Few Americans will recognize Italian beauty Maria Grazia Cucinotta. The actress has had little exposure stateside, save for small bit parts as one of Tony’s hallucinations on the HBO series The Sopranos and as a villain in the James Bond film The World is Not Enough. But in Italy, Maria is a much bigger star. She solidified her acting career with a lead role in the 1994 international hit Il Postino. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Maria was born in Messina, Sicily, on July 27, 1969. She began modeling when she was 16 years old, but that lasted only a couple of years before she quit. Having filled out as a voluptuous young woman, she became unhappy with modeling due to the focus on her body instead of her face. So her interests turned toward acting.
