Rossana Coppa, a blonde Italian glamour model and actress, was born in Rome, and her journey in the entertainment industry began at the tender age of seventeen, when she started being featured in weekly fashion and movie magazines. She made her screen debut in 1951, initially taking on supporting roles in Italian films. However, Hollywood beckoned, and despite being seen in the right places and rubbing shoulders with the right people, her stint in Tinseltown turned out to be brief and unsatisfactory.
Rossana was offended by the roles offered to her and, after nine months, she walked out on her contract with Warner Brothers. Undeterred, she took classes at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, hoping to improve her fortunes. Although her career didn't experience a significant upswing, she did land a notable co-starring role alongside Gia Scala in The Big Boodle (1957),a United Artists second feature filmed on location in Havana and Mexico City. She also appeared in the Republic western Hell Canyon Outlaws (1957) before returning to her native Italy.
Back in Italy, Rossana headlined in the war picture El Alamein (1957) before making what would likely be her most iconic appearance in Mario Monicelli's classic caper comedy Big Deal on Madonna Street (1958). Her subsequent roles tended to be towards the bottom of the cast, with the possible exception of the quaint comedy Jessica (1962),an international co-production directed by Jean Negulesco and filmed in Sicily. This marked Rossana's penultimate appearance on the screen, bringing her remarkable journey to a close.
