Isabella Rossellini facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Isabella Rossellini
Rossellini at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival
Born	Isabella Fiorella Elettra Giovanna Rossellini (1952-06-18) 18 June 1952 (age 73) Rome, Italy
Citizenship	Italy United States
Education	New York University (BA), Hunter College (MA)
Occupation	Actress model
Years active	1976–present
Spouse(s)	Martin Scorsese ​ ​ (m. 1979; div. 1982)​ Jonathan Wiedemann ​ ​ (m. 1983; div. 1986)​
Partner(s)	David Lynch (1986–1991) Gary Oldman (1994–1996)
Children	2, including Elettra Rossellini Wiedemann
Parents	Roberto Rossellini (father) Ingrid Bergman (mother)
Relatives	Pia Lindström (maternal half-sister) Renzo Rossellini (paternal half-brother)
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Isabella Fiorella Elettra Giovanna Rossellini (born June 18, 1952) is a famous Italian-American actress and model. She is the daughter of two movie legends: Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman and Italian film director Roberto Rossellini. Isabella became well-known as a model for the beauty company Lancôme and has starred in many movies in both America and Europe.

She is known for her roles in films like Blue Velvet (1986), Death Becomes Her (1992), and Joy (2015). She also voiced characters in the animated movies Incredibles 2 (2018) and Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021). In 2024, she earned an Academy Award nomination for her role as Sister Agnes in the movie Conclave.

Early Life and Family

Isabella Rossellini was born in Rome, Italy. She has a fraternal twin sister, Isotta Ingrid Rossellini, who is a professor of Italian literature. Her parents, Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini, were both very famous in the film industry. She has several siblings and half-siblings from her parents' other marriages.

Isabella (right) with her twin sister Isotta, brother Robertino, and their mother Ingrid Bergman on the set of the film The Visit.

Isabella grew up in Rome, Santa Marinella, and Paris. When she was 11 years old, she was diagnosed with scoliosis, a condition that causes the spine to curve. To fix it, she had to go through a long and difficult treatment that included wearing body casts and having surgery. This experience was tough, but she recovered.

At 19, she moved to New York City to attend college. While studying, she worked as a translator and a television reporter for the Italian broadcast company RAI.

A Career in a Nutshell

From a Model to an Actress

Isabella's modeling career began when she was 28 years old. She was photographed for famous magazines like Vogue, Marie Claire, and Harper's Bazaar. Her picture appeared on many magazine covers around the world.

Her modeling work led her to become the face of the French cosmetics brand Lancôme in 1982. In 1996, her contract with Lancôme ended. However, in 2016, the company's new leader hired her back as a global brand ambassador, celebrating her timeless beauty.

Famous Movie and TV Roles

Rossellini on location at Tempelhof Airport in Berlin in 1992 for the film The Innocent

Isabella made her film debut in 1976 with a small role in A Matter of Time, appearing alongside her mother. Her first major American film was White Nights (1985). She became very famous for her role as Dorothy Vallens in the David Lynch film Blue Velvet (1986).

She has appeared in many other movies, including Death Becomes Her (1992), Fearless (1993), and Joy (2015). She has also been a guest star on popular TV shows like Friends, 30 Rock, and The Blacklist.

In 2024, Isabella received great praise for her role as Sister Agnes in the movie Conclave. Her performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

In early 2025, it was announced that Rossellini would join the cast of Ryan Murphy's television series, The Beauty. It was also announced that she had been cast in Mike Newell's biopic The Bitter End.

Exploring the Animal World

Isabella has a great love for animals and science. After studying animal behavior at Hunter College, she created a series of short, funny films for the Sundance Channel.

In these films, she dressed up in creative costumes to act like different animals, such as insects and fish. She used science and humor to teach people about the life cycles and mating rituals of animals. The series was a big hit online and was followed by other shows.

She also created a tribute film for her father called My Dad Is 100 Years Old. In the film, she creatively played many different characters herself, including her mother and famous directors like Alfred Hitchcock.

