Biography of Anita Ekberg

Captured Northern beauty

September 29, 1931
January 11, 2015
Kerstin Anita Marianne Ekberg was born in Malmö, Sweden, on 29 September 1931. His very large family, seven brothers and sisters, contributes to the formation of his independent spirit and combative. Start working very soon as a model and in 1950 he won the title of Miss Sweden. The national beauty title victory allows her participation in the Miss Universe pageant. Anita Ekberg moved thus in United States where he won the title, but thanks to wealthy filmmaker (as well as Tycoon and Aviator) Howard Hughes, gets a contract with RKO, which however did not bring her participation in any film project. How will reveal later, Hughes is not very interested in her acting skills: man makes a marriage proposal, which she refuses.
To increase his chances of working in film, Anita studied acting and diction and learned to ride a horse in the Hollywood Hills. Her beauty and her particular voice allow her to begin working with Universal. Her film debut takes place in 1953 with the film "Abbott and Costello Go to Mars" by Charles Lamont, where playing the part of a Venusian guard. In this first trial follows a participation in the film "the Golden Sword" (1953) by Nathan Juran also featuring Rock Hudson. The two films and her mysterious attitude the worth the nickname of "The Iceberg", which actually began as a play on his last name.
In spite, however, of the nickname, Anita Ekberg was noted by attracting the sympathy of many well known characters of the American star system , including Tyrone Power, Errol Flynn, Frank Sinatra and Gary Cooper. The actress understands having to play skillfully with his unbridled womanhood, and decides to appear naked on the pages of Playboy, organising fake accidents at the same time, like that of the dress suddenly opened in the lobby of Hotel Berkeley in London. Even his marriage in 1956 to English actor Anthony Steel, from which divorced after just two years, contributes to increasing press attention around his character. Anita Ekberg is thus able to get a starring role in the film "artists and models" beside the couple Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin and in "Hollywood or death" by Frank Tashlin, a role which won a Golden Globe for best actress.
The turning point came in 1956 with a participation in the movie "war and peace" by King Vidor. The beautiful Swedish arrives in Italy in 1959 to shoot with Guido Brignone "Nel segno di Roma" and the following year plays the role of Silvia in "La dolce vita" by Federico Fellini. With Fellini began a long and happy working collaboration which participate in three other films: "Boccaccio 70" (1962) "the clown" (1970) and "the interview" (1987). But the scene of "La dolce vita" when Anita takes a bath in the Trevi Fountain remains probably the strongest symbol, almost legendary, attached to his acting career.
In 1963 back in Hollywood to shoot a number of films, including "call me Bwana" by Bob Hope. In the same year he married for the second time: the new husband is the actor Rik Van Nutter. The marriage lasts about eight years: the two divorced in 1975. In the second half of the 1960s, Anita Ekberg moves his residence in Italy and works mainly in European productions as: "excuse me, are you for or against" (1966) alongside Alberto Sordi and "woman times seven (1967) by Vittorio De Sica, in which starred Shirley MacLaine. After his second divorce, her private life continues to be quite eventful: for about three years living a secret love affair with Gianni Agnelli, and is also attributed a relationship with Director Dino Risi, which she denied.
From the 1970s onwards participates in a series of B-movies as "Casa d'appuntamento" with Barbara Bouchet, the thriller "killer nun" (1978) by Giulio Berruti, and the spaghetti western "the cavalcade of vengeance" (1972) by Richard Harrison. In the 1990s also participates in the movie "Doll" by Bigas Luna acting in the role of the mother of Valeria Marini, and the film "red dwarf" (1998) by Yvan Lemoine, in which she played a mature opera singer. His last appearance was the participation of television fiction "Il bello delle donne" (2005). Since he left for the United States in 1950, Anita no longer lived in Sweden; for years he lived in a villa outside Rome. However, he welcomed into his home Swedish journalists and took part in a popular Swedish radio program telling of his life. In later life, said she'd be back in Sweden until after his death. Anita Ekberg went off to 83 years the January 11, 2015: from the time he was admitted in the clinic San Raffaele in Rocca di Papa.
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.