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Greta Scacchi

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Greta Scacchi
OMRI
Scacchi in 2008
Born (1960-02-18) 18 February 1960 (age 64)
Milan, Italy
Citizenship
  • Italy
  • Australia
  • United Kingdom
Alma materBristol Old Vic Theatre School
OccupationActress
Years active1981–present
Partners
Children2, including Leila George

Greta Scacchi, OMRI (Italian: [ˈɡrɛːta ˈskakki]; born 18 February 1960) is an actress known for her roles in the films White Mischief (1987), Presumed Innocent (1990), The Player (1992), Emma (1996) and Looking for Alibrandi (2000).

Scacchi had her first leading role in the romantic drama film Heat and Dust (1983), for which she received a BAFTA Award nomination. For her portrayal of Alexandra of Hesse in the biographical television film Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny (1996), she earned a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award nomination. Scacchi received another Primetime Emmy Award nomination for her performance in the Western television film Broken Trail (2006).

Early life

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Scacchi was born on 18 February 1960 in Milan, Italy, the daughter of Luca Scacchi, an Italian art dealer and painter, and Pamela Risbey, an English dancer and antiques dealer.[1] Scacchi's parents divorced when she was four, and her mother returned to her native England with Greta and her two older brothers, first to London, then to Haywards Heath, West Sussex.[2]

In 1975, after Scacchi's mother's remarriage, the family moved to Perth, Western Australia, where her stepfather was a visiting professor at the University of Western Australia (UWA).[3][4][5] While in Perth, Scacchi attended Hollywood Senior High School[6] and joined UWA's University Dramatic Society,[5] where she made her theatrical debut at the New Dolphin Theatre in Edward Bond's play Early Morning under director Arne Neeme.[7]

Career

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Scacchi at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival.

In 1977, Scacchi returned to England to study at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, where her contemporaries included Miranda Richardson and Amanda Redman. Her first on-screen role was in the first season finale of Bergerac in 1981, when she played a model who was the girlfriend of an international criminal being pursued by the eponymous detective.[8] The following year, she made her film debut in the German movie Second Sight [it].

Scacchi's first leading role was in the British film Heat and Dust (1983), opposite Shashi Kapoor and Julie Christie; Scacchi's performance earned her a BAFTA nomination for Best Newcomer to Film. She went on to give performances in films such as The Ebony Tower (1984), The Coca-Cola Kid (1985), White Mischief (1987), Presumed Innocent (1990), The Player (1992) and Country Life (1994). She turned down the role of Catherine Trammell in Basic Instinct (1992).[9] She later reflected on her early career: "It was very clear to me even then that I was always being invited to play a male fantasy. I had to work very hard to punch some integrity into the idea of being a woman when I was placed inside that male gaze."[10]

In 1996, Scacchi won an Emmy Award for her portrayal of Alexandra of Hesse in the television film, Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny, and was nominated for a Golden Globe and numerous other awards. In 1999, she had a role as an Italian-Australian single mother in the Australian film Looking for Alibrandi,[11] a performance for which she won the 2000 AFI award for Best Supporting Actress.[12]

In 2007, Scacchi received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for Broken Trail.

Scacchi is fluent in English, French, German, and Italian, which has made her a popular choice for European casting directors.

Scacchi has performed in a wide range of parts in theatre. She appeared In Times Like These (Bristol Old Vic) and Cider with Rosie (Phoenix Arts Theatre, Leicester) as her film career was taking off. After making four films in 15 months, in 1985 she appeared with Mark Rylance and Kevin McNally in Airbase (Oxford Playhouse and Arts Theatre). In Uncle Vanya at the Vaudeville Theatre, London, in 1987, she played opposite Michael Gambon and Jonathan Pryce. In 1991, she played Nora in Ibsen's A Doll's House in the Festival of Perth. A year later, she played the lead role in Strindberg's Miss Julie for the Sydney Theatre Company. She returned to Sydney in 1996 to play Cecilia in Sam Shepard's Simpatico. In 1999, she took the lead in Easy Virtue in Chichester, directed by actress Maria Aitken.

