Eva Renzi's life was marked by a tumultuous childhood, where she was born to a 17-year-old French mother and a 49-year-old Danish father, who later divorced when she was just three years old. She was placed in an orphanage run by nuns, where she remained until the age of 14, when she was reunited with her abusive father.
Renzi's childhood was filled with physical and emotional abuse, which led her to attempt suicide twice before she finally left home at the age of 17 to pursue a career in acting. She was discovered by famous drama coach Else Bongers, who took her under her wing and helped her develop her craft.
Renzi's early career was marked by success, with her debut on stage in 1961 and her membership in the Freie Volksbühne Berlin in 1964. She became known for her striking looks and fiery personality, which earned her the nickname "a sensuous mix between Julie Christie and Ingrid Bergman."
In 1966, Renzi met director Will Tremper, who wrote a movie specifically for her, titled That Woman. The film was a critical and commercial success, and Renzi's performance earned her international recognition. She went on to star in a string of successful films, including Funeral in Berlin, The Pink Jungle, and The Bird with the Crystal Plumage.
Renzi's personal life was marked by a tumultuous marriage to Paul Hubschmid, a Swiss film star who was 27 years her senior. The couple had a daughter together, Anouschka, and Renzi later adopted a second child. However, the marriage was marked by infidelity and abuse, and Renzi eventually left Hubschmid in 1980.
Renzi continued to act throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with notable roles in Das blaue Palais and Papa Poule. She also toured Germany, Austria, and Switzerland with a stage production of Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull" and received rave reviews for her performance.
In the late 1990s, Renzi's health began to decline, and she was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2004. She chose not to undergo treatment and died in her daughter's arms on August 16, 2005, at the age of 60.
