A tall, dark-haired Sicilian beauty, Maria Grazia Cucinotta achieved international attention with her co-starring role as the sexy barmaid who catches the attention of the late Massimo Troisi in "The Postman (Il Postino)" (1994).

As a teenager, the voluptuous Cucinotta began a modeling career in Milan, working during summer holidays. When she finished her education, she decided to abandon posing for the more rigorous demands of acting. She landed her first job in the Italian TV program "Indietro tutta" and continued to hone her craft in a number of small screen productions. The actress segued