Franca Valeri

Who is Franca Valeri?

Franca Valeri is an Italian actress.

Valeri was born in Milan as Alma Franca Maria Norsa. She adopted her surname in the 1950s as an homage to the French critic and poet, Paul Valéry.

Despite the old age and suffering Parkinson's disease, she's still very active on the Italian theatrical stage. Across the season 2005-2006 she performed her own monologue La Vedova di Socrate and Les Bonnes, by Jean Genet.

Valeri started her career on the radio, where she created the character of "Signorina Cesira" and "Signora Cecioni", exhilarating sketches centering on the idiosyncrasies of the Italy of 1950s. She co-starred important films hits, such as The Sign of Venus or Il vedovo, although most of her characters are supporting role.

In the 1960s Valeri also frequently worked for Italian TV. Directed by Antonello Falqui, she starred in Studio Uno, Le divine and Sabato Sera.

In the 1980s and early 1990s she starred in a series of successful commercials for Pandoro Melegatti, which were well received and stretched over a number of years.

In January 2008, she played the role of "Solange" in Jean Genet's "Le bonnes" at Milan's Piccolo Teatro.