Hubbry Logo
Isa DanieliIsa DanieliMain
Open search
Isa Danieli
Community hub
Isa Danieli
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Isa Danieli
Isa Danieli
Isa Danieli
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Isa Danieli (born 13 March 1937) is an Italian film actress. She has appeared in 32 films since 1962.

Key Information

Early life

[edit]

Danieli's mother Rosa Moretti (stage name of Maria Santoro, widow of Amatucci, 1904-1959) was one of the voices of Radio Napoli with Tito Petralia's orchestra from 1928.[1] Her paternal grandparents were a great dynasty of actors: the Di Napoli. Her father, Renato Di Napoli, was her mother's partner for a certain period of time, before separating definitively without ever having married. Born and raised in the theaters of the Neapolitan sceneggiata, where her mother and uncles Di Napoli worked, she made her debut at 14 with the stage name of Luisa Moretti, in 'O curniciello in the role of seduced and abandoned.[2]

Career

[edit]

While she was acting in the Neapolitan sceneggiata she met Eduardo De Filippo, as she herself explains: "I learned about this great figure, this man who had remade the Teatro San Ferdinando. (…) I wrote a letter to Eduardo saying that I would have really liked to work in their company and that I was a young actress. Eduardo probably wouldn’t have even thought of me, if it hadn’t happened instead, after a couple of weeks or even three, a girl died of an urgent appendicitis. In short, they were making Napoli milionaria! and he needed one of these girls who played the part of his daughter’s friends, the one who talked about her friends the most. (…) He received this letter and the photograph (…) and the poster of the sceneggiata. (…) He called me, I went and I debuted the same evening of the show.",[3] still with the stage name of Luisa Moretti.

After the reruns of Napoli milionaria!, in the role of Teresa, Eduardo confirmed her as an extra in Questi fantasma! and wrote the parts of the waitress for her in Mia famiglia, and Bene mio e core mio. In 1955, during the tour in Rome, she changed her stage name, definitively, to Isa Danieli. Her first time on television was again with Eduardo's company, in the role of Gemma in Miseria e nobiltà, broadcast live on 30 December 1955 from the Odeon Theatre in Milan.[4] In 1956, after Il dono di Natale and Quei figureri di tanti anni fa, dissatisfied with the small roles that Eduardo assigned her, she decided to leave the De Filippo company for the variety show, understanding that to be a complete actress she had to learn to dance and sing.[5] She thus had the opportunity to act with Trottolino (stage name of Umberto D'Ambrosio[6]) and Rino Marcelli.

Selected filmography

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Isa Danieli

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Isa Danieli is an Italian actress known for her supporting roles in Italian cinema, particularly through her collaborations with director Lina Wertmüller. Born on March 13, 1937, in Naples, Italy, she began her career in 1962 and has since appeared in more than 30 films, often portraying characters drawn from her Neapolitan roots. Her breakthrough came with notable performances in Wertmüller's films, including "Love & Anarchy" (1973), where she contributed to the director's social satire and ensemble acting. She later gained international recognition for her role in Giuseppe Tornatore's "Cinema Paradiso" (1988), which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Danieli continued acting in films and television, including "Ciao, Professore!" (1992), maintaining a presence in Italian entertainment across decades.

Early life

Family background

Isa Danieli (born Luisa Amatucci) was born on 13 March 1937 in Naples, Campania, Italy. She is the daughter of Rosa Moretti, a singer who was one of the prominent voices of Radio Napoli, and Renato Di Napoli, her mother's unmarried partner for a period before they separated definitively without marrying. Her paternal grandparents belonged to the Di Napoli acting dynasty, one of the most important families in Neapolitan dialect theater. The Di Napoli dynasty spans more than 150 years and five generations, beginning with Raffaele Di Napoli (1819–1879), the founder renowned for his guappo character at theaters such as Teatro Sebeto and Teatro San Carlino. Family members have contributed as actors, singers, playwrights, and other theater professionals, creating iconic roles in Neapolitan tradition including the guappo and popolana. Danieli is regarded as the last artistic descendant in this lineage, and through her family's heritage she grew up immersed in the Neapolitan theater and sceneggiata tradition.

