Best known for her iconic role in Federico Fellini‘s “La Dolce Vita” (1960), Anita Ekberg was a Swedish-Italian actress and international symbol of feminine beauty and sexuality.
I was lonely, but I have no regrets. I have loved, cried, been mad with happiness. I have won and I have lost.
Anita Ekberg
Early Life
Kerstin Anita Marianne Ekberg, known as Anita Ekberg, was born on September 29, 1931, in Malmö, Sweden. She was the sixth of eight children in her family. Growing up, Anita worked as a fashion model in her teens. Her journey to stardom began when she entered the Miss Malmö competition in 1950 at her mother’s urging, which led to her winning the Miss Sweden contest. Despite speaking very little English, she travelled to the United States to compete in the 1951 Miss Universe pageant, where she became one of the six finalists.
Acting Career
Although Anita did not win the Miss Universe title, she earned a starlet’s contract with Universal Studios. As a starlet, she received lessons in drama, elocution, dancing, horseback riding, and fencing. She appeared briefly in films such as “The Mississippi Gambler” (1953), “Abbott and Costello Go to Mars” (1953), “Take Me to Town” (1953), and “The Golden Blade” (1953). Despite her initial success, Universal dropped her after six months due to her lack of commitment to drama lessons.
Anita Ekberg The Icon
Anita’s voluptuous physique and colourful private life made her a favorite of gossip magazines and men’s magazines like Playboy. She participated in publicity stunts and toured Greenland with Bob Hope, entertaining American servicemen. By the mid-1950s, she broke into the film industry with roles in the TV series “Private Secretary (1953)” and “Casablanca (1955).”
In 1956, Anita gets her big break when she plays Helene Kuragina in King Vidor’s “War and Peace,” an epic historical drama based on Leo Tolstoy’s novel. Her performance was well received and showcased her acting talent.
Anita’s most iconic role came in Federico Fellini’s masterpiece”La Dolce Vita (1960), where she played Sylvia, a glamorous actress. The film’s famous scene of her cavorting in Rome’s Trevi Fountain remains one of the most memorable moments in cinema history.
Some of her other memorable performances include Boccaccio ’70 (1962), 4 for Texas (1963), The Alphabet Murders (1965), Killer Nun (1979) and Intervista (1987).
Personal Life
Anita Ekberg continued to act in films and television until her retirement in 2002. Despite facing financial difficulties and health issues in her later years, she remained a beloved figure in the entertainment industry. Anita passed away on January 11, 2015, in Rocca di Papa, Italy, at the age of 83.
Anita’s vivacious charm and voluptuous beauty made her a Hollywood star in the 1950s and ’60s. Ekberg’s glamorous persona, highlighted by her famous Trevi Fountain scene, solidified her status as a cinematic legend. Anita Ekberg remains an enduring symbol of timeless beauty and classic cinema.
Anita Ekberg on IMDB
