Milena Vukotic (, ; born 23 April 1935) is an Italian former ballerina and a stage,

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

, and

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...

actress.

Biography

Vukotic was born in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, to a Serb Montenegrin comedy playwright father and an Italian

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Def ...

mother. As a child she studied acting and classical dance, in

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

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. A brilliant character actress, Vukotic became well known for her role of Pina Fantozzi in the ''

Fantozzi ''Fantozzi'' is a 1975 Italian satirical cult film, based on in the saga of the unlucky Italian accountant employee Ugo Fantozzi, written and played by his creator Paolo Villaggio. The film is a parody of middle class workers of the 1970s, unh ...

'' series of comedy films (winning a

Nastro d'Argento The Nastro d'Argento, also known by its translated name Silver Ribbon, is an Italian film award awarded each year since 1946 by the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists (Italian: ''Sindacato Nazionale Giornalisti Cinematografici Italian ...

for Best Supporting Actress for her role in '' Fantozzi in paradiso'') and, later in her life, for the role of Grandma Enrica in the TV series '' Un medico in famiglia''. She worked with

Federico Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and most ...

, Luis Buñuel and

Andrei Tarkovsky Andrei Arsenyevich Tarkovsky ( rus, Андрей Арсеньевич Тарковский, p=ɐnˈdrʲej ɐrˈsʲenʲjɪvʲɪtɕ tɐrˈkofskʲɪj; 4 April 1932 – 29 December 1986) was a Russian filmmaker. Widely considered one of the greates ...

. On stage, she became one of Rina Morelli's favourite actresses and worked in other prestigious theatrical productions with directors like

Franco Zeffirelli Gian Franco Corsi Zeffirelli (12 February 1923 – 15 June 2019), was an Italian stage and film director, producer, production designer and politician. He was one of the most significant opera and theatre directors of the post-World War II era, ...

Giorgio Strehler Giorgio Strehler (; ; 14 August 1921 – 25 December 1997) was an actor, Italian opera and theatre director. Biography Strehler was born in Barcola, Trieste; His father, Bruno Strehler, was a native of Trieste with family roots in Vienna and died ...

Paolo Poli Paolo Poli (May 23, 1929 – March 25, 2016) was an Italian theatre actor. He has also acted in films and on television. Career After a university degree in French literature, Poli began his acting career in the early 1950s and was one of the f ...

and

Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau (, , ; 5 July 1889 – 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, filmmaker, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost creatives of the s ...

. She had a recurring role on the French television series ''

Une famille formidable Une famille formidable (English: ''A Wonderful Family'', literal English title: ''A marvelous family'') is a French romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing o ...

''. In 1987 she played in the German series ''

Anna Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century) * Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 1221) ...

'', which was a big success in the German-speaking countries.

Selected filmography

*'' The Centurion'' (1961) *''

The Thursday ''The Thursday'' ( it, Il giovedì) is a 1963 Italian comedy film directed by Dino Risi. It was shown as part of a retrospective on Italian comedy at the 67th Venice International Film Festival. Cast * Walter Chiari as Dino Versini * Michèle ...

'' (1963) *''

Juliet of the Spirits ''Juliet of the Spirits'' ( it, Giulietta degli spiriti) is a 1965 fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Federico Fellini and starring Giulietta Masina, Sandra Milo, Mario Pisu, Valentina Cortese, and Valeska Gert. The film is about the visio ...

'' (1965) *'' Thrilling'' (1965) *'' Made in Italy'' (1965) *'' Questa volta parliamo di uomini'' (1965) *'' The Devil in Love'' (1966) *''

Rita the Mosquito ''Rita the Mosquito'' ( it, Rita la zanzara) is a 1966 Italian "musicarello" film directed by Lina Wertmüller (under the stage name George H. Brown). It has a sequel, '' Don't Sting the Mosquito''. Plot Cast * Rita Pavone: Rita * Gianca ...

'' (1966) *'' Me, Me, Me... and the Others'' (1966) *''

Arabella ''Arabella'', Op. 79, is a lyric comedy, or opera, in three acts by Richard Strauss to a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, their sixth and last operatic collaboration. Performance history It was first performed on 1 July 1933 at the Dr ...

'' (1967) *''

The Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunk ...

'' (1967) *'' The Biggest Bundle of Them All'' (1968) *'' Love and Anger'' (1969) *'' The Adventurers'' (1970) *''

Come Have Coffee with Us ''Venga a prendere il caffè da noi'', internationally released as ''Come Have Coffee with Us'', is a 1970 Italian comedy film directed by Alberto Lattuada. It is based on the novel ''La spartizione'' by Piero Chiara. The film was awarded with two ...

'' (1970) *''

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie ''The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie'' (french: Le Charme discret de la bourgeoisie) is a 1972 surrealist film directed by Luis Buñuel from a screenplay co-written with Jean-Claude Carrière. The narrative concerns a group of bourgeois people ...

'' (1972) *''

Blood for Dracula ''Blood for Dracula'' is a 1974 horror film written and directed by Paul Morrissey and starring Udo Kier, Joe Dallesandro, Maxime McKendry, Stefania Casini, Arno Juerging, and Vittorio de Sica. Upon its initial 1974 release in West Germany a ...

