Biography
Italian bombshell Martina Stella debuted in 2001, playing a free spirited 18-year-old in Gabriele Muccino's acclaimed romance "The Last Kiss." Winner of five David di Donatello awards in Italy and an audience award for World Cinema at Sundance, "The Last Kiss" became a bona fide international hit and was later remade for American audiences with scruffy "Scrubs" star Zach Braff. Stella followed up that success by starring in "Amnesia," a pulpy crime drama best remembered for its innovative editing techniques. In 2004, she got a taste of Hollywood, joining Steven Soderbergh for his Italian-set blockbuster heist sequel, "Ocean's Twelve" in which she played assistant to comedian Eddie Izzard's character. After this career-boosting role, Stella had no trouble keeping busy. She scored a lead role in "L'amore e la Guerra," a miniseries set in the trenches of the First World War. In 2008, she wooed Italian cinemagoers with her role in Francesco Patierno's period DJ comedy, "Il Mattino ha l'oro in Bocca." The following year, Stella paid tribute to iconic Italian director Federico Fellini in the Oscar-nominated showstopper "Nine." Stella's looks have aided her offscreen as well: among her former flames are world champion motorcyclist Valentino Rossi and actor Primo Reggiani.
