Valentina Cervi

**Valentina Cervi** was born on *13 April 1976* in Rome, Italy, into a distinguished artistic lineage; she is the daughter of celebrated director Tonino Cervi and the granddaughter of famed actor Gino Cervi, while her mother, Marina Gefter, brings Austrian‑Hungarian roots to the family tree. From an early age she was immersed in cinema, stepping onto the screen at ten years old in Carlo Cotti’s *Portami la luna* (1986), a debut that marked the beginning of a prolific career spanning over three decades. Her bilingual upbringing enabled her to navigate both Italian and English‑language projects, leading to a noteworthy appearance in Jane Campion’s *The Portrait of a Lady* (1996), where she showcased a subtle yet powerful screen presence.

In 1997, Cervi captured critical attention with the title role in Agnès Merlet’s *Artemisia*, portraying the celebrated painter Artemisia Gentileschi and provoking debate over the film’s interpretation of her relationship with Agostino Tassi. Subsequent highlights include her portrayal of Bertha Mason in Cary Fukunaga’s adaptation of *Jane Eyre* (2011) and the enigmatic vampire Salome in HBO’s *True Blood*. On television, she has anchored series such as BBC’s *Zen* (as Arianna) and Italy’s *Distretto di Polizia* (as Valentina). In recognition of her cultural contributions, she received the America Award from the Italy–USA Foundation in 2018. Off‑screen, Valentina is married to director Stefano Mordini, with whom she shares two children—Margherita (born 2013) and a son (born 2016)—continuing the family’s artistic legacy.