70s erotic comedy star Laura Antonelli

Laura Antonelli is a sex symbol of Italian cinema of the 60s and 70s. The actress, adored by millions of viewers around the world, was rich and famous, but a series of dramatic events deprived her of everything and left her on the sidelines of life in old age. But in the memory of the 70s generation, Laura remained a real star, bright and desirable. (Caution! Nudity).

Laura Antonelli (real name Antonaz) was born on November 28, 1941 in the city of Pula in Yugoslavia (now Croatia) to an Italian family. Her parents, teachers, were not rich and moved to Italy in search of a better life. The family lived first in Naples and later in Rome.

In her youth, Laura intended to become a physics teacher, but apparently she mixed something up and ended up in the physical education department. This mistake played an important role in the girl's life. It was the sports activities, of which Laura had so many during her student years, that led her first to a career as a model, and then to advertising and film.

In the mid-60s, the girl began going to castings at a Rome film studio and got several roles in episodes of frivolous Italian comedies. And she played her first major role in 1969, in the film adaptation of the well-known Masoch - "Venus in Furs", directed by Dallamano. The role was extremely frank and the young actress was noticed.

In 1970, Laura starred in three films at once. The first was the spaghetti western “A Man Called Sledge” with James Garner. The second was a strange mystical advertising project to promote a fashionable resort in Indonesia – “Incontro d'amore” (“Love Encounter”). The third film was a drama from director Giorgio Albertazzi – “Gradiva”.

Thus, by 1971, Laura had come with a certain reserve. As a fairly well-known actress, she began to be filmed abroad. One of her works was the French costume comedy "Remarriage", which, by the way, was released in the Soviet Union. It was there that Laura met Jean-Paul Belmondo. The romance between the actors lasted eight years. For the sake of the French star, Laura divorced her first husband, but she never received an offer from Belmondo.

In the same 1971, Antonelli starred in Campanile's erotic comedy "The Naked Cello". The film had many explicit scenes. Then there was a more responsible job - Philippe Labro's thriller "For No Apparent Reason" with Trintignant and Dominique Sanda. In 1972, the actress again had to undress in a satirical erotic film with a long and ridiculous title "Nonostante le apparenze... e purchè la nazione non lo sappia... all'onorevole piacciono le donne" ... In the box office it was also known as "The Senator-Debauchee".

Then the actress starred in Chabrol's popular film "High Heels" or "Docteur Popaul", with Belmondo. Immediately after that, she appeared in the film "Insidious", an erotic romantic comedy. In 1973, Dino Risi invited Antonelli to the film "Sessomatto" or "Crazy Sex". Then there was "A Sin Worthy of Forgiveness" - a romantic comedy by Samperi from 1974 and "My God, How Far I Have Fallen!" - another comedy, this time from Comencini.

In 1975, Laura turned 33. The bohemian life, addiction to alcohol and drugs had already begun to affect the star's appearance. But Antonelli was still loved by viewers and in demand by directors in Italy and France. True, she began to undress in front of the camera much less often. In the actress's career, it was time for costume dramas and dramatic thrillers.

Among the most famous works of this period is "Divine Creature", where Laura's partners were Mastroianni, Stamp and the young Michele Placido. In 1976, Antonelli played in Visconti's drama "Innocent", and in 1977 - in the thriller "Big Brew" by Mauro Bolognini with Von Sydof. Particularly notable among all the actress's works is the family comedy by Sergio Corbucci, called "You are the face of the ship". In it, Laura played an atypical role for her - a wife and mother.

In 1981, there was a painful breakup with Belmondo. Antonelli fell into depression and, under the influence of drugs, attempted suicide. She was saved, but the actress never fully recovered. After that, she starred in fifteen more films, but was only a shadow of her former self. Of the works of the late period, one can only single out Ettore Scola's drama "Love Passion", in which Laura played a secondary role.

In 1982, another almanac from Dino Risi, Sex - and Willingly, where Laura, who had aged considerably in appearance, starred in the shadow of the young Gloria Guida. Then came Campanile's comedy about the First World War, The Whore. In 1985, the only Spanish-Italian film with Antonelli's participation, The Cell of 1985, was released. This is a thriller based on a script by Fulci, in which Laura played the main role of a woman obsessed with passion.

In 1991, the actress was arrested with several doses of cocaine. This was enough to open a criminal case and sentence Antonelli to three and a half years. Fortunately for the star, she served her sentence under house arrest. Then, for ten years, the woman tried to appeal the sentence, which she eventually succeeded in doing.

Laura Antonelli's last film was Samperi's "Obsession". This film was supposed to reap the benefits of "Insidiousness", filmed almost 20 years ago, but it lacked the zeal. Laura was persistently given to understand that cosmetic surgery was necessary.

After the beauty injections, Laura developed swelling that disfigured her face. She tried to get compensation for fifteen years and finally received 100,000 euros in 2006. These problems cost her constant nervous breakdowns and the woman had to undergo treatment in a psychiatric clinic.

All this time Antonelli led an extremely secluded life, did not communicate with journalists or colleagues. Occasionally she made statements about the harmfulness of the bohemian life and her mistakes of youth. The public did not show much interest in the aged and disfigured former star from unsuccessful plastic surgery.

In one of her last interviews, the actress summed up her bright, but difficult life:

Laura Antonelli spent the last years of her life in a small apartment in the resort town of Ladispoli on the Mediterranean coast. She lived very modestly on a pension of 510 euros. The star of Italian and French cinema and sex symbol of the 70s died of a heart attack in 2015, at the age of 73.