Vittoria Puccini

A willowy beauty with a classic, timeless look, Vittoria Puccini has become one of the foremost Italian actresses of her generation--not bad for a girl who got into movies by mistake. The daughter of a law professor and a school teacher, Florence native Puccini was due to study law when, just before leaving for university, she decided to spend a few days in Milan. On a lark, she auditioned for a part in writer/director Sergio Rubini's 2000 movie "Tutto l'amore che c'è," and ended up getting one of the leading roles. Abandoning law, she instead focused all her energy on acting and moved to Rome, where she quickly got more roles in small screen productions. After a part in the cult film "Paz, Puccini had her breakthrough role in 2003 when she played the title character, Elisa Scalzi, in the period romance series "Elisa di Rivombrosa," opposite dashing leading man Alessandro Preziosi. It was not only a turning point in her career but also in her personal life: she and Preziosi fell in love, and in 2006 had a child together. Puccini has built her profile as a movie star with lead roles in Pupi Avati's 2005 romantic dramedy "Ma quando arrivano le ragazze?"; the dark drama "Colpo d'occhio," on which she reteamed with Rubini; and "Baciami ancora," Gabriele Muccino's sequel to his 2001 smash hit, "The Last Kiss."