In 2001, Scacchi returned to Sydney for Harold Pinter's Old Times, directed by Aarne Neeme, playing Kate. In 2004, she toured Italy with an Italian production Vecchi Tempi of the same play, but this time playing Anne. In 2005, she performed at the Theatre Royal, Bath, in Thea Sharrock's production of Noël Coward's Private Lives. Back in Australia in 2008, she was nominated for a Sydney Theatre Best Actress Award for playing Queen Elizabeth in Schiller's Mary Stuart in Sydney. In that year, Scacchi also performed in Terence Rattigan's The Deep Blue Sea at the Theatre Royal, Bath, on tour and then in the West End back at the Vaudeville Theatre.[13]

In 2010, Scacchi replaced an injured Kristin Scott Thomas in the Chatelet Theatre, Paris in the French premiere (37 years after it was written) of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music. As Desiree she sang "Send In The Clowns".[14]

In May 2011, Scacchi appeared alongside Anita Dobson in the play Bette and Joan at London's Arts Theatre, directed by Bill Alexander, about the personal and professional relationship between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford.[15] At the end of that year she appeared at the Ensemble Theatre, Sydney in David Williamson's new play, Nothing Personal.[16]

In September 2013, Jonathan Miller directed a gala performance of William Shakespeare's King Lear at The Old Vic in London. Scacchi played Regan.[17]

In 2014, Scacchi played Arkadina in Chekhov's The Seagull in Perth.[18] In 2015, she joined the Headlong theatre company to star on a UK tour in Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie as Amanda.[19]

Scacchi as Mrs Hardcastle in a 2023 performance of She Stoops To Conquer

Between 20 August and 12 November 2016, Scacchi played Phoebe Rice opposite Kenneth Branagh's Archie Rice in a revival of John Osborne's The Entertainer at the Garrick Theatre in London's West End. The play received mixed reviews but hers were uniformly positive.[20][21]

In June 2024, Scacchi returned to the role of Joan in Darby and Joan after the show was renewed for a second series.[22]

Personal life

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Scacchi is an Italian citizen by birth. She applied for British citizenship after turning 18, but was refused and refused again on appeal;[23] she later applied again due to Brexit. She is a citizen of Italy, Australia and the United Kingdom.[24]

From 1983 to 1989, Scacchi was in a relationship with New Zealand musician Tim Finn. She had a four-year relationship with American actor Vincent D'Onofrio, with whom she has a daughter, actress Leila George.[25][26] She was previously the mother-in-law of actor Sean Penn, who was married to George from 2020 to 2022.[27]

In 1997, Scacchi began a relationship with her first cousin, Carlo Mantegazza. They have a son.[25][28][29]

Scacchi is an active supporter of campaigns and organisations that promote environmental causes. She has supported Greenpeace and Christian Aid's climate change campaign.[30] In 2009, she posed nude with a codfish to promote the documentary The End of the Line, a film exposing the effects of overfishing. She continues to lead the linked Fishlove campaign, which has seen a host of well known actors pose for photographs with a variety of fish.[31]

In October 2013, Scacchi was awarded the Cavaliere Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana (Knight in the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic) for her services to the arts.[32]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1982 Second Sight [it] Anna
1983 Heat and Dust Olivia Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Newcomer to Film
Dead on Time Pretty girl Short film
1984 The Ebony Tower Diana/'The Mouse' TV film
Camille Marguerite TV film
1985 Defence of the Realm Nina Beckman Feature film
Burke & Wills Julia Matthews Feature film
Doctor Fischer of Geneva Anna-Luise Fischer TV film
The Coca-Cola Kid Terri Feature film
1987 White Mischief Diana Lady Broughton Feature film
Good Morning, Babylon Edna Bonnano Feature film
A Man in Love Jane Steiner Feature film
1988 Young Distance (aka La Donna della Luna) Angela Feature film
Love and Fear (aka Three Sisters, the original title is Paura e amore) Maria Feature film
1990 Presumed Innocent Carolyn Polhemus Feature film
1991 Shattered Judith Merrick Feature film
1992 Fires Within Isabel Feature film
Salt on Our Skin George Feature film
The Player June Feature film
Turtle Beach Judith Feature film
1994 Country Life Deborah Voysey Feature film
The Browning Version Laura Crocker-Harris Feature film
1995 Jefferson in Paris Maria Cosway Feature film
1996 Emma Anne Taylor Weston Feature film
Così Mental patient (uncredited) Feature film
Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny Alexandra of Hesse TV film
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
1997 The Serpent's Kiss Juliana Feature film
1998 Love and Rage Agnes MacDonnell Feature film
The Red Violin Victoria Byrd Feature film
Macbeth Lady Macbeth TV film
1999 Ladies Room Lucia
Cotton Mary Lily MacIntosh Feature film
Tom's Midnight Garden Aunt Gwen Kitson Feature film
The Manor Mrs. Ravenscroft
Looking for Alibrandi Christina Alibrandi Feature film
Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Supporting Actress
2000 One of the Hollywood Ten Gale Sondergaard Biopic
2001 Festival in Cannes Alice Palmer
2002 Jeffrey Archer: The Truth Margaret Thatcher TV film
2003 Baltic Storm Julia Reuter Feature film
2004 Strange Crime Nicoletta Feature film
Beyond the Sea Mary Duvan Feature film
2005 Flightplan Therapist Feature film
2006 The Book of Revelation Isabel Feature film
Icicle Melt Short film
The Handyman Julia Parchant Short film
2007 Hidden Love Dr. Dubois Feature film
2008 Brideshead Revisited Cara Feature film
Shoot on Sight Susan Ali Feature film
Miss Austen Regrets Cassandra Austen TV film
2010 Un altro mondo Cristina
Way to Live Forever Private instructor Feature film
2011 Hindenburg: The Last Flight [de] Helen Van Zandt TV film
2014 The Falling Miss Mantel Feature film
2017 La Tenerezza Aurora Feature film
The Girl in the Fog Beatrice Lehman Italian: La Ragazza Nella Nebbia
2018 Operation Finale Vera Eichmann Feature film
Amanda Alison Feature film
2019 Palm Beach Charlotte Feature film
Waiting for the Barbarians Mai Feature film
2021 Shepherd Glenys Black Feature film
2023 Run Rabbit Run Joan Feature film
I Told You So (Te l’avevo detto) Frances

