Anita Ekberg, a Swedish-born actress best remembered for her role in the film classic La Dolce Vita, died Sunday in Rome. She was 83 years old.
The star had been in failing health for years, according to reports.
A former Miss Sweden at 20, Anita Ekberg lost the Miss Universe contest but won a screen contract at Universal Pictures in Hollywood just the same.
Her whispery voice and phonetic acting style often did not help her advance far beyond sex goddess roles, but there were some notable exceptions.
She played Henry Fonda’s adulterous wife in a 1956 adaptation of War and Peace before Fellini cast her in La Dolce Vita, her signature career role.
In that film, she played an actress described as the "most wonderful woman created since the beginning of time." A bold statement … but look at her.
Ekberg was born in Malmo, Sweden, in 1931. She was the sixth of eight children, and she left home as soon as she could to find work in modeling.
Her career quickly wound down, a victim of her tempestuous reputation and her limited range, and she fell into financial problems and poor health.
It was quite a departure from the eternal party girl, who once famously declared: "I don’t know if paradise or hell exist, but I’m sure hell is more groovy."
R.I.P.