Isabella Rossellini Biography Quotes 13 Report mistakes

Early Life and Family
Isabella Rossellini was born on June 18, 1952, in Rome, Italy, into one of cinema's most storied families. Her mother, Ingrid Bergman, was a Swedish-born actress celebrated for films such as Casablanca and Notorious, and her father, Roberto Rossellini, was a pioneering Italian director associated with neorealism through works like Rome, Open City and Paisan. Her childhood carried the dual imprint of these powerful artistic legacies and the public scrutiny that surrounded her parents' relationship. She has a twin sister, Isotta Ingrid Rossellini, who pursued a career in scholarship and writing, a half-sister, Pia Lindstrom, a respected journalist and critic, and a brother, Roberto Ingmar Rossellini. Growing up between Italy and other European cities, and later spending extensive time in the United States, she absorbed multiple languages and cultural traditions, an outlook that would color her artistic choices for decades.

As a teenager she contended with scoliosis that required medical treatment, an early experience that informed the poise and resilience observers later recognized in her screen presence and public life. The combination of family heritage and personal perseverance helped shape her eclectic path through modeling, film, television, writing, and, later, science and environmental advocacy.

Beginnings in Media and Modeling
Before acting became central to her public profile, Rossellini worked in journalism and television in Italy, building a practical understanding of how images and narratives are constructed. In her twenties she entered modeling, appearing in leading fashion magazines and collaborating with photographers whose distinct styles pushed her to explore persona and performance. She worked with Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, Francesco Scavullo, and others, who saw in her an idiosyncratic beauty and a sophisticated, self-aware glamour that resonated internationally.

In 1982 she became the face of Lancome, one of the most visible and lucrative contracts in the beauty industry. Her long association with the brand, initially lasting well over a decade, helped reframe ideas about age and elegance in fashion advertising. When Lancome ended the contract in the mid-1990s, it sparked public conversation about ageism in the beauty business. Years later, the company invited her back as an ambassador, a move that underscored her enduring appeal and her role in broadening the image of beauty across generations.

Breakthrough in Film and Television
Rossellini made a striking entrance into American cinema with David Lynch's Blue Velvet (1986). Her portrayal of the nightclub singer Dorothy Vallens, opposite Kyle MacLachlan and Dennis Hopper, was audacious and haunting, announcing her as a performer unafraid of psychological complexity. The film became a landmark of modern American cinema and brought her significant critical recognition, including honors from independent film circles.

She continued to collaborate with Lynch, appearing in Wild at Heart (1990), and broadened her range across genres. In Cousins (1989) she revealed a deft romantic touch opposite Ted Danson and Sean Young. She memorably played the ageless and enigmatic Lisle von Rhuman in Death Becomes Her (1992), a black comedy that paired her with Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, and Bruce Willis. Working with director Peter Weir on Fearless (1993), alongside Jeff Bridges and Rosie Perez, she explored grief and renewal with subtlety and grace. In Immortal Beloved (1994) she portrayed Countess Anna Maria Erdody opposite Gary Oldman's Beethoven, bringing poise and intelligence to the film's historical world.

Rossellini balanced features with television. In Crime of the Century (1996), about the Lindbergh kidnapping case, she portrayed Anna Hauptmann with empathetic determination, a performance that drew awards attention, including a Golden Globe nomination. She later embraced recurring roles and guest appearances that showcased her wit, including a playful turn on 30 Rock, reminding audiences of her agile comic timing.

Collaborations and Key Relationships
Her professional and personal life intertwined with major artistic figures. She was married to director Martin Scorsese from 1979 to 1982, a relationship that placed her within the creative circles of New York film at a pivotal time. Her collaboration with David Lynch on Blue Velvet and other projects evolved into a personal partnership for several years, a chapter both have referenced with affection and artistic kinship. She later married Jonathan Wiedemann, and together they had a daughter, Elettra Rossellini Wiedemann, who would become a model, writer, and food entrepreneur. Rossellini also adopted a son, Roberto, named in honor of her father. Across film and fashion, she worked with and befriended an array of collaborators, from directors like Peter Weir and Guy Maddin to photographers whose images helped define late-20th-century visual culture.

Writing, Stage, and Multimedia
Beyond acting, Rossellini developed a vibrant body of writing and performance work. Her memoir Some of Me offered a candid, often witty account of identity, beauty, and family lineage, weaving personal history with reflections on craft. She later created inventive, educational, and often comic stage and screen pieces about animal behavior and reproduction, most famously the short-film cycle Green Porno, produced for the Sundance Channel. With minimal props, handmade costumes, and direct-to-camera explanations, she demystified biological processes with curiosity and deadpan humor, earning praise from scientists and artists alike. Follow-up projects such as Seduce Me and Mammas continued this blend of science communication and performance art. Her live shows, including Link Link Circus, further merged theater with natural history, making learning a spectacle without sacrificing rigor.

Return to Study, Conservation, and Farming
Rossellini deepened her commitment to the natural world by formally studying animal behavior and conservation, earning a graduate degree later in life. The decision reflected a long-standing interest in science and a desire to ground her creative work in research. She became an advocate for biodiversity and ethical agriculture, establishing an organic operation on Long Island known as Mama Farm. The farm emphasizes sustainable practices, heritage breeds, and community education, and it has become part of the ecosystem of environmental work she supports. This phase of her life connects her curiosity about living systems with tangible stewardship of land and animals.

Legacy, Recognition, and Influence
Over decades, Rossellini has navigated and helped redefine spaces where film, fashion, and public discourse intersect. She has served on film festival juries, contributed to cultural institutions, and received honors from organizations spanning cinema to environmental advocacy. Her recognition includes independent film awards for bold screen performances and international accolades for her contributions to the arts. In fashion, her return to Lancome symbolized a shift in industry attitudes toward age and representation, while in film her work with directors such as David Lynch, Peter Weir, and Guy Maddin remains essential to understanding modern screen performance that is both glamorous and subversive.

Personal Perspective
Rossellini's path reflects a conversation with inheritance rather than a simple continuation of it. As the daughter of Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini, she inherited extraordinary visibility and expectations. Yet she forged her own voice: a performer capable of moving from the unnerving intensity of Blue Velvet to the buoyant satire of Death Becomes Her; a writer and performer who turned biology into theater; a student who returned to the classroom to test ideas against evidence; a farmer and advocate who grounded philosophy in practice. The people closest to her, her mother and father, her siblings including Pia Lindstrom and Isotta Ingrid Rossellini, her partners such as Martin Scorsese and David Lynch, and her children Elettra and Roberto, form a constellation around which her life has revolved, each relationship contributing to a career that is, above all, curious, humane, and unmistakably her own.

Our collection contains 13 quotes who is written by Isabella, under the main topics: Truth - Mother - Honesty & Integrity - Legacy & Remembrance - Movie.