Italian actress Franca Bettoia, known for her role in The Last Man on Earth, has died at 88 in Rome. She was the widow of actor Ugo Tognazzi and leaves behind two children.
BollywoodFever: Franca Bettoia, the Italian actress best known for her role alongside Vincent Price in the 1964 sci-fi cult classic The Last Man on Earth, has passed away in Rome at the age of 88. Her family confirmed the news to the Italian agency Adnkronos.
Bettoia was married to famed Italian actor Ugo Tognazzi, who starred in the 1978 hit La Cage aux Folles, a role later portrayed by Robin Williams in The Birdcage (1996). The couple were married from 1972 until Tognazzi’s death in 1990 due to a cerebral hemorrhage.
In The Last Man on Earth, Bettoia played Ruth, a woman battling the effects of a plague that has turned humans into vampiric creatures, with the help of Dr. Robert Morgan, played by Vincent Price. The film, directed by Ubaldo Ragona and Sidney Salkow, was based on Richard Matheson’s novel I Am Legend and filmed in Rome.
Born on May 14, 1936, in Rome, Bettoia made her film debut in 1955 and gained prominence with her role in Pietro Germi’s Man of Straw (1958), which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. Her career included notable roles in Duel of Champions (1961), Day by Day, Desperately (1961), and Don’t Touch the White Woman (1974).
Bettoia’s final film appearance was in Teste rasate (1993), where she portrayed the mother of her real-life son, Gianmarco Tognazzi. She is survived by her son Gianmarco and her daughter, director Maria Sole Tognazzi.
More Entertainment News, Valkyrae Reveals Jason Momoa Was Her Worst Celebrity Experience
Jason Aldean and Wife Brittany Enjoy Family PDA-Filled Day at Disneyland
Strictly’s Sam Quek Admits She’ll Struggle with ‘Sexy’ Routines But Embraces the Challenge
Heidi Klum and Quinta Brunson Dazzle at The Hollywood Reporter & SAG-AFTRA Emmy Nominees Night
