood, she began studying acting under Sandy Meisner. She studied with Gladys Vogeler to diminish her accent.

Career

Román started her film career with a small part in the

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

film '' G.I. Blues'' where she plays Tina. Román had her first leading role in the film '' The Girl Who Knew Too Much'' (1963), where she plays Nora Davis, a mystery obsessed woman who believes she has witnessed a murder. After completing the film, Román went to Germany where she made several films including

Russ Meyer Russell Albion Meyer (March 21, 1922 – September 18, 2004) was an American filmmaker. He was primarily known for writing and directing a successful series of sexploitation films featuring campy humor, sly satire and large-breasted women, wh ...

's ''

Fanny Hill ''Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure'' – popularly known as ''Fanny Hill'' – is an erotic novel by the English novelist John Cleland first published in London in 1748 and 1749. Written while the author was in debtors' prison in London,Wagne ...

''.

Later years

Román retired from acting after getting married in 1966 to Peter Anthony Gelles, by whom she had one child. According to actor

John Saxon John Saxon (born Carmine Orrico; August 5, 1936 – July 25, 2020) was an American actor who worked on more than 200 film and television projects during a span of 60 years. He was known for his work in Westerns and horror films, often playing ...

, Román later worked in the real estate business in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

briefly.

Selected filmography

* '' G.I. Blues'' (1960) * '' Pirates of Tortuga'' (1961) * ''

Gold of the Seven Saints ''Gold of the Seven Saints'' is a 1961 American Western film adaptation of a 1957 Steve Frazee novel titled ''Desert Guns''. Released by Warner Brothers, the 88-minute film starred Clint Walker, Roger Moore, Letícia Román, Robert Middleton, a ...

'' (1961) * ''

Charge of the Black Lancers ''Charge of the Black Lancers'' () is a 1962 swashbuckling adventure film directed by Giacomo Gentilomo and starring Mel Ferrer, Yvonne Furneaux and Leticia Román. Plot Sergio of Tula goes to Dubno to free Princess Mascia imprisoned by Queen ...

'' (1962) * ''

Pontius Pilate Pontius Pilate (; ) was the Roman administration of Judaea (AD 6–135), fifth governor of the Judaea (Roman province), Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official wh ...

'' (1962) * '' The Girl Who Knew Too Much'' (1963) * ''

'' (1964) * '' Marry Me, Cherie'' (1964) * ' (1965) * '' The Gentlemen'' (1965) * '' Who Wants to Sleep?'' (1965) * '' When the Grapevines Bloom on the Danube'' (1965) * ''

Old Surehand ''Old Surehand'' (, also known as ''Flaming Frontier'') is a 1965 German Western (genre), Western film starring Stewart Granger, Pierre Brice and Letitia Roman. The film is based on a novel by Karl May. It was shot at the Spandau Studios an ...

'' (1965) * '' High Season for Spies'' (1966) * ''F Troop: La Dolce Courage'' (1966) * '' The Spy in the Green Hat'' (1967) * ''Mannix: Make It Like It Never Happened'' – TV episode (1967) * ''I Spy: Casanova from Canarsie'' – TV episode (1967) * ''

The Big Valley ''The Big Valley'' is an American Western television series that originally aired from September 15, 1965, to May 19, 1969 on ABC. The series is set on the fictional Barkley Ranch in Stockton, California, from 1884 to 1888. The one-hour epis ...

'' (1967)

References

External links

* 1941 births Italian film actresses Actresses from Rome Living people 20th-century Italian actresses {{Italy-film-actor-stub