Scilla Gabel

Scilla Gabel, born Scilla Gabellini, hails from Rimini along the Adriatic coast and is one of five siblings. She initially embarked on a legal education at Oxford University, where she earned her doctorate. However, her passion for law faded, leading her back to Italy to pursue acting at the prestigious Accademia Nazionale d'Arte Drammatica in Rome. At just seventeen, Scilla became a body double for the iconic Sophia Loren, thanks to her striking resemblance, notably appearing in the classic film Boy on a Dolphin (1957). In a bid to carve out her own identity in the film industry, she opted for cosmetic surgery two years later to diminish her likeness to Loren.

By 1963, Scilla graced the covers of several magazines, including Playboy and the Milanese publication Le Ore, as well as Parade, which was the most popular weekly in the United States at that time. Throughout the 1960s, she starred in a variety of films, often finding herself typecast in roles that highlighted her physical appearance over her acting talent. Her filmography included a range of genres, from lighthearted sex comedies like Genitori in blue-jeans (1960) to epic costume dramas such as La Venere dei pirati (1960) and spaghetti westerns like Johnny Golden Poker (1966). After 1971, Scilla embraced more complex roles in acclaimed Italian TV miniseries.

Years later, Scilla made headlines when her 87-year-old father, Giuseppe, was tragically murdered by a disturbed tenant at his villa in Ladispoli.