Florinda Bolkan

Florinda Bolkan (born Florinda Soares Bulcão; 15 February 1941) is a retired Brazilian actress and model, considered an icon of the European jet set during the 1960’s and ‘70s. She is best known for her acting work in Italy, where she twice won the David di Donatello for Best Actress, for The Anonymous Venetian (1970) and Dear Parents (1973).

Early life

Bolkan was born Florinda Soares Bulcão in Uruburetama. Her father José Pedro Soares Bulcão, commonly known as Soares Bulcão, was a renowned journalist and politician. She lived in Fortaleza and Rio de Janeiro until she moved to the United States. A former flight inspector for Brazilian international carrier Varig, she became fluent in English, Italian and French. While in America she changed her surname, because she found non-Portuguese speakers had trouble pronouncing 'Bulcão'.

Career

During the 1960s, Bolkan worked as a model in the United States. After being introduced to Italian Countess Marina Cicogna, who would become her long-time partner, she moved to Italy in 1968, where she made her film debut with a small part in the all-star sex comedy Candy (1968). Cicogna later introduced her to director Luchino Visconti, who cast her in The Damned.

She worked in more than forty films, mainly in Italy. She was directed by Vittorio de Sica in A Brief Vacation. Under Elio Petri's direction, she made Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion, which won both the 1970 Palme d'Or and the 1971 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Enrico Maria Salerno directed her in The Anonymous Venetian, which earned her first David di Donatello Award. She worked with Jean-Louis Trintignant, John Cassavetes, and Annie Girardot.