Anita Ekberg
Biography
Kerstin Anita Marianne Ekberg was a Swedish actress who worked in European and American films. Born on September 29, 1931, in Malmo, Skane lan, Sweden, she began her career working as a fashion model before successfully transitioning to films in the mid-1950s. Known for her voluptuous figure, she is best known for playing Sylvia in La Dolce Vita from 1960, which features an iconic scene of her cavorting in a fountain. Ekberg accumulated eighty-nine known acting credits throughout her career. She passed away on January 11, 2015, at the age of eighty-three.
Career overview
Kerstin Anita Marianne Ekberg, known professionally as Anita Ekberg, was a Swedish actress who worked in both European and American films. Born on September 29, 1931, in Malmo, Skane lan, Sweden, she began her professional life working as a fashion model before successfully transitioning into the film industry in the mid-1950s. Throughout her career in acting, she accumulated a total of 89 known credits in movies and television shows.
Known for her voluptuous figure, Ekberg achieved her greatest acclaim for playing the character Sylvia in the 1960 film La Dolce Vita. That film featured an iconic scene in which she cavorts in a fountain, securing her lasting fame in cinema history.
Ekberg passed away on January 11, 2015, at the age of 83. Her legacy as a prominent international actress spans her modeling beginnings, her extensive filmography, and her memorable cinematic performances.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
91 titles- Being Bo Widerberg (2025) as Self (archive footage)
- Rat Pack (2022) as Self (archive footage)
- Becoming Marilyn (2022) as (archive footage)
- Dov'era lei a quell'ora (2021) as Anita Ekberg
- The Girl in the Fountain (2021) as Self (archive footage)
- Ciao Anita (2021) as Self
- Beautiful Like a Poem (2020) as Self (archive footage)
- Becoming Anita Ekberg (2014) as Self (archive footage)
- The Sweet Algorithm (2011) as Sylvia
- 1960 (2010) as Self (archive footage)
- Brigitte Bardot: The Icon of France (2009)
- Anita of Sweden (2007)
- Fellini dice... (2006) as Self
- Federico Fellini - Through the Eyes of Others (2003) as Self
- Heart of the Festival (2002) as Self (archive footage)
- The Magic of Fellini (2002) as Self
- Federico Fellini's Autobiography (2000) as Self (archive footage)
- The Red Dwarf (1998) as Paola Bendoni
- La villa dei misteri (1997)
- Bambola (1996) as Mamma Greta
- In morte di Federico Fellini (1994)
- Bad Girls (1992) as Milli
- Ambrogio (1992) as Clarice
- Il Conte Max (1991) as Marika
- Intervista (1987) as Anita Ekberg
- The Seduction of Angela (1986) as Signora Rocchi
- Fellini nel cestino (1983) as Self
- Champs-Elysées (1982) as Self
- Fatty Girl Goes to New York (1982) as baronessa Judith von Kemp
- S+H+E: Security Hazards Expert (1980) as Dr. Else Biebling
- Killer Nun (1979) as Sister Gertrude
- Gold of the Amazon Women (1979) as Queen Na-Eela
- Kolossal - The Magnificent Macisti (1977) as Self - Zenobia, Queen of Palmira (archive footage)
- Bob Hope's World of Comedy (1976) as Self (archive footage)
- Northeast of Seoul (1974) as Katherine
- Teatro 11 (1972) as Self
- The French Sex Murders (1972) as Madame Colette
- Deadly Trackers (1972) as Jane
- The Clowns (1970) as Anita Ekberg
- The Conjugal Debt (1970) as Ines
- The Divorce (1970) as Flavia
- Death Knocks Twice (1969) as Sophia Ferretti
- If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969) as Performer
- Fangs of the Living Dead (1969) as Sylvia De Morel / Malenka
- A Candidate for a Killing (1969) as Jacqueline Monnard
- Night of Hate (1968) as Bessie
- Woman Times Seven (1967) as Claudie
- The Glass Sphinx (1967) as Paulette
- The Cobra (1967) as Lou
- How I Learned to Love Women (1966) as Margaret Joyce
- Way... Way Out (1966) as Anna Soblova
- Pardon, Are You for or Against? (1966) as Olga, la baronessa
- The Alphabet Murders (1965) as Amanda Beatrice Cross
- Das Liebeskarussell (1965) as Lolita Young
- Der goldene Schuß (1964) as Self
- Bianco, rosso, giallo, rosa (1964) as Alberchiaria
- 4 for Texas (1963) as Elya Carlson
- Call Me Bwana (1963) as Luba
- Boccaccio '70 (1962) as Anita (segment "Le tentazioni del dottor Antonio")
- Lykke og krone (1962)
- The Temptation of Dr. Antonio (1962) as Anita
- A porte chiuse (1961) as Olga Duvovich
- The Mongols (1961) as Hulina
- La Dolce Vita (1960) as Sylvia
- Little Girls and High Finance (1960) as Jeanne
- The Dam on the Yellow River (1960) as Dorothy Simmons
- Three Etc.'s and the Colonel (1960) as Georgina
- Zwischen Glück und Krone (1959)
- Sign of the Gladiator (1959) as Zenobia, Queen of Palmira
- Screaming Mimi (1958) as Virginia Wilson / Yolanda Lange
- The Man Inside (1958) as Trudie Hall
- Paris Holiday (1958) as Zara
- Valerie (1957) as Valerie Horvat
- Interpol (1957) as Gina Broger
- The Steve Allen Show (1956) as Self - Guest
- The Steve Allen Show (1956) as Self - Snow White
- The Steve Allen Show (1956) as Self - Singer
- War and Peace (1956) as Helene Kuragina
- Hollywood or Bust (1956) as Actress Anita
- Zarak (1956) as Salma
- Man in the Vault (1956) as Flo Randall
- Back from Eternity (1956) as Rena
- Artists and Models (1955) as Anita
- Blood Alley (1955) as Wei Ling
- Casablanca (1955) as Katrina Jorgenson
- The Oscars (1953) as Self
- The Golden Blade (1953) as Handmaid
- Abbott and Costello Go to Mars (1953) as Venusian Guard
- Terras fönster 5 (1951)
- What's My Line? (1950) as Self
- The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950) as Self
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Anita Ekberg best known for?
Anita Ekberg is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including 1960 (2010), Happy Camp (1997), Bambola (1996), Champs-Elysées (1982).
When and where was Anita Ekberg born?
Anita Ekberg was born on September 29, 1931 in Malmö - Skåne län - Sweden. They passed away on January 11, 2015.
How many credits does Anita Ekberg have?
Anita Ekberg has accumulated over 91 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1950 to 2025.
What is Anita Ekberg's background in cinema and television?
Kerstin Anita Marianne Ekberg was a Swedish actress who worked in European and American films. Born on September 29, 1931, in Malmo, Skane lan, Sweden, she began her career working as a fashion model before successfully transitioning to films in the mid-1950s. Known for her voluptuous figure, she is best known for play...
Anita Ekberg by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- La Dolce Vita (1960) as Sylvia — aged about 28
- The Oscars (1953) as Self — aged about 21
- What's My Line? (1950) as Self — aged about 18
- The Clowns (1970) as Anita Ekberg — aged about 38
- Boccaccio '70 (1962) as Anita (segment "Le tentazioni del dottor Antonio") — aged about 30
- The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950) as Self — aged about 18
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