Maria Rosaria Omaggio

Acting

Biography

Maria Rosaria Omaggio (Rome, 1954 – 2024) was one of the most versatile figures in Italian entertainment, successfully spanning cinema, television, theatre, and writing. Of Neapolitan descent, she rose to fame at a very young age participating in Canzonissima (1973-74), a springboard that turned her into a household name and a beauty icon (appearing on famous covers such as Playboy and Playmen). She made her big-screen debut in 1976 in the "poliziotteschi" (Italian crime-thriller) films Rome Armed to the Teeth and The Cop in Blue Jeans. Her filmography is rich and varied, featuring international collaborations and roles for directors such as Woody Allen (To Rome with Love). The pinnacle of her artistic maturity coincided with her portrayal of Oriana Fallaci in Andrzej Wajda's film Walesa: Man of Hope (2013). For this role, she received the Pasinetti Award at the Venice Film Festival and the Oriana Fallaci Prize, earned for her extraordinary resemblance to and intense portrayal of the journalist. On television, she starred in numerous successful dramas and series, from Edera and Caro maestro to international productions like the Spanish series La sonata del silencio. The theatre was a place of experimentation and celebration for her. She portrayed great female figures such as Eleonora Duse and Dido, bringing to the stage texts by prestigious authors including Goldoni, Seneca, García Márquez, and Italo Calvino. She also distinguished herself as a director and translator (notably for Golda's Balcony). Beyond her artistic career, Omaggio was deeply dedicated to humanitarian causes as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF Italy, creating initiatives such as "Theatre for UNICEF." Gifted with a profound spirituality and an interest in Eastern disciplines, she was also an expert instructor of Taijiquan. Passing away in Rome in June 2024, she was bid a fond farewell by the world of culture. According to her wishes, her ashes were scattered in the sea off Ostia, sealing an unbreakable bond with her land and her freedom.

Born: January 11, 1954

Place of Birth: Roma, Lazio, Italy

Known For

99% Match1998HD

Leo e Beo

A man named Leo has the ability to speak to his dog, Beo. He falls in love with a single mother named Sabrina.

80% Match1992TV

L' Edera

80% Match1984TV

L'Homme de Suez

The plan to build a large shipping canal between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea had been around for a long time. But it took a man with the drive of Ferdinand de Lesseps to make it happen.

68% Match1977HD

The Criminals Attack. The Police Respond

Returning from Switzerland to Rome, the boss prof. Salviati, called 'The Prince', finds his business compromised by Rudy, a small local bandit full of presumption, audacity and men ready to kill. Commissioner Baldi a young and brave employee, will fight against them with the help of an ex-employee Rampelli.

66% Match1976HD

Rome, Armed to the Teeth

A tough, violent cop who doesn't mind bending the law goes after a machine-gun-carrying, hunchbacked psychotic killer.

63% Match2000TV

Father Matteo

Don Matteo is a thoroughly ordinary Catholic priest with an extraordinary ability to read people and solve crimes. He’s a parish priest who never met an unjustly accused person he didn’t want to help.

61% Match1976HD

The Cop in Blue Jeans

A top undercover cop finds and arrests a series of purse snatchers until he discovers an American at the top of an evil ring of thieves.

61% Match1961HD

Drakut the Avenger

60% Match2007HD

Guido, Who Challenged the Red Brigades

Genoa, Italy, 24th of January 1979. Red Brigades' member Roberto Dura is waiting with two other comrades for trade unionist leader and factory worker Guido Rossa to leave his home to go to work. Three months earlier, Rossa had denounced a work colleague, Francesco Berardi, because he was distributing Red Brigade flyers inside the factory. Berardi was arrested and, after a fast tracked trial, was convicted to four and a half years. ....