Maria Venuti

Maria Francesia Anna Venuti (born, 1941) AM, is an Australian actress and entertainer, who has appeared in numerous television shows and theatre productions, as well as in local film for over 50 years. Her father was an Italian from Sicily, who came to Australia in 1926 and her mother, Bella who was 18 years younger than her father, was from Cairo, Egypt and came to Sydney Australia in 1939. Venuti is also a singer, as well as an accomplished pianist who is noted for her work in cabaret and supper clubs, including working throughout Asia. She has a daughter named Bianca by her previous husband, Tony; they are now divorced, she has a half sister, Gina and had a half brother Francesco, who died of Diapheria. Venuti has written a memoir, called "A Whole Lot of Front".
Her early life was unsettled and when she was in kindergarten, she moved schools four times because of bullying due to her descent.

In November 2016, she was hospitalized after suffering a stroke, and was subsequently placed in a coma after the stress of an intruder entering her Sydney home in Gladesville, the police had been called three times previous after the 38 year old man was seen lingering outside around her home and stalking Ms Venuti alleging he was married to her. The man was taken to the Royal North Shore Hospital, for a mental evaluation

Film

• Les Patterson Saves the World as Air Hostess (uncredited) (1987)
• Gino as Angelina (1994)
• Fistful of Flies as Magda (1996)
• Score! as The Mother (2002)
• Fat Pizza as Mama Gigliotti (2003)
• Big Mamma's Boy as Mrs. Cotoletta (2011)
• Bathing Franky as Franky (2012)
• Fat Pizza vs. Housos as Mama Gigliotti (2014)

Television

• Il trovatore as Ines (1978)
• A Country Practice as Liz Scales (1990)
• G.P. as Bella Tucci (1993)
• Pizza as Mama Gigliotti (2000 - 2007)
• Always Greener as Lorraine (2002 - 2003)
• Stupid Stupid Man as Margaret (2008)
• Swift and Shift Couriers as Maria Shembry (2011)

• "Review: Bathing Franky". Urban Cinefile. Retrieved 28 May 2013.