Isabella Fiorella Elettra Giovanna Rossellini (born June 18 1952) is an Italian-Swedish fashion model and an actress, daughter of Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini. She has a twin sister, who is a professor of Italian literature, Isotta Rossellini, and a brother, Roberto Ingmar Rossellini.

Biography

Isabella Rossellini was born in Rome, Italy.

As an actress she made her film debut with a brief appearance opposite her mother in the 1976 film A Matter of Time, though she didn't seriously take up acting until after her mother's death. She is probably best known for her role as Dorothy Vallens in David Lynch's Blue Velvet. She later took a part in Wild at Heart by the same director.

Other roles include Cousins (a Hollywood remake of the French film Cousin, Cousine), Death Becomes Her and Fearless.

Even though she closely resembles her mother, until 2006 Rossellini had never been cast as Ingrid Bergman in any film, although she did perform an eerily accurate parody of Bergman's character Ilsa Lund from Casablanca in an episode of Tales from the Crypt.

She was married during 1979-1983 to director Martin Scorsese, and later married to John Wiedemann with whom she has a daughter, Elettra. She was also romantically linked to David Lynch and Gary Oldman.

Her modeling career began when she was photographed by Bruce Weber for British Vogue and by Bill King for American Vogue. She has worked with many renowned photographers, including Richard Avedon, Francesco Scavullo, Annie Leibovitz, and Robert Mapplethorpe. Her image has appeared on such magazines as Marie Claire, Harper's Bazaar, and Vanity Fair.

Rossellini's modeling and acting career also led her into the world of cosmetics. Beginning in 1982, she was exclusive spokesmodel for the international cosmetics brand Lancôme for 14 years. She replaced Nancy Duteil in the United States and Carol Alt in Europe.

An exhibition of photographs of Rossellini, Portrait of a Woman, was held in March 1988 at the Musée d'art moderne Grand-Duc Jean in Paris.

In 1995, she developed her own brand of cosmetics, Isabella Rossellini's Manifesto.

Her autobiography, Some of Me, was published in 1997. That year she also provided voice acting for the video game Ceremony of Innocence, together with Paul McGann and Ben Kingsley. In 2002, she released her second book, Looking at Me (on pictures and photographers).

Beginning in 2003 she had a recurring role on the television series, Alias and that same year appeared in the Canadian film The Saddest Music in the World directed by Guy Maddin. In 2004 she played as the High Priestess Thar in the Sci Fi Channel miniseries Legend of Earthsea.

In 2006 she made (together with director Guy Maddin) a short film about her father Roberto Rossellini, My dad is 100 years old. She also wrote an accompanying book, her third, entitled "In the name of the Father, the Daughter and the Holy Spirits: Remembering Roberto Rossellini". She played her mother Ingrid Bergman, movie directors Alfred Hitchcock, Federico Fellini and Charles Chaplin and producer David O. Selznick.

Selected filmography

• A Matter Of Time (1976)
• Il Prato (1979)
• Il Pap'occhio (1980)
• White Nights (1985)
• Blue Velvet (1986)
• Oci ciornie (1987)
• Tough Guys Don't Dance (1987)
• Siesta (1987)
• Zelly and Me (1988)
• Cousins (1989)
• Red Riding Hood (1989)
• Wild at Heart (1990)
• Ivory Hunters (1990)
• Dames Galantes (1990)
• Caccia A La Vedova (1991)
• Lies Of The Twins (1991)
• Death Becomes Her (1992)
• The Pickle (1993)
• The Innocent (1993)
• Fearless (1993)
• Wyatt Earp (1994)
• Immortal Beloved (1994)
• Croce e delizia (1995)
• Big Night (1996)
• The Funeral (1996)
• Crime of the Century (1996)
• Left Luggage (1998)
• Merlin (1998)
• The Impostors (1998)
• Don Quixote (2000)
• Il Cielo cade (2000)
• Empire (2002)
• Roger Dodger (2002)
• Napoleon (2002)
• Monte Walsh (2003)
• The Saddest Music in the World (2003)
• Vaux to the Sea (2004)
• King of the Corner (2004)
• Heights (2004)
• Legend of Earthsea (2004)
• La Fiesta del chivo (2005)
• Infamous (2006)
• The Architect (2006)

References

External links

• Isabella Rossellini at the Internet Movie Database
• The Isabella And Elettra Picture Show

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