Monica Guerritore (Rome, Italy, January 5, 1958) is an Italian actress of cinema, theatre and television.

Biography

After her debut at just sixteen years of age under the direction of Giorgio Strehler in The Cherry Orchard (however, she had her first small part in Vittorio De Sica's Una breve vacanza, at the early age of 13), she tied herself romantically and artistically to film and theatre director Gabriele Lavia, acting in his theatrical performances mostly strong female characters like Jocasta, Lady Macbeth and Ophelia. The couple separated in 2001, and Guerritore continued her work with other directors, like Giancarlo Sepe, in Madame Bovary, Carmen and in The Lady of the Camellias.

Beside the stage career, she also works on television and film: in 1976 along Marcello Mastroianni in Signore e signori, buonanotte, in 1977 she plays the title role in first RAI colour TV play Manon Lescaut, also, significant performances were in Salvatore Samperi's Fotografando Patrizia (1985) and in Mauro Bolognini's La Venexiana (1986).

She came back to RAI in 1997, with tile role in Costanza, and in 1999, in Mario Caiano's L'amore oltre la vita. In 2004 she plays Ambra Leonardi in Amanti e segreti, and in 2006 Ada Sereni in Gianluigi Calderone's Exodus.

Gabriele Lavia directed her in many, often erotically toned, movies, including Scandalosa Gilda (1985), Sensi (1986) and La lupa (1996). In 2007 she plays a part in Ferzan Özpetek's Un giorno perfetto, and in 2008 in Ivano De Matteo's La bella gente.

She is currently engaged in filming of Christian Duguay's Sant'Agostino in the role of Monica. The English version called "Restless Heart, The Confessions of St. Augustine", Ignatius Press 2013.

In theatre, she also directed Giovanna d'Arco (2004–2006), and Dall'Inferno all'Infinito (2008).