Swedish actor, who created one of Italian cinema’s most famous moments in Fellini’s 1960 film, dies in Rome after series of illnesses

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Swedish actor Anita Ekberg, star of La Dolce Vita, has died at the age of 83.

Ekberg’s lawyer, Patrizia Ubaldi, confirmed she died in Rome on Sunday morning following a series of illnesses. She had been hospitalised most recently after Christmas.

Ubaldi said that in her last days Ekberg was saddened by her illness and advancing age. “She had hoped to get better, something that didn’t happen,” she said.

Ekberg created one of cinema’s most famous moments, wading into the Trevi fountain in Rome in the 1960 classic La Dolce Vita. Her character in the Federico Fellini film, temptress Silvia, was followed into the waters by Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni after a night of revelry in the Italian capital.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Anita Ekberg in La Dolce Vita. Photograph: Pier Luigi

The scene instantly made Ekberg a cinema icon, although she was unable to maintain such a level of success and had few high-profile roles in her later career. She went on to be picked for the 1962 film Boccaccio ’70, along with Sophia Loren, and a year later appeared in 4 for Texas alongside Frank Sinatra.

Malmö-born Ekberg carved out her cinema career after becoming a magazine pin-up and model, winning the Miss Sweden competition in 1950 before seeking fame in the US. She was soon working with Hollywood greats including John Wayne, and in 1956 made the cover of Life magazine. Her move to cinema came the same year with King Vidor’s War and Peace, in which Ekberg acted alongside Audrey Hepburn.

Although Ekberg was seen as basking in the limelight, she took a tough stand against the paparazzi in 1960 when she threatened photographers with a bow and arrow.

But all appeared forgiven when La Dolce Vita secured Ekberg’s place in cinema history. “It was I who made Fellini, not the other way around,” she said of the film’s Italian director.

She was married twice, first to Anthony Steel in 1956. They divorced three years later. Her marriage to Rik Van Nutter lasted from 1963 until 1975. Her love affairs attracted widespread attention and she was once rumoured to be involved with Fiat chief Gianni Agnelli.

Ekberg rarely returned to Sweden, choosing to remain in Italy. In recent years, media reported that she had moved to a care home close to Rome.

Despite global praise for her Trevi Fountain scene in La Dolce Vita, taking a dip at the monument is strictly prohibited. Some film fans have however defied the ban, with one shirtless man diving in last May only to be chased by angry police officers.

The authorities are guaranteed some respite from such antics, as the fountain is undergoing 18 months of restoration funded by fashion house Fendi to the tune of €2.18m (£1.70m).