Greta Scacchi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Greta Scacchi OMRI
Scacchi in 2008
Born	(1960-02-18) 18 February 1960 (age 65) Milan, Lombardy, Italy
Citizenship	Italy Australia United Kingdom
Alma mater	Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1981–present
Partner(s)	Tim Finn (1983–1989) Vincent D'Onofrio (1989–1993) Carlo Mantegazza (1997–2010)
Children	2, including Leila George

Greta Scacchi (born 18 February 1960) is a talented actress. She was born in Italy to a British-Italian family. She grew up in Britain and later moved to Australia, where she became a citizen.

Greta Scacchi got her first main role in the romantic movie Heat and Dust (1983). For this role, she was nominated for a BAFTA Award. She then starred in other well-known films like White Mischief (1987), Presumed Innocent (1990), The Player (1992), Emma (1996), and Looking for Alibrandi (2000).

She won a Primetime Emmy Award for playing Alix of Hesse in the TV movie Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny (1996). She was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for this role. Later, she received another Primetime Emmy Award nomination for her acting in the Western TV movie Broken Trail (2006).

Greta Scacchi's Early Life

Greta Scacchi was born on 18 February 1960 in Milan, Italy. Her father, Luca Scacchi, was an Italian art dealer and painter. Her mother, Pamela Risbey, was an English dancer and antiques dealer. When Greta was four, her parents divorced. Her mother moved back to the United Kingdom with Greta and her two older brothers. They first lived in London, then in Haywards Heath, West Sussex.

In 1975, Greta's mother remarried, and the family moved to Perth, Western Australia. Her stepfather was a visiting professor at the University of Western Australia (UWA). While in Perth, Greta went to Hollywood Senior High School. She also joined UWA's University Dramatic Society. There, she performed in her first play, Early Morning, directed by Arne Neeme. In 1977, Greta returned to the United Kingdom. She studied acting at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

Greta Scacchi's Acting Career

Scacchi at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival.

Greta Scacchi's first TV role was in the show Bergerac in 1981. She played a model who was the girlfriend of a criminal. The next year, she made her film debut in the German movie Second Sight [it].

Her first main role in a British film was in Heat and Dust (1983). She acted alongside Shashi Kapoor and Julie Christie. Her performance earned her a BAFTA nomination for Best Newcomer to Film. She then appeared in films like The Ebony Tower (1984), The Coca-Cola Kid (1985), White Mischief (1987), Presumed Innocent (1990), The Player (1992), and Country Life (1994). She often chose roles that allowed her to show strong, independent women.

In 1996, Greta won an Emmy Award for her role as Alexandra of Hesse in the TV movie Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe and other awards for this performance. In 1999, she played an Italian-Australian single mother in the Australian film Looking for Alibrandi. For this role, she won the 2000 AFI award for Best Supporting Actress.

In 2007, Greta Scacchi received another Emmy Award nomination. This was for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for her work in Broken Trail.

Greta is fluent in English, French, German, and Italian. This has made her a popular choice for movie directors in Europe.

Theatre Performances

Greta Scacchi has also performed in many different plays. Early in her career, she appeared in In Times Like These and Cider with Rosie. In 1985, she acted with Mark Rylance in Airbase. In 1987, she was in Uncle Vanya in London.

In 1991, she played Nora in Ibsen's A Doll's House. A year later, she took the main role in Strindberg's Miss Julie. She returned to Sydney in 1996 for Simpatico. In 1999, she starred in Easy Virtue.

In 2001, Greta was in Harold Pinter's Old Times in Sydney. In 2004, she toured Italy with an Italian version of the same play. In 2005, she performed in Noël Coward's Private Lives. Back in Australia in 2008, she was nominated for an award for playing Queen Elizabeth in Mary Stuart. That year, she also performed in The Deep Blue Sea in London.

In 2010, Greta took over a role in Stephen Sondheim's musical A Little Night Music in Paris. She sang "Send In The Clowns." In 2011, she appeared in the play Bette and Joan in London. This play was about the relationship between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. Later that year, she was in a new play called Nothing Personal in Sydney.

In 2013, Jonathan Miller directed a special performance of William Shakespeare's King Lear in London. Greta Scacchi played Regan. In 2014, she played Arkadina in Chekhov's The Seagull in Perth. In 2015, she starred in a UK tour of Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie as Amanda.

Scacchi as Mrs Hardcastle in a 2023 performance of She Stoops To Conquer

From August to November 2016, Greta played Phoebe Rice in a new version of John Osborne's The Entertainer in London. Her performance received very good reviews. As of July 2025, Greta Scacchi continues her role as Joan in Darby and Joan, as the show was renewed for a second series.

Greta Scacchi's Personal Life

Greta Scacchi is a citizen of Italy by birth. She also has citizenship in Australia and the United Kingdom.

From 1983 to 1989, Greta was in a relationship with New Zealand musician Tim Finn. She then had a four-year relationship with American actor Vincent D'Onofrio. They have a daughter together, who is also an actress named Leila George.

In 1997, Greta started a relationship with her first cousin, Carlo Mantegazza. They have a son together.

Greta Scacchi is a strong supporter of environmental causes. She has worked with groups like Greenpeace and Christian Aid to raise awareness about climate change. In 2009, she helped promote a documentary called The End of the Line. This film showed the problems caused by overfishing. She continues to lead the Fishlove campaign, where many famous actors pose for photos with fish to support ocean conservation.

In October 2013, Greta Scacchi was given the Cavaliere Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana award. This award, which means "Knight in the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic," recognized her contributions to the arts.

Film and Television Roles

Greta Scacchi has appeared in many films and television shows. Here are some of her notable roles:

Films

Television Shows

See also

In Spanish: Greta Scacchi para niños