Juliet Mazina is an Italian theater and film actress, wife of film director Federico Fellini. Thanks to her husband, she became a brilliant actress. She was called "Chaplin in a skirt" and the woman who created the great Fellini. The actress gained worldwide fame and played her best roles in such films: Variety Show Lights, The Road, Cabiria Nights, Juliet and the Perfume, Ginger and Fred.
Biography
Julia Anna Mazina (Italian Giulia Anna Masina) was born on February 22, 1921. in San Giorgio di Piano (Italy). Juliet's father, Getano Mazina, a promising young cellist for the sake of his beloved Letizia (Juliet's mother) gave up music. The girl's parents set a condition that the groom should change the dubious profession of a musician to a more prestigious one. As a result, the talented musician spent his entire life as a cashier at a mineral fertilizer plant.
Juliet was the oldest of four children in the family. From childhood, she showed a penchant for theater, music and dance.
After graduating from elementary school, Julia was sent to the Roman gymnasium of the Ursuline sisters. After studying at the gymnasium, she entered the University of Rome at the Faculty of Philology, having received a diploma in modern literature after graduation.
A huge role in the upbringing of the future actress was played by her aunt, who was also named Julia. She was a person leading a "bohemian" lifestyle. Aunt Julia passionately loved art, patronized novice actors, artists, musicians. It was she who saw in the fragile, thin Juliet the acting talent. Thanks to the patronage of her aunt, at the age of eighteen, Juliet got her first role in the theater - the role of a fairy. After this debut, the young actress constantly received invitations to play the roles of fairies and little animals.
Later, Juliet receives permanent roles in the Kaverino theater. To get rid of the North Italian accent and improve her diction, Mazina started working on radio. She voiced programs, scripts for which were written by the still unknown Federico Fellini. He worked as a cartoonist for one of the magazines and signed his work simply "Federico." Hearing Julia's voice, the future director decided that he had found the woman of his dreams. After that, he was invited to a trendy expensive restaurant. In October 1943, Federico and Julia got married. At Fellini's request, she changed her name and became Juliet.
Career with Federico Fellini
Her film debut was Alberto Lattuada's 1947 film No Pity. For this role, Juliet was awarded the Silver Ribbon.
Juliet's real success came after starring in Fellini's 1954 film The Road. The film was a huge success, and Juliet's acting was called genius and compared to Charlie Chaplin and Greta Garbo. The film won many awards: the Silver Lion of the Venice Film Festival (1954), the Oscar (1957), the Bodil Prize (1956).
The next drama by Federico Fellini "Nights of Cabiria" (1957), where Juliet plays the Roman prostitute Cabiria. The film also won an Oscar for Best Foreign Film of the Year and many other awards. After the premiere of this film, Federico said: "I owe everything to Juliet." Then the couple was invited to Hollywood, but soon only Juliet was offered a 5-year contract. Despite the temptation, Mazina refused the lucrative offer.
After "Cabiria Nights" in the career of Juliet there were several unsuccessful films: "Fortunella", "Hell in the middle of the city." Mazina tried to prove herself in related activities: she was engaged in journalism and the publishing business, was a presenter on television, read poetry of the classics at concerts. She even defended her dissertation on the topic: "The social position and psychology of the actor in our time." But then Fellini began filming the film "Juliet and the Perfume". The film was created especially for Juliet. In this picture, Mazina is presented in the form of a deceived wife, who is completely subordinate to the will of her husband. According to critics, Juliet and the Perfume is the female version of 8 ½.
Mazina's last work with the great Fellini was her role in the film "Ginger and Fred" (1985). This picture is about a touching pair of old step dancers. Julia's partner in the film was Fellini's favorite actor and friend, the amazing Marcello Mastroianni.
In addition to her husband's films, Juliet also starred for other famous directors in such films: “Europe 51” (1951) by Roberto Rossellini, “Forbidden Women” (1953) by Giuseppe Amato, “Great Life” (1960) by Julien Duvivier and others …
Personal life
Marriage for Mazina was not what she expected from marriage. First of all, she wanted to have a faithful husband and children. Fellini sometimes had connections on the side, and a tragedy struck with Juliet's child. Baby Pierre Federico lived only 2 weeks and died. Then the doctors told the actress that she would no longer have children. The common tragedy experienced in youth established a strong bond between the spouses. Since then, Juliet has devoted herself entirely to her husband. They lived together for half a century, becoming cult figures in the world cinematographer. All these years Juliet loved and was loved.
Disease. Last years
In the last years of her life, Juliet Mazina did little to act in films. In 1993, she was diagnosed with lung cancer. The actress hid her illness from her husband. She was treated on an outpatient basis, but doctors advised her to go to the hospital. Then Federico fell ill. Fellini died of a stroke on October 31, 1993. At his funeral, Juliet said: "I'm not without Federico." After the death of Fellini, Mazina stopped receiving treatment, did not leave the house, did not give interviews. She died in Rome on March 23, 1994. Juliet outlived her husband by five months. They were buried together in a cemetery in Rimini. A family friend, Tonino Guerra, installed a common gravestone, on the slab of which the following inscription is engraved: "Now, Juliet, you can cry …"
