MovieWise

Unfiltered reviews. Cinematic depth.

Mode
Lea Massari Biography and Full Filmography - MovieWise

Quick Facts

Born:
1933-06-30

Birthplace:
Roma, Lazio, Italy

Credits:
61 Total Roles

Lea Massari

Acting

The MovieWise Take

Refining cinematic analysis...

Biography

Anna Maria Massetani better known as Lea Massari (30 June 1933 — 23 June 2025) was an Italian actress. When she was 22, she changed her name to Lea Massari after the death of her fiancé Leo. She studied architecture in Switzerland. Massari became a celebrity in art cinema for two roles, the missing girl Anna in Michelangelo Antonioni's L'avventura (1960), and as Clara, the mother of a sexually precocious 14-year-old boy named Laurent (Benoît Ferreux) in Louis Malle's Murmur of the Heart (1971). She worked in both Italian and French Cinema. Her career includes Sergio Leone's debut Il Colosso di Rodi, and international commercial films such as Les choses de la vie. She was a member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1975. She won Nastro d'Argento as Best Supporting Actress for her role in Francesco Rosi's Christ Stopped at Eboli.

Known For

Full Filmography

Year Title Role
2017 Monica Vitti, une étoile dans la nuit MOVIE Self (archive footage)
2014 Il était une fois Sergio Leone MOVIE Self
1990 Journey of Love MOVIE Zaira
1988 Una donna spezzata MOVIE Self
1985 Secrets Secrets MOVIE Marta
1984 The Seventh Target MOVIE Nelly
1983 Return to Lisca Bianca Island MOVIE Anna (voice) (archive footage)
1983 Sarah MOVIE Carla Angelli
1981 La Flambeuse MOVIE Louise
1979 Le Divorcement MOVIE Rosa

Cinema in your inbox.

Weekly deep-dives and cinematic perspectives delivered to you.

By joining, you agree to our Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.