Anita Ekberg

 

Kerstin Anita Marianne Ekberg (Swedish pronunciation (listen) 29 September 1931 - 11 January 2015) was an Swedish actress, who was active in American and European films, known for her beautiful and striking silhouette. Her role as Sylvia, in Federico Fellini's film La Dolce Vita (1960), made her well-known. Ekberg mostly worked in Italy which was her permanent resident in the year 1964. Anita Ekberg was the eighth child in a family of eight. Anita worked as fashion model during her teenage years. In response to the wishes by her mother, Ekberg took part in Miss Malmo in 1950. She took home the Miss Sweden contest. Despite not speaking much English the contestant traveled to the United States to compete for the 1951 Miss Universe title (an unofficial pageant in that period, the pageant was officially launched in 1952). Although Ekberg did not win the Miss Universe pageant, as one of six finalists, she did get a starlet's contract with Universal Studios. As an actress at Universal they gave her lessons in drama, elocution, dancing, horseback riding and fencing. She was briefly featured in The Mississippi Gambler (1953), Abbott and Costello Go to Mars (1953) (playing a woman on Venus), Take Me to Town (1953), and The Golden Blade (1953).