Lea Massari

Anna Maria Massatani (30 June 1933 – 23 June 2025), known professionally as Lea Massari, was an Italian actress and singer. Her international breakout role as Anna in Michelangelo Antonioni's L'Avventura established her as an icon of European art cinema. She won the Nastro d'Argento for Best Supporting Actress twice, and was nominated for the David di Donatello for Best Actress once.

Early life Massari was born Anna Maria Massatani in Rome, and was raised variously in Spain, France, and Switzerland. She originally studied architecture at university, while working as a model for costume and production designer Piero Gherardi. She adopted her stage name at the age of 22, after the sudden death of her fiancé Leo.

Career Massari became known in art cinema for two roles: the missing girl Anna in Michelangelo Antonioni's L'Avventura (1960), and as Clara, the mother of a sexually precocious 14-year-old boy named Laurent (Benoît Ferreux) in Louis Malle's Murmur of the Heart (1971). She began to receive critical acclaim in 1961 after her performance in A Difficult Life (Una vita difficile), directed by Dino Risi, earning her a special David di Donatello award.

Massari worked in both Italian and French cinema. Her career includes Sergio Leone's debut The Colossus of Rhodes (Il Colosso di Rodi, 1961) and international commercial films such as The Things of Life (Les choses de la vie, 1970).

Massari was a member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1975.

Massari won the Nastro d'Argento for Best Supporting Actress award for her appearance in Francesco Rosi's Christ Stopped at Eboli (Cristo si è fermato a Eboli, 1979).

Death Massari died on 23 June 2025, one week before her 92nd birthday.

Partial filmography

Proibito (1955) – Agnese Barras Dreams in a Drawer (1957) – Lucia Moretti Resurrection (1958) – Marja Pawlowna L'avventura (1960) – Anna From a Roman Balcony (1960) – Freja Il Colosso di Rodi (1961) – Diala A Difficult Life (1961) – Elena Pavinato Morte di un bandito (1961) – Santa Dreams Die at Dawn (1961) – Anna Miklos Le Monte-charge (1962) – Marthe Dravet The Four Days of Naples (1962) – Maria (uncredited) The Captive City (1962) – Lelia Mendores Weeping for a Bandit (1964) – María Jerónima The Unvanquished (1964) – Dominique Servet La coda del diavolo (1964) The Camp Followers (1965) – Toula Demantritza Made in Italy (1965) – Monica (segment "1 'Usi e costumi', episode 3") Garden of Delights (1967) – Carlo's mistress Volver a vivir (1968) – María I Want Him Dead (1968) – Aloma Les Choses de la vie (1970) – Catherine Bérard Céleste (1970) – Hélène Senza via d'uscita (1970) – Britt Murmur of the Heart (1971) – Clara Chevalier Paolo e Francesca (1971) And Hope to Die (1972) – Sugar Indian Summer (1972) – Monica The Woman in Blue (1973) – Aurélie Escape to Nowhere (1973) – Maria Menela (1973) – Maria Story of a Love Story (1973) – Woman (1974) – Hélène Noblet Allonsanfàn (1974) – Charlotte Fear Over the City (1975) – Nora Elmer Chi dice donna dice donna (1976) – Gilbert (segment "Papa e maman") (1976) – Gloria La linea del fiume (1976) – Amanda Treves (1977) – Mère de François Faces of Love (1977) – Cecilia El perro (1977) – Muriel Antonio Gramsci: The Days of Prison (1977) – Tania Dirty Dreamer (1978) – Joséphe Les Rendez-vous d'Anna (1978) – La mère d'Anna Christ Stopped at Eboli (1979) – Luisa Levi Le Divorcement (1979) – Rosa La Flambeuse (1981) – Louise (1983) – Carla Angelli (1984) – Nelly Secrets Secrets (1984) – Marta, Laura's Mother Viaggio d'amore (1990) – Zaira (final film role)