If you asked the average person outside of Italy to name a legendary Italian actress, it's likely the answer would be Sophia Loren, not Anna Magnani. Yet Magnani is one of Italy's greatest performers. She won a best actress Oscar for her role in The Rose Tattoo (1955) – the first Italian to win the award.
Marlon Brando was intimidated by her. Meryl Streep called her a "goddess". The New York Times called her "superb" and "the tigress of Italy's screen". Still, many today are unfamiliar with the "undisputed queen of Italian cinema".
