This beautiful light-haired international lead first gained attention as the spirited grandmother in the flashback sequence of the Merchant-Ivory production, "Heat and Dust" (1982). Scacchi (pronounced "Skaa-key") was also memorable as the daffy secretary in Dusan Makavejev's "The Coca Cola Kid" (1985). By the late 1980s, despite such high-profile projects as "White Mischief" (1987) and "Presumed Innocent" (1990), she seemed typecast as a two-dimensional femme fatale. Her career received a renewed critical boost thanks to a standout performance in Robert Altman's "The Player" (1992). Scacchi seemed to excel in several period films, notably "Country Life" (1994), Michael Blakemore's adaptation of Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya". She then reteamed with Merchant-Ivory to portray Maria Cosway who entrances the future US president in "Jefferson in Paris" (1995) and segued to Douglas McGrath's adaptation of Jane Austen's "Emma" (1996).
In 1984, Scacchi stepped into one of Garbo's signature roles, playing the consumptive Marguerite Gauthier in a TV-movie remake of "Camille" (CBS). She appeared as the object of affection of an older Englishman (James Mason) in "Doctor Fischer of Geneva" (BBC, 1984; PBS, 1985) and was one of two nubile young woman living with an elderly artist (Laurence Olivier) in "The Ebony Tower" (BBC, 1986; PBS, 1987). For her performance as the Czarina Alexandra in "Rasputin" (HBO, 1996), Scacchi won a Supporting Actress Emmy. She followed with a turn as Penelope, the patient wife of Odysseus, in the NBC miniseries "The Odyssey" (1997).
Family
FATHER: Luca Scacchi Gracco. Art dealer. Italian; separated from Scacchi's mother when Scacchi was three; later divorced.
MOTHER: Pamela Carsinga. Dancer. English; separated from Scacchi's father when Scacchi was three; later divorced; remarried.
STEP-FATHER: Giovanni Carsinga. Teacher.
DAUGHTER: Leila George D'Onofrio. Born in March 1992; father, Vincent D'Onofrio.
SON: Matteo Mantegazza. Born c. September 1998.
Companion
COMPANION: Vincent D'Onofrio. Actor. Met while filming "Fires Within" (1991); father of daughter Leila George D'Onofrio; together from c. 1990 to 1992.
COMPANION: Carlo Mantegazza. Italian; Scacchi's first cousin; lived with him and his former wife; together from c. 1997.
Milestone
Born in Milan
1963: Moved to England with her mother when parents separated (date approximate)
1975: Moved to Australia when stepfather accepted a teaching job (date approximate)
Worked as "jilleroo" (sheep rustler) in Australia before moving to Europe
Moved to Europe; began brief career as a model
Moved to England and enrolled in acting school
Screen debut in "The Second Sight" (German-language film)
1982: International breakthrough role in the Merchant-Ivory production "Heat and Dust"
1984: Played leading role in the CBS TV-movie remake of "Camille"
1988: Had leading role in "White Mischief"
1990: Cast opposite Harrison Ford in "Presumed Innocent"
1992: Played pivotal role in Robert Altman's "The Player"
1995: Reteamed with Merchant-Ivory for "Jefferson in Paris"
1995: Co-starred as Czarina Alexandra in the HBO TV-movie "Rasputin"; won Supporting Actress Emmy Award
1997: Co-starred in NBC miniseries "The Odyssey"
1999: Reteamed with Merchant-Ivory for the period drama "Cotton Mary", directed by Ismail Merchant
2002: Starred on stage in England in "The True Life History of Mata Hari"; play especially written for her
2004: Portrayed Sandra Dee's (Kate Bosworth) mother in "Beyond the Sea" a biopic of the legendary signer Bobby Darin
2006: Earned SAG and Emmy nominations for Best Actress for her role in the American Movie Classic's original movie "Broken Trail"
Education
Bristol Old Vic Theatre School - England
University of Western Australia - Australia
"People try to pigeonhole me ... They say I only play colonial women. I only play period pieces. I only do nude films. It's really so boring." --Scacchi to People, May 12, 1997.
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