AKA: Arcangela Felice Assunta Wertmuller von Elgg Spanol von Braueich, George Brown, Nathan Wich
Nationality: Italian
Birthdate: 08/14/1928
Birthplace: Rome, Italy
biography
This European director's grotesque/comic treatments of weighty political, social and sexual themes earned her a sizeable cult following in the mid-1970s.Wertmuller was born to a family of Swiss aristocrats; her father, a lawyer, dominated his family and young Lina constantly fought with him. A product of a Roman Catholic education, Wertmuller brought her domestic battles into the classroom and, as she approached college age, could boast of having been thrown out of fifteen schools. Her father wanted her to attend law school but Wertmuller decided, at the instigation of a friend, to enroll in
After drama school co-founded an experimental theater group, then worked with controversial puppet theater company
Acted in, managed and designed sets for stage productions, and wrote a number of scripts for TV before being introduced (by old friend actress Flora Carabella, now married to Marcello Mastroianni) to Federico Fellini
1962
Hired as assistant to Fellini on "8 1/2"
1963
Feature writing and directing debut, "I basilischi/The Lizards"
1966
First collaboration with actor Giancarlo Giannini, the TV film "Rita la zanzara/Rita the Mosquito"; Wertmuller took credit under her own name only for musical sequences, taking credit for overall direction under the name George Brown
