Edwige Fenech


Edwige Fenech is a French-Italian actress and film producer. She is mostly known as the star of a series of commedia sexy all'italiana and giallo films released predominantly through her 20 year career in the 1970s and 80s, which turned her into a sex symbol.

Early life

Fenech was born in BĂŽne, Constantine, French Algeria to a Maltese father and an Italian mother from Ragusa, Sicily. Her parents divorced when she was a child, and Fenech was raised in Nice with her mother.

Career

Fenech moved from Nice to Rome in 1967 for her first Italian film Samoa, Queen of the Jungle by Guido Malatesta. In 1968, she came under contract with Austrian director Franz Antel and from the late 1960s to early 1970s, she acted in various films of Antel as well as that of Franz Marischka.
Fenech starred in many genres of cinema but her greatest commercial success came with commedia sexy all'italiana films, particularly including earlier works Ubalda, All Naked and Warm and Giovannona Long-Thigh, as well as the following l'insegnante, la soldatessa, la poliziotta series and other films that featured Fenech in stereotypical professions, which further bolstered Fenech's position as the most popular actress of the genre. She often paired with Carlo GiuffrĂš and later with Renzo Montagnani in commedia sexy films.
Fenech was also a regular in giallo films. Her works in this genre include The Seducers, Five Dolls for an August Moon, The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh, Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key, All the Colors of the Dark, The Case of the Bloody Iris, Strip Nude for Your Killer, and Phantom of Death.

Later career

In the 1980s, she became a television personality, typically appearing with Barbara Bouchet on a chat show on Italian television. After many years of work in movie production, she co-produced The Merchant of Venice with Al Pacino, and later accepted Eli Roth's offer to appear in another movie, Hostel: Part II. Quentin Tarantino named the character of General Ed Fenech in Inglourious Basterds in her honour, and invited Fenech to the Italian premiere of his film.

Personal life

Fenech was married to Italian film producer Luciano Martino from 1971 to 1979.
In the mid-1990s, she was engaged to the Italian industrialist Luca di Montezemolo. Her son Edwin has worked at her production company and was the former CEO of Ferrari Asia-Pacific, Ferrari Greater China and Ferrari North America.
She considers herself Roman Catholic.

In popular culture

The English metal band Cathedral wrote the song "Edwige's Eyes" on their album The Guessing Game as a tribute to the actress.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleDirectorNotes
1967All Mad About HimGinaNorbert Carbonnaux
1968Samoa, Queen of the JungleSamoaGuido Malatesta
1968The Son of Black EagleNastaciaGuido Malatesta
1968Sexy Susan Sins AgainCĂ©lineFranz Antel
1969The SeducersUllaOttavio Alessi
1969House of PleasureRosalie BobinetFranz Antel
1969'FelicitasGiuseppe Zaccariello
1969Madame and Her NieceYvetteEberhard Schröder
1969Heads or TailsManuelaPiero Pierotti
1969'Hong-KongFranz Marischka
1969BlandeGiuseppe Zaccariello
1969Madame BovaryEmma BovaryHans Schott-Schöbinger
1970SatiricosissimoPoppaea SabinaMariano Laurenti
1970Five Dolls for an August MoonMarie ChaneyMario Bava
1970Don Franco e Don Ciccio nell'anno della contestazioneAnna BellinzoniMarino Girolami
1970Le Mans, Shortcut to HellCoraOsvaldo Civirani
1971The Strange Vice of Mrs. WardhJulie WardhSergio Martino
1971Nights and Loves of Don JuanAishaAlfonso Brescia
1971Desert of FireJuanaRenzo Merusi
1972All the Colors of the DarkJane HarrisonSergio Martino
1972The Case of the Bloody IrisJennifer OstermanGiuliano Carnimeo
1972Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the KeyFlorianaSergio Martino
1972When Women Were Called VirginsGiulia VarroneAldo Grimaldi
1972Naughty NunAntoniaMariano Laurenti
1972Ubalda, All Naked and WarmUbaldaMariano Laurenti
1973Holy God, Here Comes the Passatore!MoraGiuliano Carnimeo
1973Giovannona Long-ThighGiovannona CoscialungaSergio Martino
1973The Inconsolable Widow Thanks All Those Who Consoled HerCatarina PrevostiMariano Laurenti
1973Mean Frank and Crazy TonyOrchideaMichele Lupo
1973Anna, quel particolare piacereAnna LovisiGiuliano Carnimeo
1974Innocence and DesireCarmela PaternĂČMassimo Dallamano
1974Poker in BedEvaGiuliano Carnimeo
1975Lover BoyMarianna PersiquettiMarino Girolami
1975The School TeacherGiovanna PagausNando Cicero
1975Strip Nude for Your KillerMagdaAndrea Bianchi
1975The Family ViceSuzieMariano Laurenti
1975La moglie vergineValentinaMarino Girolami
1976Sex with a SmileEmilia ChiapponiSergio Martino
1976Confessions of a Lady CopGianna AmicucciMichele Massimo Tarantini
1976Evil ThoughtsFrancesca MaraniUgo Tognazzi
1976My Sister in LawViola Orlando / Rosa OrlandoLucio Fulci
1976The Lady MedicDr. Elena DogliottiNando Cicero
1977The Virgo, the Taurus and the CapricornGioia FerrettiLuciano Martino
1977Taxi GirlMarcellaMichele Massimo Tarantini
1977The Nurse on a Military TourEva MariniNando Cicero
1978The Greatest BattleDanielleUmberto Lenzi
1978The Schoolteacher Goes to Boys' HighMonica SebastianiMariano Laurenti
1978The School Teacher in the HouseLuisa De DominicisMichele Massimo Tarantini
1978The Soldier with Great ManeuversDottoressa Eva MariniNando Cicero
1978Amori mieiDeborahSteno
1979A Policewoman on the Porno SquadGianna D'AmicoMichele Massimo Tarantini
1979Dr. Jekyll Likes Them HotBarbara WimplySteno
1979Saturday, Sunday and FridayEng. TokimotoSergio Martino
1979Hot PotatoMariaSteno
1980Il ladroneDeborahPasquale Festa Campanile
1980I'm PhotogenicCinzia PancaldiDino Risi
1980La moglie in vacanza... l'amante in cittĂ GiuliaSergio Martino
1980Sugar, Honey and PepperAmalia PassalacquaSergio Martino
1980Catherine and IElisabettaAlberto Sordi
1980Il ficcanasoSusanna LuisettiBruno Corbucci
1981AssoSilviaCastellano & Pipolo
1981Tais-toi quand tu parles!BĂ©atrixPhilippe Clair
1981Cornetti alla cremaMarianna TribalziSergio Martino
1981A Policewoman in New YorkGianna Amicucci / La PupaMichele Massimo Tarantini
1982Don't Play with TigersFrancesca Del PrĂ Sergio Martino
1982Il paramedicoNina MiglioSergio Nasca
1982An Ideal AdventurePatrizia RedaStefano Vanzina
1984Vacanze in AmericaMiss De RomanisCarlo Vanzina
1988Phantom of DeathHĂ©lĂšne MartellRuggero Deodato
1993Private CrimesNicole VenturiSergio Martino4 episodes
2000Il fratello minoreStefano Gigli
2007Hostel: Part IIArt Class ProfessorEli Roth
2023La quattordicesima domenica del tempo ordinarioSandra RubinPupi Avati