In 1952, Anita was a cover girl for Look magazine and by January 1956, she was on the cover of Life. It helped that she was happy to take part in publicity stunts, as when her dress burst open in the foyer of the Berkeley Hotel in London, and there just happened to be a press photographer on hand to capture the event.
There's no doubting Anita's main assets. Take a look at these photos and you'll see what we mean. But apart from her uniquely large bust and beautiful hour glass body Anita had a truly beautiful face, which was loved by the camera. She was just stunning. In addition she had something else going for her, something that her competition didn''t have - I'm talking about talent, raw acting talent.
Anita Ekberg was born Kerstin Anita Marianne Ekberg on September 29, 1931 the eldest girl of eight children. She grew up to be a beautiful young girl and became a fashion model. She won the Miss Sweden beauty title in 1950, aged 19 which led to a trip to America and a movie contract and she became one of the most popular pin up glamor models of the 1950's. She seemed naever to be out of the public eye and she made the most of her fame with a succession of celebrity lovers including Tyrone Power, Errol Flynn, Yul Brynner, Frank Sinatra and Gary Cooper. Not a bad list!
After two films with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, then at their peak of fame, Anita found movie superstardom first in King Vidor's 'War and Peace' in 1956 and then Federico Fellini's 'La Dolce Vita' in 1960, in which with Marcello Mastroianni she took part in a scene romping in the Trevi fountain, which has gone down in movie legend. She had a couple of small roles in Fellini movies thereafter but, as her weight increased, so her desirability did the opposite.
Anita married twice, each time to actors. The first, from 1956 to 1959 was to Anthony Steel the British actor, and then from 1963 to 1975, she was married to the actor with the wonderful name of Rik Van Nutter. She is still alive today and living happily in Italy.
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