Biography

Marisa Merlini was born on August 6, 1923 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. She was an actress, known for The Great Silence (1968), Time of Vacation (1956) and Bread, Love and Dreams (1953). She died on July 27, 2008 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.

Marisa Merlini was an Italian character actress active in Italy's post-World War II cinema.

Merlini appeared in over fifty films during her career, which spanned from World War II to 2005.

Director Pupi Avati, who directed Merlini's final 2005 film, La seconda notte di nozze, paid tribute to Merlini saying, "Marisa brought to the set the experience of somebody who had taken part in the golden years of Italian cinema, but she was down-to-earth both in front of and behind the camera... Working with her was an honour and a fantastic experience.".

Marisa Merlini's awards included the Nastro d'Argento (Silver Ribbon), a film critics' award in 1957 for portraying a tourist in the 1956 Antonio Racioppi directed film, "Tempo di Villeggiatura".

Merlini was well known for playing the romana verace, or "born-and-bred Roman" characters. Additionally, Merlini appeared in a number of films opposite her real life friend, Italian actress Anna Magnani.