Isabella Rossellini Biography

Rossellini is noted for her 14-year tenure as a Lancome model, and for her roles in films such as "Blue Velvet" and "Death Becomes Her."

At the age of 19, she moved to New York, where she became a translator and later a reporter for RAI-Italian Television. Her popular segments led to appearances as the New York correspondent for the weekly Italian comedy show THE OTHER SUNDAY, with Roberto Benigni.At the relatively advanced age of 28, Rossellini began a modeling career when she was photographed by Bruce Weber for British Vogue and by Bill King for American Vogue. She has since worked with the industry's most distinguished photographers - from Richard Avedon to Steven Meisel, from Helmut Newton to Peter Lindbergh, from Norman Parkinson to Eve Arnold. She has appeared on the cover of such magazines as Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, Bazaar and Vanity Fair. An exhibition of photographs of Rossellini, Portrait of a Woman, was held in March 1988 at the Museum of Modern Art of the city of Paris.

She made her cinematic debut in 1979 in Paolo and Vittorio Taviani's IL PRATO (THE MEADOW). Her American film debut was opposite Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines in Taylor Hackford's WHITE NIGHTS. In 1986, she starred opposite Dennis Hopper as Dorothy Vallens, the tortured lounge singer, in David Lynch's haunting and controversial BLUE VELVET.

She will next be seen in THE FEAST OF THE GOAT, Luis Llosa's screen adaptation of Mario Vargas LLosa's novel and Doug McGrath’s HAVE YOU HEARD? Rossellini most recently starred as Lady Port-Huntly in Guy Maddin's THE SADDEST MUSIC IN THE WORLD, an eccentric tale about a Depression-era contest to find the world's saddest music. She also starred in Dylan Kidd's critically acclaimed film, ROGER DODGER opposite Campbell Scott.

Her other film credits include COUSINS, ZELLY AND ME, WILD AT HEART, DEATH BECOMES HER, FEARLESS, WYATT EARP, BIG NIGHT, THE IMPOSTORS and THE FUNERAL. Her portrait of the Jewish Hassidic mother in LEFT LUGGAGE directed by Jeroen Krabbe, won a special award at the Berlin Film Festival in 1998.

Isabella most recently appeared on several episodes of ABC’s ALIAS. She also recently starred in the television movie, MONTE WALSH for TNT opposite Tom Selleck and in NAPOLEON for A & E opposite Gerard Depardieu, John Malkovich and Sophia Loren. She recently wrapped production on Robert Halmi's Sci Fi Channel telepic EARTHSEA based on the Ursula K. Le Guin novels A WIZARD OF EARTHSEA and THE TOMBS OF ATUAN. Other television credits include MERLIN, DON QUIXOTE, THE ODYSSEY, THE FRIGHTENING FRAMMIS, THE GIFT, CRIME OF THE CENTURY (Golden Globe nomination) and on the series CHICAGO HOPE (Emmy Nomination).

On stage, she made her American-theater debut in Spring 2004 in Terrence McNally's off-Broadway play THE STENDHAL SYNDROME.

Rossellini's modeling and acting career also led her into the world of cosmetics. Beginning in 1982, she was the exclusive spokesperson for the international cosmetics brand Lancome for 14 years. In 1990, Lancome launched the very successful fragrance Tresor, which was Rossellini's first involvement with product development. In 1995, Isabella began a collaboration with Lancaster Group to develop her own brand of cosmetics, Manifesto, which launched internationally in May 1999.

Rossellini's photographic book, Looking At Me, is currently in stores. Her self-described fictional memoir Some of Me was published in the USA in 1997. The book has since also been published in Italian, German and French language editions. Also in 1997, the George Eastman House (USA) honored Rossellini for her work in preserving the films of her parents, Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini.

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