Anna Kanakis
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Anna Kanakis (; 1 February 1962 – 19 November 2023) was an Italian actress, novelist, model and beauty pageant titleholder.


Life and career

Born in
Messina Messina ( , ; ; ; ) is a harbour city and the capital city, capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of 216,918 inhabitants ...
from a Greek father from
Crete Crete ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...
and a Sicilian mother, in 1977 Kanakis was Miss Italy at 15 years old, being the younger winner at the time. In 1981, she entered the
Miss Universe Miss Universe is an annual international major beauty pageant that is run by a Thailand and Mexican-based Miss Universe Organization.Natalie Tadena (July 2, 2015"Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant Lands on Reelz Cable Channel". ''The Wall Stree ...
competition. Kanakis worked in cinema as early as 1980, being mainly active in comedy films. In later years, her career transitioned to television, where she had leading roles in series and TV-movies. Starting from ''You're So Mine When You Sleep'', a 2010 novel about
George Sand Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin de Francueil (; 1 July 1804 – 8 June 1876), best known by her pen name George Sand (), was a French novelist, memoirist and journalist. Being more renowned than either Victor Hugo or Honoré de Balz ...
's life, Kanakis specialized in historical novels. Her last work was ''Don't judge me'' ("Non giudicarmi"), a novel about the life events of
Jacques d'Adelswärd-Fersen Baron Jacques d'Adelswärd-Fersen (20 February 1880 – 5 November 1923) was a French novelist and poet. His life forms the basis of a fictionalised 1959 novel by Roger Peyrefitte entitled ''The Exile of Capri'' (''L'exilé de Capri''). In 1903, ...
. Kanakis also had a brief political experience as national leader of Culture and Entertainment in the Democratic Union for the Republic.


Personal life and death

In 1981, Kanakis married the composer Claudio Simonetti, but their marriage only lasted a few years. From 2004, she was married to Marco Merati Foscarini, a descendant of Marco Foscarini, one of the last
Doges of Venice The Doge of Venice ( ) – in Italian, was the doge or highest role of authority within the Republic of Venice (697–1797). The word derives from the Latin , meaning 'leader', and Venetian Italian dialect for 'duke', highest official of the ...
. Kanakis had no children. She died of lymphoma on 19 November 2023, aged 61.


Selected filmography


Film


Television


References


External links


Official site
* 1962 births 2023 deaths 20th-century Italian actresses 21st-century Italian actresses Italian beauty pageant winners Italian female models Italian film actresses Italian people of Greek descent Italian television actresses Miss Europe Miss Universe 1981 contestants Actresses from Messina Models from Sicily {{Italy-screen-actor-stub