Vanessa Gravina

Although Italian actress Vanessa Gravina is best known to 21st century audiences for her work on television shows such as "Gente di mare" and the mini-series "Un caso di coscienza," her screen debut came in Marco Risi's 1985 film "Colpo di fulmine" ("Ball of Fire") when she was only ten years old. As if receiving second-billing on a major motion picture wasn't enough for her first acting project, Gravina earned a Nastro d'Argento ("Silver Ribbon") Award nomination for Best Young Actress. After rising to that high level of fame at such a young age, she matured from a child to a young woman before the eyes of Italian audiences throughout the '80s and early '90s with her roles in the mini-series "La voglia di vincere" and "La piovra 4," the fourth entry in the "Octopus" crime saga. While starring in light cinematic fare such as the 1993 romantic comedy "Abbronzatissimi 2 - Un anno dopo," Gravina enjoyed success in the theater, her first stage role being Hilde in Henrik Ibsen's "Woman of the Sea." The year 2000 saw her finding a home in the world of soap operas like "Gioco a incastro," "Incantesino," and "Cento vetrine," all of which featured the typical look into the ups and downs of the upper class. Gravina continued to appear in soap operas and mini-series throughout the 2000s while her theatrical career blossomed with high-profile roles in August Strindberg's classic tragedy "Miss Julie" and Shakespeare's light-hearted romp "The Taming of the Shrew."