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From ’60s Model to Acting Icon: Marisa Berenson’s Stunning Transformation at 77

BBG News

Head-turning New York City icon Marisa Berenson was a top model in the 1960s.

The girl with wide-eyed innocence boasted a stunning physique, characterized by well-defined legs and a slender midriff, effortlessly enhancing the appeal of swimwear and little black dresses.

She landed on the cover of Vogue many times. 

Back then, I was completely captivated as this radiant woman with stunning curls ventured into the world of acting. She reached an apex in the ’70s, gracing the screen alongside some of the biggest names. In Barry Lyndon, she shared the limelight with Ryan O’Neal, and in SOB, she performed with Julie Andrews and William Holden. But the role that truly stole my heart was her performance in Cabaret, where she starred alongside Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey.

On Tuesday, it was a special occasion as Marisa joined Demi Moore and Jessica Biel at the Giorgio Armani show in Paris, marking an uncommon occurrence for her.

And the photogenic star still looks incredible today at the age of 77. 

The New York native was born Vittoria Marisa Schiaparelli Berenson in 1947.

She was on the covers of Vogue and Time.

Her dad, Robert Lawrence Berenson, served as an esteemed American diplomat throughout his career, while her mother, Maria-Luisa Yvonne ‘Gogo’ Radha de Wendt Schiaparelli, was a well-known social figure.

Berenson’s maternal grandmother was the fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli.  

Berinthia, her younger sibling, gained fame as a model, actress, and photographer, going by the name Berry Berenson. Married to actor Anthony Perkins, she tragically lost her life in New York City on September 11, 2001.

Marisa was discovered by Vogue editor Diana Vreeland in the 1960s. 

She appeared on the cover of the July 1970 issue of Vogue as well as the cover of Time on in 1975. 

In her younger days, she was often seen at nightclubs and various social spots, earning herself the nickname ‘The Queen of the Social Circuit’.

French designer Yves Saint Laurent called her ‘the girl of the Seventies.’

Then she went into acting. 

In 1971, she made an appearance in the movie “Death in Venice,” while also portraying Natalia Landauer, a wealthy heiress of a Jewish department store, in the 1972 film “Cabaret.”

She featured in the 1971 film titled “Death in Venice” and played the role of Natalia Landauer, an heiress of a Jewish department store, in the 1972 movie named “Cabaret.

Next she was Lady Lyndon in the Stanley Kubrick film Barry Lyndon in 1975.

Berenson also starred in several films such as Casanova & Co. from 1977, Killer Fish in 1979, the comedy S.O.B. by Blake Edwards in 1981, The Secret Diary of Sigmund Freud in 1984, and Clint Eastwood’s White Hunter Black Heart, which was released in 1990.

Then there were made-for-TV movies like the Holocaust-themed drama Playing for Time (1980). 

She guest-starred in an episode of The Muppet Show during its third season in 1978.

On September 11, 2001, Berry Perkins, the younger sister, last surviving family member, and wife of the late actor Anthony Perkins, tragically lost her life when the first plane struck the World Trade Center.

Marisa was also in an airplane during the terrorist attacks, flying from Paris to New York. 

She is a big fan of  Transcendental Meditation.

In a profound transformation, India became the catalyst for my life’s journey, as I sought enlightenment on a spiritual plane. My quest led me to an ashram in Rishikesh, where I encountered Maharishi and the Beatles. Our evenings were spent gathered on the floor, with George and Ringo strumming their guitars, while we meditated through the day, dined together, adopted a vegetarian lifestyle, and dwelled in humble huts. Yet, the atmosphere was ordinary rather than extraordinary. The most significant aspect of this experience was my practice of transcendental meditation.

Berenson lives in a villa on the outskirts of Marrakesh.

Berenson’s first husband was James Randall, from 1976 to 1978. 

They have one daughter.

Her second husband was Aaron Richard Golub from 1982 to 1987.

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2025-01-29 18:39

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