Daniela Bianchi

Daniela Bianchi dated a shipping tycoon, Alberto Cameli, in the late 60s and the couple got married in 1970. Following her marriage, she quit the film industry in order devote more time to her family. Soon, the couple has a son.

Despite being one of the most famous Italian actors of the 60s, she is said to have loathed the industry and never made any friends within it. Her friends were mostly architects, engineers, or executives. Following her exit from the film industry, she led a calm life in her grand apartment in Rome.

Daniela Bianchi was born on January 31, 1942, in Rome, Italy, to an Italian Army colonel, in an elite family. Her grandmother happened to be a ‘marchesa,’ an Italian noblewoman who was supposed to be next in rank to a princess. Being from an army family, she was exposed to a strictly disciplined life as a kid.

She was interested in ballet, and acting was never on her radar while she grew up. She took dance classes, but as she attained teenage, she started exploring her career options and developed the desire to participate in beauty contests.

She was crowned ‘Miss Rome’ in 1960, and the same year, she competed for the ‘Miss Universe’ title, representing her country in the global arena. Despite losing the ‘Miss Universe’ title, she won the ‘Miss Photogenic’ title at the same event. This was a start to her career in fashion modeling.

During his modeling days, she started auditioning for roles and subsequently used her recognition as a ‘Miss Universe’ contestant to become a successful actor in Italian films.

Daniela started her acting career in 1958 with an unnamed and uncredited character in the Italian film ‘Love is my Profession.’ The film was later released in the US and fared well upon its release in the European and American countries.

She took a three-year break before she appeared on screen again with the 1961 film ‘Midnight Folly,’ where she played a supporting role. She became popular among the local audiences, following the success of the film. Soon, she was offered another major role in the film ‘Always on Sunday.’

In 1962, she played the role of ‘Elvira’ in the film ‘The Sword of El Cid.’ Such small films did not garner enough fame for her. However, her life transformed completely with the second ‘James Bond’ film, starring Sean Connery.

The film, titled ‘From Russia with Love,’ told the story of British spy ‘James Bond’ and his adventures in Russia. Daniela auditioned for the role of Soviet Consulate clerk ‘Tatiana Romanova.’ More than 200 girls appeared for the audition. After an intense auditioning process, Daniela was selected to play the role.

However, the film was not a cakewalk for Daniela or for the director Terence Young, as Daniela’s English was not very good and she hardly paid any attention to her performance. She was mostly seen eating chocolates and reading Italian novels on the set.