Virna Lisi began her film career in her teens. Discovered in Rome by two Neapolitan producers, Antonio Ferrigno and Ettore Pesce, she debuted in La corda d’acciaio (The Steel Rope, 1953). Initially, she appeared in musical films like E Napoli canta (Naples Sings, 1953) and Questa è la vita (Of Life and Love, 1954, with Totò). While initially cast in roles highlighting her physical appearance, such as Le diciottenni (Eighteen Year Olds) and Lo scapolo (The Bachelor), both released in 1955, she went on to more demanding roles, particularly in The Doll That Took the Town (1956), Eva (1962), and the spectacle Duel of the Titans (1961).

Her international film appearances included How to Murder Your Wife (1965), Not with My Wife, You Don’t! (1966), The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1969), Beyond Good and Evil (1977), and Follow Your Heart (1996). For the 1994 film La Reine Margot, she won Best Actress at Cannes and the César Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Though she turned down the Tatiana Romanova role in From Russia with Love (1963), Hollywood producers sought a new Marilyn Monroe and so, Lisi debuted in Hollywood comedy as a green-eyed blonde temptress with Jack Lemmon in How to Murder Your Wife (1965) and appeared with Tony Curtis in Not with My Wife, You Don’t! (1966). Lisi then starred with Frank Sinatra, in Assault on a Queen (1966), in The Girl and the General, co-starring with Rod Steiger, and in two films with Anthony Quinn, The Secret of Santa Vittoria, directed by Stanley Kramer, and the war drama The 25th Hour. In 1969 she did a cameo appearance in If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium. In the 80s she played in two American movies, Miss right and I Love N.Y..

In 1968 she turned down the role of Barbarella because she was not interested in a sexualized role.

Lisi died of lung cancer in Rome at age 78