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Asia Argento Profile |
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Birth Date: September 20, 1975
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Birth Place: Rome, Italy
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Birth Name: Asia Aria Maria Vittoria Rossa Argento
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Height: 5'6"
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Biography |
Asia Argento was born in Rome, Italy, on September 20, 1975,
to renowned Italian horror film director Dario Argento (the
son of producer Salvatore Argento) and his companion,
actress Daria Nicolodi.
It was fitting that Asia, who would go on to lead a life
that could only be described as unique, would find herself
immediately positioned counter to the status quo: The city's
registry office refused to acknowledge "Asia" as an
appropriate name, and instead officially inscribed her as
Aria Argento.
Nevertheless, Asia retained the name that her parents had
chosen for her, and embarked on a lifestyle of eccentricity
and privilege that comes with growing up in the
entertainment industry. For three days following her birth,
her parents projected Gone with the Wind on the living room
wall.
As Asia grew older, she was gradually exposed to other
genres of film, notably her father's slasher movies,
beginning when she was six years old with a viewing of Deep
Red -- a film which, incidentally, starred her mother. It
wasn't long before the Argento household was hosting horror
screenings for the neighborhood kids, the popularity of
which increased after the Argentos became the first owners
of a Betamax player in all of Italy.
Given her lineage and environment, it seemed natural that
the young Asia be predisposed to pursuing a profession in
entertainment. At the age of nine, she began following in
her mother's footsteps, making her debut acting performance
in Sergio Citti's Sogni e bisogni.
In 1989, she was cast in the leading role in Cristina
Comencini's Zoo, for which she earned an Italian Ciak Award
-- the rough equivalent of a Golden Globe. In 1989, she
appeared in La Chiesa, and later that same year she played a
part in Nanni Moretti's Palombella rossa.
Asia's breakthrough role came in 1992 with Le Amiche del
cuore, a performance that demonstrated her range and
capacity to make the transition from child actor to mature
professional, capable of handling complex roles. The movie
was well received at the Cannes Film Festival and by the
industry community at large, including Dario Argento, who
went on to cast his daughter in 1993's Trauma, her English
language debut. Asia went on to act in two more of her
father's films: 1996's La Sindrome di Stendhal and 1998's Il
Fantasma dell'opera.
Yet any suggestions that nepotism played a role in Asia's
early successes are quickly squashed by her list of awards.
She received the David di Donatello (Italy's response to
Hollywood's Academy Award) for Best Actress in 1994 for her
performance in Perdiamoci di vista!, and again in 1996 for
Compagna di viaggio, which also earned her a Grolla d'oro
Award. In 1998, Asia began flaunting her talents to the
West, appearing in the American movies B. Monkey and New
Rose Hotel (1998), alongside Christopher Walken, and Hostage
(2005)with Bruce Willis.
Asia has also proven her ability to work in multiple
tongues, adding French to the list of languages in which she
has performed, with a role in 1994's La Reine Margot. That
same year, she made her first foray into directing, calling
the shots behind the short films, Prospettive and A ritroso.
In 1996, she directed a documentary on her father, and in
1998 a second one on Abel Ferrara, which won her the Rome
Film Festival Award. Her feature directorial debut came in
2000's Scarlet Diva, a film that she also and starred in.
While Asia is certainly a celebrity in her native country,
the coverage that the Italian press showers on her is not
always favorable. She has drawn criticism for her openness
toward drug use and posing nude, as well as the deeply
erotic scenes she has performed in, particularly those that
her father has filmed.
In 2001, a great deal of attention was drawn to an alleged
hit-and-run that Asia was involved in, and her position in
this incident wasn't helped by the fact that a bottle of
absinthe was found in her car (the liqueur was to be used as
a prop in a music video that Asia was directing).
In June of 2001, Asia gave birth to her first child, Anna
Lou. The father is musician Marco Castoldi ("Morgan") from
the Italian band Bluvertigo. In addition to her
accomplishments in the world of film, Asia has written a
number of stories for magazines such as Dynamo and
L'Espresso, while her first novel, titled I Love You, Kirk,
was published in Italy in 1999. |
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Other
Information |
Officially named Aria since the registration office did not
accept Asia.
Born at 8:07am-CEDT
Daughter of Dario Argento and Daria Nicolodi.
Granddaughter of Salvatore Argento.
Mother of Anna Lou, born June 20, 2001, in Lugano, Italy,
from her relationship with Marco Castoldi. Anna Lou is named
after Asia's half-sister Anna Ceroli, who died in a
motorcycle accident in 1994.
Half-sister of Fiore Argento.
Niece of Claudio Argento.
Her first name is pronounced "ah-SHEE-ah."
Speaks Italian, French, and English.
Her great-grandfather is Alfredo Casella, one of the most
important composers of Italian Futurism.
Granddaughter of Elda Luxardo, photographer, known as the
Italian Leni Riefenstahl.
Was the youngest female director in Italy.
Made Italy's first digital film.
Her close friends are Valeria Golino, Adrien Brody, Libero
De Rienzo, Vera Gemma, Norman Reedus, J.T. LeRoy , Marilyn
Manson, and Rose McGowan.
Was engaged to Michael Pitt (2004).
Was engaged to actor Vincent Gallo (1998)
The Welsh Hardcore/metal band Hondo Maclean, named a song
after her. Once she heard it, she offered to do a publicity
photo for them. It appeared on the back of their "Plans for
a Better Day" EP.
Ran away from home at 14. |
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