Stage and Live Performances

Isabella has also performed on stage. She turned her film series into a live show, where she gives a 70-minute talk about the amazing diversity of the animal world. She talks about how different animals have families and why diversity is so important in nature.

She also created a stage play called "Link Link Circus." In this show, she and her trained dog, Pan, explore the intelligence and emotions of animals. She dresses up as famous thinkers like Aristotle and Charles Darwin to tell stories about the animal kingdom.

Working for a Better World

Isabella uses her fame to help good causes. She is very involved in conservation, which means protecting animals and their natural homes. She is the president of the Howard Gilman Foundation, an organization that supports wildlife and the arts.

She is also a big supporter of the Guide Dog Foundation and helps train guide dogs for people who are blind. She has been honored for her work in supporting the preservation of old films so that future generations can enjoy them.

Personal Life

Rossellini with David Lynch at the Cannes Film Festival in 1990.

Rossellini holds citizenship in both Italy and the United States. She speaks Italian, French, and English fluently.

She was married to director Martin Scorsese from 1979 to 1982 and then to Jon Wiedemann from 1983 to 1986. She has a daughter, Elettra Rossellini Wiedemann, and an adopted son, Roberto.

Isabella continues to live near her twin sister, just as they did when they were growing up. She is also an organic farmer on Long Island, New York, where she lives part-time.

Filmography

Key

Denotes works that have not yet been released

Film

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1989–1990	The Tracey Ullman Show	Mae	3 episodes
1990	Ivory Hunters	Maria DiConti	Television film
1991	Lies of the Twins	Rachel Marks	Television film
1993	Fallen Angels	Babe Lonsdale	Episode: "The Frightening Frammis"
1994	The Gift	Gabriella	Television film
1995	Tales from the Crypt	Betty Spinelli	Episode: "You, Murderer"
1996	Friends	Herself	Episode: "The One with Frank Jr."
	Crime of the Century	Anna Hauptmann	Television film
1997	Chicago Hope	Professor Marina Giannini	2 episodes
	The Odyssey	Athena	Miniseries; 2 episodes
1998	Merlin	Nimue	Miniseries; 2 episodes
1999	The Simpsons	Astrid Weller	Voice, episode: "Mom and Pop Art"
2000	Don Quixote	The Duchess	Television film
2002	Napoléon	Joséphine de Beauharnais	4 episodes
2003	Monte Walsh	Countess Martine	Television film
2004	Earthsea	Thar	Miniseries; 2 episodes
2004–2005	Alias	Katya Derevko	5 episodes
2006	Infected	Carla Plume	Television film
	Filthy Gorgeous	Antonia	Television film
2007	30 Rock	Bianca Donaghy	2 episodes
2008–2009	Green ...	Various animals and insects	18 episodes
2009	The Phantom	Dr. Bella Lithia	2 episodes
2012	Treme	Theresa	Episode: "I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say"
2013	The Blacklist	Floriana Campo	Episode: "The Freelancer"
2016–2017	Shut Eye	Rita Marks	20 episodes
2019	Tuca & Bertie	Pat	Voice, episode: "The Jelly Lakes"
2020–2021	The Owl House	Bat Queen	Voice, 3 episodes
2021	Domina	Balbina	Episode: "Rise"
2022	Los Espookys	Herself	Episode: "El Eclipse (The Eclipse)"
2022–2023	Julia	Simone Beck	6 episodes
2023	Human Resources	General Malice	Voice, 3 episodes
2025	Jurassic World: Chaos Theory	Nonna	Voice, 6 episodes
2025	The Loud House	Nonna Viola	Voice, episode: "Europe Road Trip: Nonna Your Business"
TBA	The Beauty	0TBA	Recurring role

Video games

Awards and recognition

In 1997, Rossellini was awarded The George Eastman Award. In 1998, she received an Honourable Mention at the 48th Berlin International Film Festival for her role in the film Left Luggage. In 2013, she was awarded with the Berlinale Camera at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival. In 2016, she was granted an honorary doctorate by the Université du Québec à Montréal.

See also

In Spanish: Isabella Rossellini para niños