Miriam Leone

Miriam Leone (born 14 April 1985 in Catania, Italy) is a renowned Italian actress, beauty queen, and television presenter whose career has spanned over a decade and a half. Growing up in the nearby town of Acireale, she is the daughter of literature teacher Ignazio Leone and municipal employee Gabriella Leotta, and she shares her childhood with a younger brother, Sergio, fostering a close‑knit family environment. After completing her studies at the classical "Gulli e Pennisi" high school, Miriam enrolled in the Faculty of Letters and Philosophy at the University of Catania, although she ultimately left the program to pursue opportunities in the entertainment world. In 2008 she entered the Miss Italia competition with the title Miss Prima dell'anno, was initially eliminated, but later reinstated and ultimately crowned Miss Italia, also receiving the Miss Cinema title and a scholarship from Anna Strasberg of the Actors Studio. Following her pageant success, she co‑presented Unomattina estate on Rai Uno and later became a judge on Ciak! Si Canta, while also co‑hosting the popular morning show Mattina in famiglia and presenting the Nastro d'Argento awards in 2011. Leone’s acting breakthrough came with the lead role in the police drama Distretto di Polizia (2011–12), after which she starred in the period series La dama velata (2015) and the crime thriller Non uccidere (2015–18), solidifying her reputation as a versatile actress. She gained further international attention as Veronica Castello in the Sky Atlantic trilogy 1992, 1993, and 1994, and displayed her comedic timing in the black comedy film Put Grandma in the Freezer (2018). More recently, she portrayed the iconic Eva Kant in the Diabolik film trilogy and is slated to embody journalist Oriana Fallaci in the upcoming 2024 TV series Miss Fallaci. In her personal life, Miriam married businessman and DJ Paolo Carullo in September 2021, and the couple welcomed a son in 2022, balancing a thriving career with motherhood.