Ornella Muti

Biography

Ornella Muti, born Francesca Romana Rivelli on March 9, 1955, in Rome, Italy, is a distinguished actress known for her captivating performances in film and television. Muti, the daughter of a Neapolitan father and an Estonian mother, has an older sister named Claudia, born in 1951.

Beginning her career as a model in her teenage years, Muti made her cinematic debut in 1970 with the film *La moglie più bella* (The Most Beautiful Wife). Over the years, she gained prominence primarily in Italian cinema but also expanded her horizons internationally. Notably, she portrayed Princess Aura in the 1980 cult classic *Flash Gordon*, and appeared in American films such as *Oscar* (1991) and *Once Upon a Crime* (1992). In France, she is particularly recognized for her memorable role in a Giovanni Panzani pasta commercial.

Muti's personal life includes two marriages: first to actor Alessio Orano from 1975 to 1981, and later to Federico Facchinetti from 1988 to 1996. She has three children: Naike Rivelli, a model and actress, Andrea, and Carolina. Since 1998, she has been in a relationship with plastic surgeon Stefano Piccolo.

In 1994, Muti was honored as "The Most Beautiful Woman in the World" by a global poll conducted by the magazine Class. She also ventured into entrepreneurship by launching her own jewelry line in 2008, opening stores across major cities including Paris and Milan, and famously insured her breasts for $350,000.