Isabella Rossellini movies: 10 greatest films ranked worst to best

In her nearly 50-year film career, Isabella Rossellini has played everything from a tortured nightclub singer to Beethoven’s lover to a mysteriously young 71-year-old doctor. Most recently, Rossellini received acclaim for her role as a nun in “Conclave,” and so it’s the perfect time to take a look back at her life and eclectic film career. Scroll through our photo gallery above (or click here for direct access) to see the 10 best Isabella Rossellini movies, ranked.

Rossellini and her twin sister Isotta were born in Rome on June 18, 1952, to Golden Era legend Ingrid Bergman and Italian director Roberto Rossellini. As a child, Rossellini underwent 18 months of grueling procedures to correct scoliosis. In 1976, she made her film debut with a small role as a nun caring for a dying countess played by her mother in the Vincente Minnelli fantasy film “A Matter of Time.” However, it was a few more years before her acting career took off, and she dabbled in other mediums in the meantime.

In the 1970s, Rossellini attended college in New York City and worked as a translator and reporter for Radiotelevisione italiana (Rai), during which time she met director Martin Scorsese. The two were married from 1979 to 1982, leading Rossellini to make a more permanent move to New York, where she began a modeling career. She has worked with numerous renowned photographers, and has appeared in such magazines as “Vogue,” “Marie Claire,” “Harper’s Bazaar,” and “Vanity Fair.” She was the spokesmodel for Lancome cosmetics from 1982 until 1996, when she was dismissed for being “too old” at the age of 43. She was re-hired 20 years later, as a global brand ambassador.

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Her first major roles were in the Italian films “Il Prato” (“The Meadow,” 1979), for which she earned the Silver Ribbon for Best New Actress at the Venice Film Festival, and “Il pap’occhio” (“In the Pope’s Eye,” 1980), in which she appeared alongside Scorsese. Her American film career began in 1985, with a strong supporting role in “White Nights.” The following year, she gained international fame and earned an Independent Spirt Award for Best Actress for her memorable portrayal of a nightclub singer ensnared in a bizarre sex slave kidnapping in David Lynch’s “Blue Velvet.”

In the 40 years since, Rossellini has built an eclectic and impressive catalogue in both American and international film and television. She has appeared in diverse films, including the black comedy “Death Becomes Her,” the dramatic “Fearless,” the historical biopic “Immortal Beloved,” and the Dutch drama “Left Luggage,” for which she earned an Honorable Mention at the 48th Berlin International Film Festival. She has also provided voices for animated films like the Oscar nominated “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On.” On TV, she portrays a Russian colonel in five episodes of “Alias,” and has a memorable appearance as herself in the episode of “Friends” that made famous the idea of “celebrity passes.”

Most recently, she is earning raves for appearing in “Conclave.” In a film dominated by Oscar-nominated actors Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and John Lithgow as cardinals tasked with electing a new pope, Rossellini radiates a quiet but commanding authority as Sister Agnes. Despite less than eight minutes of screen time, the actress uses every second to leave an impression so memorable she is receiving Oscar buzz for Best Supporting Actress. Ironically, if she does receive a nomination, it will be 79 years after her mother received a Best Actress bid for her role as spunky nun Sister Mary Benedict in “The Bells of St. Mary’s.” Although Bergman lost that award, she was a three-time Oscar winner; if Rossellini were to win, they would be the first mother and daughter to claim acting Oscars.

Rossellini has lived a full life on her terms, which has included romances with Lynch and with her “Immortal Beloved” co-star Gary Oldman. A second marriage to Jon Wiedemann again ended in divorce, but produced a daughter; she also adopted a son. She is involved in numerous conservation efforts, including wildlife and film preservation. And for nearly 40 years, she has gifted the industry with her beauty, charm, and talent, leaving a legacy of one-of-a-kind characters.

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