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1981 Bergerac Annie TV series, season 1, episode 10: "The Hood and the Harlequin"
1983 The Mike Walsh Show Guest - Herself TV series, 1 episode
1984 Waterfront Anna Cheri TV miniseries, 3 episodes
1995 Good Morning Australia Guest TV series, 1 episode
Denton Guest TV series, 1 episode
Ernie and Denise Guest TV series, 1 episode
Midday Guest TV series, 1 episode
1997 The Odyssey Penelope TV miniseries
Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film
2001 The Farm Liz Cooper TV miniseries, 4 episodes
2002 Daniel Deronda Lydia Glasher TV series
2005 Il Commissario Maigret Italian TV production
Two Twisted Dr Adele Partridge TV series, episode: Heart Attack
2006 Broken Trail Nola Johns TV miniseries
Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
Agatha Christie's Marple Tuppence Beresford TV series, episode: "By the Pricking of My Thumbs"
Two Twisted Adele Partridge TV series
Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King Dr. Katie Arlen TV miniseries, episode: "Autopsy Room Four"
2008 The Trojan Horse Helen Madigan TV miniseries, 2 episodes
2013 Agatha Christie's Poirot Mrs Burton-Cox TV series, episode: "Elephants Can Remember"
Masterpieces Unveiled Presenter TV documentary series, 8 episodes
2015 A.D. The Bible Continues Mother Mary TV series, 4 episodes
2016 War & Peace Countess Rostova TV series, 6 episodes
2017 Versailles Madeleine de Foix TV series, season 2
The Terror Lady Jane Franklin TV series (based on the Dan Simmons novel of the same name)
2022-present Darby & Joan Joan Kirkhope TV series
2023 Bodies Polly Harker TV limited series, 8 episodes

Radio

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Year Title Role Notes
1989 The Skull Beneath Her Skin Cordelia Grey Radio play of P D James novel. Scacchi's radio debut.

Theatre

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Year Title Role Notes
1976 Early Morning Florence Nightingale Edward Bond's play at Dolphin Theatre, Perth
1981 Cider With Rosie Rosie & other parts Phoenix, Leicester
1985 In Times Like These Vivien Mercer Bristol Old Vic, Bristol
Airbase Lt. Madeline Kohler Oxford Playhouse and Arts Theatre, London
1987 Uncle Vanya Yelena Vaudeville Theatre, London
1991 A Doll's House Nora The Hole in the Wall Theatre Company, Perth
1992 Miss Julie Miss Julie Sydney Theatre Company
1996 Simpatico Cecilia Sydney Theatre Company
1999 Easy Virtue Larita Chichester, England
2001 Old Times Kate Sydney Theatre Company
2004 Vecchi Tempi Anne Italian tour of Harold Pinter play
2005 Private Lives Amanda Theatre Royal, Bath
2008 Mary Stuart Queen Elizabeth Sydney Theatre Company
The Deep Blue Sea Hester Theatre Royal, Bath; Vaudeville, London
2010 A Little Night Music Desiree Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris. French premiere
2011 Bette and Joan Bette Davis Arts Theatre, London and tour
2013 King Lear Regan The Old Vic, London
2014 The Seagull Madame Arkadina Black Swan Theatre, Perth
2015 The Glass Menagerie Amanda Headlong/West Yorkshire Playhouse/Liverpool Playhouse co-production
2016 The Entertainer Phoebe Rice The Garrick Theatre, London

