Anita Ekberg

Kerstin Anita Marianne Ekberg was born on September 29, 1931 in Malmo, Sweden.

Growing up with seven brothers and sisters was not an adventure, but Anita's adventure began when she was elected Miss Sweden in 1950. She did not win the Miss Universe contest but she got a modeling contract in the United States. She quickly got a film contract with Howard Hughes's RKO that did not lead anywhere (but Anita herself has said that Hughes wanted to marry her). Instead, she started making movies with Universal, small roles that more often than not only required her to look beautiful.

Had a long involvement with Tyrone Power that began when she was uncredited in his film The Mississippi Gambler (1953). She was involved with him during his subsequent tour of "John Brown's Body" and showed up in New York while he was filming The Eddy Duchin Story (1956). At one point, he took her to Cincinnati with him to meet his family. This all took place while he was married to Linda Christian. Christian describes the affair, but never mentions Ekberg's name, in her autobiography.

Was up for the lead role in the short-lived television series Sheena: Queen of the Jungle (1955) before her contract was bought out by John Wayne's production company Batjac Productions.

After five years in Hollywood, she found herself in Rome, where Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita (1960) meant her breakthrough. She stayed in Italy and made around 20 movies during the next ten years, some roles memorable, some to be forgotten. Her two marriages gave her a great deal of attention from the press.

Was considered for the role of Honey Rider in the first James Bond film Dr. No (1962), which went to Ursula Andress. Ekberg later co-starred with Andress in the Western comedy 4 for Texas (1963).

Was mentioned in the song "I Shall Be Free" by Bob Dylan on his 1963 album "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan".

Returned to Sweden in 1964 to appear in her first Swedish movie, Bo Widerberg's Kärlek 65 (1965), but canceled her appearance because, she said, "Widerberg was such an amateur!".

During the 1970s, the roles became less frequent, but she made a marvellous comeback with Fellini's Intervista (1987).

Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#98) (1995).

Anita Ekberg retired from acting in 2002 after 50 years in the motion picture industry.

On July 19, 2009, she was admitted to the San Giovanni Hospital in Rome, after falling ill in her home in Genzano, according to a medical official in its neurosurgery department. Despite her condition not being considered serious, Ekberg was put under observation in the facility.

In December 2011, she was destitute following three months in a hospital with a broken thigh in Rimini, during which her home was robbed of jewelry and furniture, and her villa was badly damaged in a fire. Ekberg applied for help from the Fellini Foundation, which also found itself in difficult financial straits.

She died at age 83 from complications of an enduring illness on January 11, 2015 at the clinic San Raffaele in Rocca di Papa, Italy. Ekberg had a new film project with exclusively female Italian producer "Le Bestevem", in which her character, as movie star, should have been recovered again as an icon of the silver screen, a project that was interrupted by her death.