This former translator and TV journalist made her film debut in a bit role opposite her mother, Ingrid Bergman, in Vincente Minnelli's best-forgotten "A Matter of Time" (1976). Rossellini came to prominence as the abused, abstracted chanteuse in "Blue Velvet" (1986), directed by longtime companion David Lynch, though she is best known--and better remunerated--for her career as a model. (Her contract as the official "face" of the Lancome cosmetics empire has earned her more than $2 million to date.) Her luminous looks have usually been construed as fitting bruised but angelic characters. Her finest acting moments were in her starring roles in the Taviani brothers' "The Meadow" (1979), and later "Blue Velvet". After these films, Rossellini was often underused as dark-hearted and/or frigid Europeans in such films as "Wild at Heart" (1990), "Death Becomes Her" (1992), "Fearless" (1993) and "Immortal Beloved" (1994). She offered a strong portrayal of a loyal wife torn by her fear of and for her gangster husband (Chris Penn) in Abel Ferrara's "The Funeral" (1996). On TV, Rossellini starred in the cable movie "Lies of the Twins" (1991) and the Showtime series, "Fallen Angels" (1993), in a segment that marked actor Tom Cruise's directorial debut.
In 1997, Rossellini co-starred in the independent drama "Left Luggage", which was later released in 2000. She then joined Cambell Scott for the dram-edy feature "Roger Dodger" (2002), a film written and directed by first time filmmaker Dylan Kidd.
Rossellini was married to director Martin Scorsese from 1979 to 1982.
Copyright © Baseline 2006.