Isabella Fiorella Elettra Giovanna Rossellini, born in Rome on June 18 1952, is a model and an actress, daughter of Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini. She is probably best known for her role as Dorothy Vallens in David Lynch's Blue Velvet. She later took a part in Wild at Heart by the same director.

Other roles include Cousins a Hollywood remake of the French film Cousin, Cousine, and Nimue in the 1998 mini-series, Merlin opposite Sam Neill, Helena Bonham Carter, John Gielgud, Rutger Hauer, James Earl Jones, Martin Short and Miranda Richardson.

Even though she closely resembles her mother, Rossellini has surprisingly never been cast as Ingrid Bergman in any film, although she did perform a parody of Bergman's character Ilsa Lund from Casablanca in an episode of Tales from the Crypt.

She was briefly (1979-1983) married to director Martin Scorsese, and John Wiedemann of whom she has a daughter--Elettra. She was also romantically linked to David Lynch and Gary Oldman.

Her modeling career began when she was photographed by Bruce Weber for British Vogue and by Bill King for American Vogue. She has worked with many renown photographers, from Richard Avedon, Francesco Scavullo, Annie Leibovitz and Robert Mapplethorpe. Her image has appeared on such magazines as Marie Claire, Harper's Bazaar, and Vanity Fair.

Her modeling and acting career also led Rossellini into the world of cosmetics. Beginning in 1982, she was exclusive spokesmodel for the international cosmetics brand Lancôme for 14 years.

An exhibition of photographs of Rossellini, Portrait of a Woman, was held in March 1988 at the Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris.

In 1995, Isabella developed her own brand of cosmetics, Isabella Rossellini's Manifesto.

Isabella Rossellini (bookcover for Some of Me)

Her autobiography, Some of Me, was published in 1997. In 2002 she released her second book, Looking at Me (on pictures and photographers).

Beginning in 2003 she had a recurring role on the television series, Alias.

Selected filmography

• Blue Velvet (1986)
• Cousins (1989)
• Wild at Heart (1990)
• Death Becomes Her (1992)
• Fearless (1993)
• Wyatt Earp (1994)
• The Saddest Music in the World (2003)

External Links

• Isabella Rossellini Picture Gallery

References