Known For
Acting
Born
Jan 07, 1937
Place of Birth
San Giovanni in Persiceto, Italy
Credits
38 titles
Liana Orfei
Biography
Liana Orfei (San Giovanni in Persiceto, June 6, 1937). Belonging to the famous Orfei circus dynasty, Liana is a multifaceted figure in Italian entertainment, capable of successfully ranging between circus, cinema, theater, and television. Active on the big screen primarily between the 1950s and 70s, she acted in approximately forty films, working with masters of the caliber of Federico Fellini (in the documentary The Clowns), Orson Welles, Mario Monicelli, and Dino Risi. Her versatility led her to perform in highly diverse genres, from commedia all'italiana to Westerns, and even horror and science fiction. In television, her participation in the musical television drama Scaramouche (1965) is well-remembered. She made her debut in the ring at just two years old as a clown (under the name Lacrima). In 1960, together with her brothers Nando and Rinaldo, she founded her own circus characterized by colossal and innovative productions, such as "Circorama" and the "Circus of the Thousand and One Nights"—the latter born from an idea by Fellini with costumes by Oscar winner Danilo Donati. In 1984, to respond to the industry's crisis, she founded the Golden Circus, an international festival that remains a reference point for circus arts today. In the theatrical field, she collaborated with distinguished names such as Eduardo De Filippo and Emma Gramatica, returning to the stage even in more recent years (in 2005 with the musical Se il tempo fosse un gambero). She was also a singer and entrepreneur: in the 1980s, she founded the theme park Divertimondo in Rimini, inspired by the emerging major amusement parks.
Known For
Filmography
Mario Verdone: Il critico viaggiatore
Self
Les femmes de pierre
Kolossal - The Magnificent Macisti
Self - Camilla - Queen of the Volsci (archive footage)
The Clowns
Circus Performer
Fortunata y Jacinta
Jacinta
How, When, and with Whom
Seamstress
¡Cómo sois las mujeres!
Julia
The Prophet
Albertina
Django Kills Softly
Linda
The Devil in Love
Olimpia
Diamonds Are a Man's Best Friend
Veronica Turner
Our Husbands
Attilia
M.M.M. 83
Les Combinards
Liliana
Scaramouche
Irina Papandrei
Casanova '70
Lion Tamer
Extraconiugale
Carla (segment "La doccia")
Hercules, Samson & Ulysses
Dalila - Philistine Queen
Le motorizzate
Cacace's Defence Counsel (segment "Il Vigile Ignoto")
Adventure at the Motel
The Avenger
Camilla, Queen of the Vulga
Damon and Pythias
Adriana
Duel of Fire
Maruzza
Rage of the Buccaneers
Luana
The Giant of Metropolis
Queen Taxen
Hercules in the Valley of Woe
Dejanira
Nefertiti, Queen of the Nile
Merith
The Tartars
Helga
Pirates of the Coast
Anna del Peru
Mill of the Stone Women
Annelore
Knight of 100 Faces
Zuela
Le signore
Patrizia Viotti
Signori si nasce
La Dolce Vita
(uncredited)
Terror of the Red Mask
Jolanda
Attack of the Moors
Tipi da spiaggia
Magalì
Guardatele ma non toccatele
Allison