References

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  1. ^ "Greta Scacchi profile". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
  2. ^ Law, Cally; Scacchi, Greta (17 August 2008). "Slight mischief". The Sunday Times. p. 2.
  3. ^ Newbigin, Nerida (4 April 2016). "Giovanni Carsaniga (1934–2016)". Australasian Centre for Italian Studies. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
  4. ^ Cornwell, Jane (22 June 2014). "Greta Scacchi: acting royalty". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  5. ^ a b "In Conversation… with Greta Scacchi". University of Western Australia. 9 November 2014.
  6. ^ Bosworth, Michael (2000). "Hollywood Senior High School – A History" (PDF). Retrieved 6 January 2011.
  7. ^ "The Octagon Takes a Bow". Uniview. 29 (1): 16–19. Summer 2010. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
  8. ^ "Greta Scacchi". IMDb.
  9. ^ Bryce Hallett, Her world's a stage, The Sydney Morning Herald, Metropolitan, 10 February 2001, p.3
  10. ^ Rogers, Jude (12 November 2023). "Greta Scacchi: 'I was always being invited to play a male fantasy'". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  11. ^ "Urban Cinefile Scacchi, Greta - Looking For Alibrandi". Urbancinefile.com.au. 29 May 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  12. ^ George, Sandy (19 November 2000). "Looking For Alibrandi finds five AFI Awards | News | Screen". Screendaily.com. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  13. ^ Spencer, Charles (10 March 2008). "The Deep Blue Sea: Swept away on an ocean of bitter tears". The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  14. ^ Christiansen, Rupert (18 February 2010). "Bittersweet soufflé is a delight". The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  15. ^ Brown, Peter (10 May 2011). "Bette & Joan". Londontheatre.co.uk. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  16. ^ Sydney Morning Herald 18 December 2011
  17. ^ "The Old Vic | King Lear". Bookings.oldvictheatre.com. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  18. ^ Laurie, Victoria (13 August 2014). "Daughter joins Greta Scacchi on stage for Chekhov in Perth". The Australian. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  19. ^ Brennan, Clare (20 September 2015). "The Glass Menagerie review – 3D actors trapped in a 2D production". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  20. ^ Evans, Lloyd (10 September 2016). "John Osborne's The Entertainer is a big, fat, boring slice of prime-time chitchat". The Spectator. London. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  21. ^ Clapp, Susannah (4 September 2016). "The Entertainer review – Kenneth Branagh's off-key swan song". The Observer. London. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  22. ^ Slatter, Sean (6 June 2024). "Bryan Brown, Greta Scacchi ready to ride again with 'Darby and Joan' S2". IF Magazine. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  23. ^ Urban, Andrew L. "Scacchi, Greta – Looking for Alibrandi". Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2011.
  24. ^ Walmsley, Olivia (6 September 2022). "Greta Scacchi: 'Fitting the photogenic ideal opened lots of doors for me – but it was also frustrating'". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 6 September 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  25. ^ a b Macdonald, Marianne (28 September 2008). "Greta Scacchi: glad to be back". The Daily Telegraph.
  26. ^ Macdonald, Marianne (28 November 1999). "'Trainspotting, I'd love to do that...'". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 April 2015. Her daughter's father is the actor Vincent D'Onofrio, with whom Scacchi had a four-year relationship that ended acrimoniously not long after the baby, Leila, was born
  27. ^ Kasprak, Alex (14 February 2021). "Is Sean Penn Vincent D'Onofrio's Son-In-Law?". Snopes. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  28. ^ "Greta Scacchi: acting royalty". The Sydney Morning Herald. 21 June 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  29. ^ "Greta Scacchi on having a child with her cousin Carlo Mantegazza". NewsComAu. 11 July 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  30. ^ "Greta Scacchi". Christian Aid. 16 April 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  31. ^ Vanessa Thorpe, arts and media correspondent (19 June 2010). "Greta Scacchi revels in her happiest role yet: environmental campaigner | Environment | The Observer". Theguardian.com. Retrieved 22 June 2014. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  32. ^ MYmovies.it. "Cinema: conferito a Greta Scacchi Ordine a Merito".
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