Irene Genna (4 January 1931 – 6 February 1986) was a Greek-born Italian film and television actress.

Life and career

Born in

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

by an Italian father and a Greek mother, Genna made her high school studies in Greece, then she moved to Italy with her family. In Rome she enrolled at the school of the

Teatro dell'Opera di Roma The Teatro dell'Opera di Roma (Rome Opera House) is an opera house in Rome, Italy. Originally opened in November 1880 as the 2,212 seat ''Costanzi Theatre'', it has undergone several changes of name as well modifications and improvements. The pres ...

and she followed the acting courses held by actress Teresa Franchini. Genna debuted at a very young age in

Mario Mattoli Mario Mattoli (; 30 November 1898 – 26 February 1980) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed 86 films between 1934 and 1966. His 1939 film ''Defendant, Stand Up!'' was shown as part of a retrospective on Italian comed ...

's '' The Two Orphans''. She had her breakout in 1949, with

Renato Castellani Renato Castellani (4 September 1913 – 28 December 1985) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. Early life Son of a representative of Kodak, he was born in Varigotti, at the time a hamlet of Final Pia, which became Finale Ligure ( ...

's neorealist post-war drama ''

It's Forever Springtime ''It's Forever Springtime'' (Italian: ''È primavera...'') is a 1950 Italian drama film directed by Renato Castellani. Plot Beppe Agosti, Florentine, baker's boy and orphan, is very popular with girls, especially the servants, for his easy way ...

'', in which she also had her first major role. In spite of the critical appreciation she received, Genna's career mainly continued in less ambitious productions, including several

RAI (), commercially styled as since 2000 and known until 1954 as (RAI), is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many terrestrial and subscription television channels a ...

TV-series. In 1957 Genna married Amedeo Nazzari with whom she had a daughter,

Evelina ''Evelina, or the History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World'' is a novel written by English author Frances Burney and first published in 1778. Although published anonymously, its authorship was revealed by the poet George Huddesford in ...

, also an actress, and she retired from show business.

Selected filmography

* ''

'' (1950) * '' The Bread Peddler'' (1950) * '' Born of Unknown Father'' (1950) * '' Verginità'' (1952) * '' Papà ti ricordo'' (1952) * '' Martin Toccaferro'' (1953) * '' Verdi, the King of Melody'' (1953) * '' Past Lovers'' (1953) * '' Finalmente libero!'' (1954) * '' The Slave of Sin'' (1954)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Genna, Irene 1931 births 1986 deaths Actresses from Athens Italian film actresses Italian television actresses Greek emigrants to Italy 20th-century Italian actresses