Rosalina Neri

Rosalina Neri (12 November 1927 – 5 June 2024) was an Italian stage, television, film and radio actress.

Life, career and death

Born in Arcisate, Province of Varese, Neri started her career appearing in the 1954 Garinei & Giovannini's musical comedy Tobia la candina spia. She had her breakout with the Marcello Marchesi's RAI variety show Invito al sorriso, and got a lot of press coverage because of her resemblance to Marilyn Monroe, which led to her being labeled as the "Italian Marilyn Monroe" and nicknamed Marilina.

During a trip in England to shoot a television commercial, Neri met the conductor Jack Hylton, with whom she started a long romantic relationship and had a daughter, Angela. 

During her career she was mainly active on stage, where among others she worked with Giorgio Strehler and Umberto Simonetta.

Rosalina Neri died on 5 June 2024 at the age of 96 years in Milan, Italy.

Selected filmography

• I pinguini ci guardano (1956)
• Valeria ragazza poco seria [it] (1958)
• Bocche cucite [it] (1968)
• The Betrothed (TV, 1989)
• The House of Smiles (1991)
• Three Men and a Leg (1997)
• All the Moron's Men (1999)
• Finalmente soli (TV, 1999-2004)
• Il volto di un'altra [it] (2012)
• The Predators (2020)