Maria Luisa Pierangeli (19 June 1932 – 6 December 2023), known professionally as Marisa Pavan, was an Italian and French actress who first became known as the twin sister of film star
Pier Angeli (Anna Maria Pierangeli) before achieving success in her screen career.
She received an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
nomination and won a
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...
for her performance in the 1955 film ''
The Rose Tattoo''.
Early life and career
Pavan and her fraternal twin sister,
Anna Maria, were born in 1932 in
Cagliari
Cagliari (, , ; ; ; Latin: ''Caralis'') is an Comune, Italian municipality and the capital and largest city of the island of Sardinia, an Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Italy. It has about 146,62 ...
,
Sardinia
Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia an ...
, the children of Enrichetta () and Luigi Pierangeli, a construction engineer, both from
Pesaro
Pesaro (; ) is a (municipality) in the Italy, Italian region of Marche, capital of the province of Pesaro and Urbino, on the Adriatic Sea. According to the 2011 census, its population was 95,011, making it the second most populous city in the ...
,
Marche
Marche ( ; ), in English sometimes referred to as the Marches ( ) from the Italian name of the region (Le Marche), is one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. The region is located in the Central Italy, central area of the country, ...
.
The two girls also had a younger sister, Patrizia Pierangeli, who became an actress as well. Her stage name, Pavan, was the surname of a Jewish general in the
Italian Army
The Italian Army ( []) is the Army, land force branch of the Italian Armed Forces. The army's history dates back to the Italian unification in the 1850s and 1860s. The army fought in colonial engagements in China and Italo-Turkish War, Libya. It ...
she and her family hid during the
Nazi occupation of Rome in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.
Pavan had no dramatic training when she signed a Hollywood contract with
Paramount
Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to:
Entertainment and music companies
* Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS.
**Paramount Picture ...
at age 19. Although her screen debut was in 1952 in ''
What Price Glory What Price Glory? may refer to:
* ''What Price Glory?'' (1926 film), directed by Raoul Walsh
* ''What Price Glory'' (1952 film), directed by John Ford
* ''What Price Glory?'' (play), a 1924 play by Maxwell Anderson and Laurence Stallings; basis for ...
'',
[ ] Pavan's breakthrough role came three years later, when she was cast as
Anna Magnani
Anna Maria Magnani (; 7 March 1908 – 26 September 1973) was an Academy Award-winning Italian actress.Obituary ''Variety Obituaries, Variety'', 3 October 1973, pg. 47 She was known for her explosive acting and earthy, realistic portrayals of ...
's daughter in ''
The Rose Tattoo''. That part was initially assigned to her twin sister, but by the time production began, Angeli was unavailable for the role. Pavan's performance earned an Oscar nomination for
Best Supporting Actress. She also won the Golden Globe Award for (
Best Supporting Actress) for her performance in the film.
Pavan co-starred in films such as ''
Diane'' (1956), ''
The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit'' (1956), ''
The Midnight Story'' (1957) and ''
John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 – July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-born naval officer who served in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. Often referred to as the "Father of the American Navy", Jones is regard ...
'' (1959). She also played
Abishag
In the Hebrew Bible, Abishag (; ''Avishag'') was a beautiful young woman of Shunem chosen to be a helper and servant to King David in his old age. Among Abishag's duties was to lie next to David and pass along her body heat and vigor because " ...
in
King Vidor
King Wallis Vidor ( ; February 8, 1894 – November 1, 1982) was an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter whose 67-year film-making career successfully spanned the silent and sound eras. His works are distinguished by a vivid, ...
's biblical epic ''
Solomon and Sheba'' (1959). Her later films included ''
A Slightly Pregnant Man'' (1973), ''
Antoine and Sebastian'' (1974) and the television miniseries ''
The Moneychangers'' (1976). In 1985, she played
Chantal Dubujak on ''
Ryan's Hope
''Ryan's Hope'' is an American soap opera created by Claire Labine and Paul Avila Mayer, airing for 13 years on ABC from July 7, 1975, to January 13, 1989. It revolves around the trials and tribulations within a large Irish-American family in ...
''.
Personal life and death
On 27 March 1956, Pavan married French actor
Jean-Pierre Aumont in
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara (, meaning ) is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States excepting A ...
, and the couple remained together until Aumont's death in 2001. They had two sons.
Pavan died at her home in
Gassin
Gassin () is a Communes of France, commune in the Var (département), Var Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region in southeastern France. It is a member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (T ...
,
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
on 6 December 2023, aged 91.
Selected filmography
* ''
What Price Glory What Price Glory? may refer to:
* ''What Price Glory?'' (1926 film), directed by Raoul Walsh
* ''What Price Glory'' (1952 film), directed by John Ford
* ''What Price Glory?'' (play), a 1924 play by Maxwell Anderson and Laurence Stallings; basis for ...
'' (1952)
* ''
I Chose Love'' (1953)
* ''
Down Three Dark Streets'' (1954)
* ''
Drum Beat'' (1954)
* ''
The Rose Tattoo'' (1955)
* ''
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 ...
'' (1956) (Season 1 Episode 16: "You Got to Have Luck") as Mary Schaffner
* ''
Diane'' (1956)
* ''
The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit'' (1956)
* ''
The Midnight Story'' (1957)
* ''
John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 – July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-born naval officer who served in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. Often referred to as the "Father of the American Navy", Jones is regard ...
'' (1959)
* ''
Solomon and Sheba'' (1959)
* ''Shangri-La'' (TV movie, 1960)
* ''
Naked City'' – "Requiem for a Sunday Afternoon" as Josephine (1961)
* ''
Combat
Combat (French language, French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent Conflict (process), conflict between multiple combatants with the intent to harm the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed (Hand-to-hand combat, not usin ...
'' – Season 2 Episode 12 "Ambush" as Marie Marchand (1963)
* ''
The F.B.I.'' – Season 1 Episode 9 "The Exiles" as Maria Blanca (1965)
* ''The Diary of Anne Frank'' (TV movie, 1967)
* ''Cutter's Trail'' (TV movie) (1970)
* ''
A Slightly Pregnant Man'' (1973)
* ''
Antoine and Sebastian'' (1974)
* ''
Hawaii Five-O'' (TV, 1977) "East Wind, Ill Wind" – Madame Sandanarik
* ''
The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald'' (TV movie, 1977)
* ''
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...
'' "Formula 407" (TV, 1977)
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pavan, Marisa
1932 births
2023 deaths
Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery
Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe (film) winners
Italian actresses
Italian expatriate actresses in the United States
Actors from Cagliari
People of Marchesan descent
Italian twins
Actresses from Sardinia