Valentina Cervi (born 13 April 1976)[citation needed] is an Italian film and television actress.

Valentina Cervi
Cervi in 2012
Born (1976-04-13) 13 April 1976 (age 48)
Rome, Italy
OccupationActress
Years active1986–present
Height1.7 m (5 ft 7 in)
SpouseStefano Mordini
Children2 (Margherita (2013) and a son (2016))
Relatives

Cervi was born in Rome. She is the daughter of director Tonino Cervi and granddaughter of actor Gino Cervi. Her mother is the Italian producer of Austrian-Hungarian origin Marina Gefter.[1] Cervi started her acting career at age ten in Carlo Cotti's 1986 film Portami la luna. She also played an English-language role in Jane Campion's 1996 The Portrait of a Lady.

One of her most acclaimed roles was the lead in the 1997 film Artemisia, directed by Agnès Merlet. It was loosely based on the painter Artemisia Gentileschi's life, but controversially portrayed the relationship between Agostino Tassi (played by Miki Manojlović) and Artemisia as a passionate affair rather than as rape.[2]

In 2011, she appeared as Arianna in BBC TV's Italian detective mini-series Zen. She also appeared as "Valentina" in Canale 5's series Distretto di Polizia in 2011.

Cervi appeared as Bertha Mason in Cary Fukunaga's 2011 film adaptation of Jane Eyre. She was cast as the ancient vampire Salome in the HBO television drama True Blood.[3]

She is married to director Stefano Mordini and has two children, Margherita (born 2013) and a son (born 2016).

She received the America Award of the Italy–USA Foundation in 2018.[citation needed]

Filmography

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Films

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Year Title Role(s) Notes
1988 Mignon Has Come to Stay Little girl Cameo appearance
1994 Oasi Claudia
The Night and the Moment Dancer Cameo appearance
1996 The Portrait of a Lady Pansy Osmond
Escoriandoli Sabrina
1997 Artemisia Artemisia Gentileschi
1998 Children of Hannibal Rita
1999 Rien sur Robert Aurélie Coquille
Branchie Livia
La via degli angeli Ines
2001 Hotel Hotel maid Cameo appearance
2002 Soul Mate Teresa
2003 Past Perfect Carola
Sansa Valentina
The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part 1: The Moab Story Cissie Colpitts
2004 The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part 2: Vaux to the Sea
Tempesta Dina Gusmano
The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part 3: From Sark to the Finish Cissie Colpitts
2005 Provincia meccanica Silvia Battaglia
2007 Fine pena mai Daniela Perrone
2008 Miracle at St. Anna Renata
2009 Sleepless Olga
2011 Jane Eyre Bertha Mason
R.I.F. Valérie Monnereau
2012 In a Rush Ada Savigné
2013 Mi rifaccio vivo Amanda
2016 Senza lasciare traccia Elena
Ho amici in paradiso Giulia
2017 Dove non ho mai abitato Laura
Agadah Ines
Lasciami per sempre Aida
2018 Euphoria Tatiana
2019 Vivere Azzurra
2020 The Players Lisa
2021 Codice Karim Gaia
The Last Paradiso Lucia
The Catholic School Eleonora Rummo
2022 The Invisible Thread Monica Ferrari
Marcel! The Cousin
2023 The Order of Time Greta

Television

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Year Title Role(s) Notes
1993 I ragazzi del muretto Laura Episode: "L'amore quello vero"
2001 James Dean Pier Angeli Television movie
2007 War and Peace Maria Bolkonskaya Main role
2008 Donne assassine Margherita Episode: "Margherita"
2011 Zen Arianna von Fakenhayn Episodes: "Vendetta"; "Cabal"
2011–2012 Distretto di Polizia Valentina Bini Main role (season 11); 26 episodes
2012 True Blood Salome Agrippa Main role (season 5); 11 episodes
2012–2015 Una grande famiglia Martina Ruggeri Series regular
2013 Borgia Caterina Sforza-Riaro 2 episodes
2015–2017 Solo per amore Gloria Keller Main role
2016 Medici Alessandra Albizzi Recurring role; 3 episodes
2019 I ragazzi dello Zecchino d'Oro Silvana Television movie

References

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  1. ^ "Marina gefter". www.italiafilmservice.com. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  2. ^ "Artemisia, The Rape and the Trial". www.webwinds.com.
  3. ^ Ausiello, Michael (15 November 2011). "True Blood Exclusive: Is This Season 5's Big Bad?". TVLine.
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