Edwige Fenech

Edwige Fenech was born in Bône, which is now known as Annaba, Algeria, on December 24, 1941. She is the daughter of a Maltese father and a Sicilian mother. Her acting career blossomed between the late 1960s and early 1980s, during which she became particularly renowned for her roles in European films, especially erotic comedies. Fenech made her foray into this genre under the direction of Austrian filmmaker Franz Antel. She gained further recognition with her performances in giallo and sex films such as *Five Dolls for an August Moon*, *Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key*, and *Sex with a Smile*, many of which were helmed by director Sergio Martino.

In the 1980s, Fenech transitioned to television, often co-hosting a chat show alongside Barbara Bouchet on Italian television. Her personal life garnered attention as well, notably her engagement in the mid-1990s to prominent Italian industrialist Luca di Montezemolo.

After years in film production, where she notably produced *The Merchant of Venice* (2004) starring Al Pacino, Fenech returned to acting when Quentin Tarantino invited her to appear in *Hostel: Part II* (2007), directed by Eli Roth. Additionally, a character named Ed Fenech, played by Mike Myers, appears in Tarantino's 2009 film *Inglourious Basterds*.