Italian actress (retired), entrepreneur and fashion designer Simonetta Stefanelli began her acting career with small roles in Italian films. Her debut appearance was in 1968 film ‘La moglie giapponese’ by director Gian Luigi Polidoro.
Further, Stefanelli appeared in Italian comedy-film ‘Splendori e miserie di Madame Royale’ (1970), followed by German TV-film by filmmaker Peter Lilienthal, ‘Die sonne angreifen’ (1971). The same year she appeared in more films by noted filmmakers such as ‘Non commetere atti impuri’ by Italian director Giulio Petroni, box-office hit Italian comedy ‘Man of the Year’ by Marco Vicario and Italian comedy-drama film ‘In the Name of the Italian People’ by Dino Risi.
Next, Stefanelli received her breakthrough role she is known for, that of ‘Apollonia Vitelli-Corleone,’ the hapless wife of ‘Michael Corleone’ in Francis Ford Coppola’s mega-hit crime film ‘The Godfather’ (1972). She was again seen in the same role in TV-miniseries ‘The Godfather: A Novel for Television’ (1977).
Thereafter, Stefanelli focused more on Italian or European films than Hollywood roles. She appeared in Eriprando Visconti’s historical drama-film ‘Il caso Pisciotta’ (1972), director Fulvio Marcolin’s ‘Gli amici degli amici hanna saputo’ (1973). She starred in Rafael Gil’s Spanish film ‘The Best Mayor, the King’ (1973) and Italian mafia-film by Tonino Ricci, ‘The Big Family’ (1973).
After appearing in TV-series ‘Ho incontrato un’ombra’ (1974) and miniseries ‘Moses, the Lawyer’ (1974) alongside Burt Lancaster, Stefanelli played the title role in Italian historical drama-film by Luciano Ercoli, ‘Young Lucrezia’ (1974).
Further Stefanelli appeared in Luigi Russo-directed film ‘La nuora giovane’ (1975) and starred opposite her then-husband Michele Placido in Italian erotic drama-film ‘Scandal in the Family’ (1975). She took a break at the time of her daughter’s birth (1976), then starred in ‘Il falco e la colomba’ (1981), Francesco Rosi’s Italian film ‘Three Brothers’ (1983), director Walerian Borowczyk’s film ‘Ars Amandi’ (1985), and Italian anthology comedy-film ‘Grandi magazzini’ (1986).
Stefanelli also appeared in TV-series ‘Quer pasticciaccio brutto de via merulana’ (1983) and ‘Non basta una vita’ (1988). She last appeared in Italian teen drama directed by Placido, ‘Close Friends’ (1992), after which she retired from acting profession.
