Maria Violante Placido (Italian: [vjoˈlante ˈplaːtʃido, vio-];[1] born 1 May 1976) is an Italian actress and singer.

Violante Placido
Placido in 2017
Born
Maria Violante Placido

(1976-05-01) 1 May 1976 (age 48)
Rome, Italy
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
Years active1993–present
Children1
Parents

Early life

edit

Placido was born in Rome, Italy. She is the daughter of actor-director Michele Placido and actress Simonetta Stefanelli.

Career

edit

Film and television

edit

Her film debut was alongside her father in Quattro bravi ragazzi (1993), and later took part in Jack Frusciante Left the Band. Her first important role was in L'anima gemella, directed by Sergio Rubini.

Placido's other movies include Ora o mai più, by Lucio Pellegrini, Che ne sarà di noi, by Giovanni Veronesi, and Ovunque sei, directed by her father. In 2006, she starred in Pupi Avati's comedy La cena per farli conoscere, released in 2007. In March 2009, she played a role in the Hindi movie Barah Aana. She also played the title role as Moana Pozzi in the 2009 miniseries Moana. In 2010, she appeared alongside George Clooney in the drama-thriller The American.

Placido played Nadya in the 2011 film Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, a sequel to the 2007 film Ghost Rider, both based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name.[2]

Placido co-stars in Transporter: The Series, a spin-off from the film franchise of the same name. The TV series stars Chris Vance taking over the role of Frank Martin from Jason Statham. In season two, she plays Caterina Boldieu, a former French intelligence officer, who is assisting Frank Martin, the Transporter.

Music

edit
 
Placido in concert in Cantù, June 2010

In 2006, Placido released, under the name Viola, her first album as a singer, Don't Be Shy..., including 10 tracks she wrote (most of which are in English), inspired by Stuart Benson. Viola sings in the style of singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega. The second single is "How to Save Your Life". Subsequently, she collaborated with the Italian singer-songwriter Bugo in the remake duet version of his song "Amore mio infinito".[3]

Filmography

edit

Film

edit
Year Film Role Notes Ref(s)
1993 Quattro bravi ragazzi Valeria Film debut
1996 Vite strozzate Laura
1996 Jack Frusciante è uscito dal gruppo Adelaide
1997 Farfalle
2000 A Deadly Compromise Caterina
2002 Les amants de Mogador Hélène
2002 Ciao America Paola Angelini
2002 Soul Mate Maddalena Major role
2002 Ginostra Nurse
2003 Now or Never Viola
2003 Gli indesiderabili Agneska
2004 Che ne sarà di noi Carmen
2004 Ovunque sei Elena
2004 Ruins July
2005 Raul – Diritto di uccidere Sonia
2006 Fade to Black Stella
2006 Any Reason Not to Marry? Nina
2007 A Dinner for Them to Meet Betty Lanza
2007 Lessons in Chocolate Cecilia Ferri
2008 La luna nel deserto Voice Short
2009 Sleepless Anna
2009 Barah Aana Kate Bollywood film
2010 The American Clara Hollywood film
2011 Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance Nadya Hollywood film
2012 The Lookout Anna
2016 7 Minutes Marianna
2019 Modalità aereo Linda

Television

edit
Year Title Role Notes Ref(s)
2001 Casa famiglia TV series
2005 Karol: A Man Who Became Pope Maria Pomorska TV movie
2005 Les Rois maudits TV mini-series
2006 The Mona Lisa Mystery Aurore TV movie
2007 War and Peace Helene Kuragin TV mini-series
2007 Quelli che... il calcio Herself TV series
2008 Una madre Maria TV movie
2008 Donne assassine Marta TV series
2008 Pinocchio Fata Turchina (Blue Fairy) TV movie
2009 Moana Moana TV movie
2010 Entertainment Tonight Herself TV series
2010 Janela Indiscreta Herself TV series
2014 Transporter: The Series Caterina Boldieu TV series (11 episodes)

Personal life

edit

Violante Placido has one child with her partner, Massimiliano D'Epiro, who is an Italian film director.[4]

References

edit
  1. ^ Luciano Canepari. "Violante". DiPI Online (in Italian). Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  2. ^ "Hinds and Placido Joining Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance". SuperHeroHype. 1 October 2010.
  3. ^ "Violante e Bugo, coppia pop nel paese delle meraviglie" [Violante and Bugo, a pop couple in wonderland]. Il Giornale (in Italian). 13 October 2006.
  4. ^ "Violante Placido mamma, prima uscita col figlio Vasco e il compagno Massimiliano D'Epiro" [Violante Placido mother, leaving hospital with son and her companion Massimiliano D'Epirus]. Oggi (in Italian). 7 November 2013.
edit