Francesca Romana Coluzzi

Francesca Romana Coluzzi (20 May 1943 – 15 July 2009) was an Italian actress. A respected dramatic actress on stage, she is probably best known for her roles in the commedia sexy all'italiana.

Francesca Romana Coluzzi
Coluzzi in Serafino (1968)
Born	(1943-05-20)20 May 1943 Tirana, Albania
Died	15 July 2009(2009-07-15) (aged 66) Rome, Italy
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1965–2005

Life and career

Born in Tirana, Albania, of Italian parents, Coluzzi soon moved to Italy with her family to Perugia.^[1][2]

As a teenager, during a student twist dancing contest, Federico Fellini noticed her and offered her a role in 8½. Coluzzi declined the offer to continue her studies, but however the encounter with Fellini marked her life, and she eventually decided to leave the university to pursue a career in the cinema.^[2]

She started her career as a body double, first of Mylène Demongeot in Fantômas and later of Marisa Mell in Danger: Diabolik. In 1965, at 22, Coluzzi made her acting debut in the Lucio Fulci's comedy film 002 Operazione Luna.^[2]

Her breakout role came in 1969, with the role of Asmara, the Adriano Celentano's lover in Pietro Germi's Serafino.^[2] One year later she played Tarsilla Tettamanzi in Alberto Lattuada's Come Have Coffee with Us, and for this role she won a Nastro d'Argento for Best Supporting Actress^[3] and a Globo d'oro in the same category.^[4] In the following years Coluzzi was mainly active in comedy films, especially in the commedia sexy all'italiana genre, often playing roles of unbearable and jealous wives.^[2][5] In 1985, she founded in Rome a theater workshop for children, Associazione Culturale Minestrone d'Arte.^[6] She died at 66 of lung cancer.^[6]

Selected filmography

• 002 Operazione Luna (1965)
• The Two Parachutists (1965)
• Will Our Heroes Be Able to Find Their Friend Who Has Mysteriously Disappeared in Africa? (1968)
• Red Roses for the Fuhrer (1968)
• Serafino (1968)
• Come Have Coffee with Us (1970)
• We Are All in Temporary Liberty (1971)
• Sting of the West (1972)
• Lover of the Great Bear (1972)
• The Italian Connection (1972)
• Il sergente Rompiglioni (1973)
• Themroc (1973)
• Giovannona Long-Thigh (1973)
• The Cousin (1974)
• The School Teacher (1975)
• The Boss and the Worker (1975)
• Sins Without Intentions (1975)
• Dracula in the Provinces (1975)
• La portiera nuda (1976)
• La compagna di banco (1977)
• In the Highest of Skies (1977)
• L'insegnante balla... con tutta la classe (1978)
• L'insegnante al mare con tutta la classe (1979)
• Night Nurse (1979)
• Pierino contro tutti (1981)
• La settimana al mare (1981)
• Bollenti spiriti (1981)
• Champagne in paradiso (1983)
• The Last Days of Pompeii (1984)
• Red Sonja (1985)
• Banzai (1997)
• Midsummer Night Dance (1999)