Olimpia Carlisi is a renowned Italian actress, boasting a rich and storied career that spans multiple decades. Born to a Sicilian father, she spent her formative years in Florence, where she was immersed in the city's vibrant cultural scene.
As a young performer, Carlisi made a name for herself on the avant-garde and offbeat theater circuit during the 1970s and 1980s. Her impressive repertoire includes starring roles in a number of iconic films, such as Federico Fellini's "Il Casanova", Bernardo Bertolucci's "La tragedia di un uomo ridicolo", Roberto Benigni's "Tu mi turbi", Straub and Huillet's "Dalla nube alla Resistenza" (adapted from Cesare Pavese's novel "The Moon and the Bonfires"),and Ferzan Ozpetek's "La finestra di fronte".
In addition to her work on the silver screen, Carlisi has also made a mark on the music industry. In 1980, she co-hosted the Sanremo Festival alongside Claudio Cecchetto, Roberto Benigni, and Daniel Leads.
After a prolonged hiatus, Carlisi returned to the spotlight in 2011, lending her voice to Federico Fellini in the documentary "Fellini's Circus", directed by Adriano Apra. Her subsequent return to film directing came in 2014 with Asia Argento's "Incompresa", a movie that marked a triumphant comeback for the actress.