Sylva Koscina facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sylva Koscina
Koscina in the movie Young Husbands (1958)
Born	Silvija Košćina (1933-08-22)22 August 1933 Zagreb, Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Died	26 December 1994(1994-12-26) (aged 61) Rome, Italy
Occupation	Actress model
Years active	1955–1994
Spouse(s)	Raimondo Castelli ​ ​ (m. 1967; div. 1971)​

Sylva Koscina (born Silvija Košćina, 22 August 1933 – 26 December 1994) was a famous actress from Yugoslavia who later became an Italian citizen. She is often remembered for her role as Iole, the bride of Hercules (Steve Reeves) in the movies Hercules (1958) and Hercules Unchained (1960). She also acted alongside Paul Newman in the movie The Secret War of Harry Frigg (1968).

Early Life and First Steps to Fame

Sylva Koscina was born Silvija Košćina in Zagreb, which was then part of Yugoslavia. Her father was Greek and owned a hotel, and her mother was Polish.

During World War II, when she was a young girl, Sylva moved to Italy to live with her older sister. Her sister had married an Italian man.

As a teenager, Sylva started winning beauty pageants. This led to her getting offers for modeling jobs. In 1954, while she was studying science at a university in Naples, Italy, she was asked to be a "Miss di Tappa." This meant she would present flowers to the winner of a stage in the 1954 Giro d'Italia bicycle race. Even though she was shy, she agreed. A picture of her kissing the winner was then printed in newspapers all over Europe, making her well-known.

Acting Career and Famous Roles

Sylva Koscina in The Railroad Man (1958)

A famous director named Eduardo De Filippo noticed Sylva. He wanted to cast her in a movie, but it didn't work out. However, this led to her first small acting part alongside Totò in Are We Men or Corporals? (1955). Her big break came when she played Giulia, the daughter of a train engineer, in the movie The Railroad Man (1956). After that, she appeared in Guendalina (1957), playing a young mother.

Sylva Koscina became a popular actress in comedies. Some of her well-known comedy films include Grandmother Sabella (1957), Ladro lui, ladra lei (He a thief, she a thief, 1958), and Poveri milionari (Poor millionaires, 1958). She was good at playing different kinds of characters, from glamorous and strong women to sweet and innocent ones. Her roles often showed women who wanted to improve their lives, reflecting how Italy was changing and becoming more modern.

She was also perfect for sophisticated comedies like Mogli pericolose (Dangerous Wives, 1958). One of her most famous roles was playing Hercules' fiancée, Iole, in Hercules (1958). This movie helped create a new type of adventure film. In one famous story, a police officer let her go without a traffic ticket. When she thanked him on a TV show, it caused a stir and even inspired a movie called Il vigile (The Traffic Policeman, 1960), where she played herself.

Sylva Koscina (left) with fellow Yugoslav actors Ljubiša Samardžić, Milena Dravić, and Bata Živojinović at the premiere of Battle of Neretva in Sarajevo in November 1969

In the early 1960s, Sylva married Raimondo Castelli, who was a film producer. She continued to get many roles, including in movies like Il sicario [fr] (The Hired Killer, 1961). In 1963, she appeared in an episode of Le quattro verità called "The Tortoise and the Hare," where she acted alongside Monica Vitti. In 1965, she was in Giulietta degli spiriti. She was also a popular guest on TV variety shows. Later, she co-starred in Mario Bava's 1972 horror film Lisa and the Devil.

Sylva also acted with big Hollywood stars like Kirk Douglas in A Lovely Way to Die (1968) and Paul Newman in The Secret War of Harry Frigg (1967). She also starred in the 1967 comedy Three Bites of the Apple with David McCallum. In Deadlier Than the Male (1967), she played a professional killer. She also played Danica in the Yugoslavian movie Battle of Neretva in 1969 and a German doctor named Bianca in Hornets' Nest with Rock Hudson.

Later Life and Death

Sylva Koscina passed away in Rome, Italy, in 1994, at the age of 61. She died from breast cancer.

Selected Filmography

Theatre Performances

• La commedia del Decamerone ("The Decameron comedy") by Mario Amendola and Bruno Corbucci with Sylva Koscina, Marisa Solinas, Vittorio Congia, Anna Campori. Directed by Amendola & Corbucci (1972).