Marisa Mell

Marisa Mell |

Marisa Mell made her dream come true and achieved worldwide fame as an actress. Born in Graz, she played opposite such stars of the silver screen as Michel Piccoli and Tony Curtis. 


1939  Marisa Mell is born as Marlies Theres Moitzi in Graz, the capital of Styria. 

1954  Obsessed with the stage, she gives her debut as an actress. 

1958-1959  Marlies Moitzi studies at the famous Max Reinhardt drama school in Vienna. 

1960-1968  The „cartoon beauty“, as some people call her, acts in many films such as the Edgar Wallace picture „The Secret of the Red Orchid“ and „The Last Ride to Santa Cruz“, „French Dressing“, „Masquerade“ and „Casanova ’70“ 

1968  The Graz-born actress achieves her international breakthrough in the psycho-thriller „Diabolik“. 

From 1969  Marisa Mell acts in many international productions, but always remains most closely involved in the Italian and French film business. Her last role is the film „Ich liebe Wien“ („I love Vienna“) in 1991. 

1992  Marisa Mell dies of cancer in Vienna at the age of 53.

|

Marisa Mell was born Marlies Theres Moitzi in Graz on 24 February 1939. She became fascinated by theatre and cinema in early childhood, and made her acting debut at the young age of 15. After finishing grammar school, she attended the Max Reinhardt drama school in Vienna for two years. Soon she succeeded in breaking into the film business, though initially she received only small roles.

|

In 1968, her time had come to conquer the world as an actress. Described by many as a „cartoon beauty“, the Styrian-born actress excelled opposite Michel Piccoli in Mario Bava’s „Diabolik“.
She also played in films like „Masquerade“, „Stuntman“, „Spektrum der Angst“ („Spectrum of Fear“), „Casanova & Co“, and „Ich liebe Wien“ („I love Vienna“).
The actress was at home in every genre, even though most of her roles were in thrillers and spy films.
Marisa Mell filmed in Hollywood as well as Italy, France, Spain, and of course Austria. Her first love was the cinema, but she also made TV productions such as „Elisabeth von Österreich“ („Elisabeth of Austria“) and „Zeiten wie diese“ („Times like these“).