'' (1974) *''

The Phantom of Liberty ''The Phantom of Liberty'' (french: Le Fantôme de la liberté) is a 1974 surrealist comedy film by Luis Buñuel, produced by Serge Silberman and starring Adriana Asti, Julien Bertheau and Jean-Claude Brialy. It features a non-linear plot stru ...

'' (1974) *'' My Friends'' (1975) *''

That Obscure Object of Desire ''That Obscure Object of Desire'' (french: Cet obscur objet du désir; es, Ese oscuro objeto del deseo) is a 1977 comedy-drama film directed by Luis Buñuel, based on the 1898 novel '' The Woman and the Puppet'' by Pierre Louÿs. It was Buñuel's ...

'' (1977) *''

Black Journal ''Black Journal'' ( it, Gran bollito, lit=Large bollito) is a 1977 Italian black comedy film directed by Mauro Bolognini. It is loosely based on real-life serial killer Leonarda Cianciulli, who killed three women between 1939 and 1940, and turn ...

'' (1977) *'' Saturday, Sunday and Friday'' (1979) *'' La terrazza'' (1980) *'' Sunday Lovers'' (1980) *''

Fantozzi contro tutti ''Fantozzi'' is a 1975 Italian satirical cult film, based on in the saga of the unlucky Italian accountant employee Ugo Fantozzi, written and played by his creator Paolo Villaggio. The film is a parody of middle class workers of the 1970s ...

'' (1980) *'' Il turno'' (1981) *'' Bianco, rosso e Verdone'' (1981) *''

All My Friends Part 2 ''All My Friends Part 2'' ( it, Amici miei Atto II) is a 1982 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Monicelli. It is the sequel to ''Amici miei'' of 1975. The movie features Paolo Stoppa in one of his last roles. The last chapter of this saga ...

'' (1982) *''

Monsignor Monsignor (; it, monsignore ) is an honorific form of address or title for certain male clergy members, usually members of the Roman Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" ...

'' (1982) *'' Nostalghia'' (1983) *'' Fantozzi subisce ancora'' (1983) *'' The House of the Yellow Carpet'' (1983) *''

Occhio, malocchio, prezzemolo e finocchio ''Occhio, malocchio, prezzemolo e finocchio'' (Italian for "Eye, evil eye, parsley and fennel", also known as ''Evil Eye'') is a 1983 Italian comedy film directed by Sergio Martino. The film consists in two episodes spoofing superstition and magi ...

'' (1983) *''

Max, Mon Amour ''Max, Mon Amour'' ''Max, My Love'' is a 1986 film directed by Nagisa Ōshima, starring Charlotte Rampling, Anthony Higgins (actor), Anthony Higgins, Victoria Abril, Pierre Étaix and Milena Vukotic. The screenplay was written by Ōshima and Jean- ...

'' (1986) *'' Fantozzi va in pensione'' (1988) *'' Mano rubata'' (1989) *'' Fantozzi alla riscossa'' (1990) *'' The Wicked'' (1991) *'' Stefano Quantestorie'' (1993) *'' Fantozzi in paradiso'' (1993) *'' Fantozzi – Il ritorno'' (1996) *''

Fantozzi 2000 – La clonazione ''Fantozzi 2000 – La clonazione'' (''Fantozzi 2000 - The cloning'') is an Italian comedy film released in 1999. It is the tenth and final film in the saga of the unlucky clerk Ugo Fantozzi, played by its creator, Paolo Villaggio. Plot Fantozzi ...

'' (1999) *'' A Good Woman'' (2004) *'' Saturn in Opposition'' (2007) *'' Un giorno perfetto'' (2008) *'' Letters to Juliet'' (2010) *''

The Chair of Happiness ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (2014) *'' La macchinazione'' (2016) *'' Natale da chef'' (2017) *'' In vacanza su Marte'' (2020)

Awards and nominations

David di Donatello The David di Donatello Awards, named after Donatello's ''David'', a symbolic statue of the Italian Renaissance, are film awards given out each year by the ''Accademia del Cinema Italiano'' (The Academy of Italian Cinema). There are 26 award cat ...

*1983 nominated to

David di Donatello for Best Supporting Actress The David di Donatello Award for Best Supporting Actress ( it, David di Donatello per la migliore attrice non protagonista) is a film award presented annually by the Accademia del Cinema Italiano (ACI, ''Academy of Italian Cinema'') to recognize the ...

for her performance in ''

'' *1991 nominated to

for her performance in '' Fantozzi alla riscossa'' *2014 nominated to

for her performance in ''

Nastro d'Argento The Nastro d'Argento, also known by its translated name Silver Ribbon, is an Italian film award awarded each year since 1946 by the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists (Italian: ''Sindacato Nazionale Giornalisti Cinematografici Italian ...

*1976 nominated to Nastro d'Argento Best supporting Actress for her performance in '' My Friends'' *1991 nominated to Nastro d'Argento Best supporting Actress for her performance in '' Fantozzi alla riscossa'' *1994 Nastro d'Argento Best supporting Actress for her performance in '' Fantozzi in paradiso'' *2016 nominated to Nastro d'Argento Best supporting Actress for her performance in '' La macchinazione''

External links

*
Official website
1935 births Living people Dancers from Rome Italian film actresses Italian people of Montenegrin descent Actresses from Rome Nastro d'Argento winners Ciak d'oro winners {{Italy-actor-stub