Early stage career

Isa Danieli began her professional acting career at the age of 14 under the stage name Luisa Moretti, debuting in the Neapolitan sceneggiata 'O curniciello. While performing in sceneggiate, she met Eduardo De Filippo. She appeared in his production of Napoli milionaria!, and he later confirmed her as an extra in Questi fantasmi! and wrote maid roles for her in Mia famiglia and Bene mio e core mio. During the company's 1955 Rome tour, she adopted her permanent stage name Isa Danieli. She also appeared in the live television broadcast of Miseria e nobiltà by Eduardo Scarpetta, transmitted on 30 December 1955 from the Odeon Theatre in Milan with Eduardo's company. In 1956, dissatisfied with the limited size of her roles, she left Eduardo De Filippo's company and transitioned to variety shows (avanspettacolo) to develop her skills in singing and dancing, performing with Trottolino (Umberto D'Ambrosio) and Rino Marcelli.

Career

Theater career

Isa Danieli has sustained a prolific and influential career in Italian theater, particularly within the Neapolitan tradition, where her long association with regional stage practices has earned her descriptions as the queen of the stage. She unites tradition and modernity, excelling across diverse genres including sceneggiata, avanspettacolo (variety), prose, author's theater, and Greek tragedy, while collaborating with directors such as Roberto De Simone, Giorgio Strehler, and Lina Wertmüller. Her versatility has made her a pivotal interpreter of both classic Neapolitan repertoire and innovative contemporary writing. Following her foundational experience with Eduardo De Filippo, Danieli continued engaging with variety forms post-1956, refining her skills in singing and dancing through avanspettacolo and related performances. She maintained a strong presence in Neapolitan sceneggiata and broader theatrical productions, including Roberto De Simone's La gatta Cenerentola (1976), which represented a groundbreaking break from traditional Neapolitan theater. Danieli became a key muse for the post-1980 earthquake generation of Neapolitan playwrights, with works created specifically for her by authors such as Manlio Santanelli, Annibale Ruccello, and Enzo Moscato. Notable productions include Santanelli's Regina Madre, Ruccello's Ferdinando (in which she played Baroness Donna Clotilde di Lucanigro), and Moscato's Luparella, which she revived to sold-out audiences years after its premiere. Her enduring commitment to the stage has positioned her as a figure of artistic and political resistance in Italian theater, with three Ubu awards recognizing her contributions.

Film career

Isa Danieli's film career began in the early 1960s, with numerous appearances in film since then. She became particularly noted for her collaborations with director Lina Wertmüller, including her role as a prostitute in Love and Anarchy (Film d'amore e d'anarchia, 1973). She continued working with Wertmüller in Swept Away (Travolti da un insolito destino nell'azzurro mare d'agosto, 1974) and served as second assistant director on All Screwed Up (Tutto a posto e niente in ordine, 1974). In the 1980s and 1990s, Danieli took on memorable supporting roles in several prominent Italian films. She portrayed Carmela in Lina Wertmüller's Camorra (Un complicato intrigo di donne, vicoli e delitti, 1985). She appeared in Maccheroni (1985) and played the school principal in Ciao, Professore! (1992). One of her most iconic screen roles came as Anna in Giuseppe Tornatore's Cinema Paradiso (Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, 1988). Her later film work included parts in The Nymph (Ninfa plebea, 1996) and Ferdinando and Carolina (1999). She also contributed uncredited voice dubbing to A Man Called Magnum (1977).

Television and other work

Isa Danieli has appeared in a number of Italian television productions and short films, often bringing her characteristic Neapolitan expressiveness to the screen. She played the recurring role of Reginella in the television series Capri from 2006 to 2010, appearing in 15 episodes across its run. In 2002, she portrayed Nana in the TV movie Luparella, directed by Giuseppe Bertolucci. Danieli has also featured in several short films, including Clash of Civilization Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio (2010), where she played La Portiera, Beyond the Glass (2011), in the role of Mother, and Ciruzziello (2019), as Antonietta. These projects highlight her continued engagement with character-driven narratives in smaller formats.

Awards and nominations

Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.