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Maria Venuti

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Maria Venuti
Venuti in 2012
Born (1941-03-07) 7 March 1941 (age 83)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
  • pianist
  • author
SpouseTony Hughes (divorced)
Children1

Maria Francesia Anna Venuti AM (born 7 March 1941) is an Australian actress, entertainer and author, who has appeared in numerous stage, television shows and film productions, over 50 years.

Venuti is a singer, as well as an accomplished pianist who is noted for her work in cabaret and supper clubs, including working throughout Asia.

Biography

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Venuti's father was from Sicily, and 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 in 1939.[1][2] 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 Diphtheria. 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.

Stalking and intruder incident

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In November 2016, Venuti was hospitalized after suffering a stroke, and was subsequently placed in a coma after the stress of an intruder entering her home in Gladesville, New South Wales. The police had been called three times previously, after the 38-year-old man was seen lingering outside her home and stalking Venuti, turning up with flowers and alleging he was married to her. The man was taken under escort to the Royal North Shore Hospital, for a mental evaluation.[3][4]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Type
1987 Les Patterson Saves the World Air Hostess (uncredited) Feature film
1994 Gino Angelina Feature film
1996 Fistful of Flies Magda Feature film
2002 Score! The Mother
2003 Fat Pizza Mama Gigliotti *Big Mamma's Boy as Mrs. Cotoletta (2011)
2012 Bathing Franky Franky Feature film[5]
2014 Fat Pizza vs. Housos Mama Gigliotti Feature film

Television

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Year Title Role Type
1978 Il trovatore Ines
1979 Six Tonight Guest - Herself TV special
1980 Celebrity Tattletales Herself & Tony Hughes TV series, 2 episodes
1981;1982 The Mike Walsh Show Guest - Herself TV series, 1 episode
1982 Cabaret Regular singer SBS TV series
1982, 1983 The Mike Walsh Show Guest Performer TV series, 1 episode
1983; 1984 The Mike Walsh Show Guest Performer TV series, 1 episode
1984 The Mike Walsh Show Musical Guest TV series, 1 episode
1989 The Bert Newton Show Guest - Herself with Joey Perrone TV series, 1 episode
1989 Celebrity Family Feud Herself - Contestant with Jeanne Little & Noeline Brown TV series, 1 episode
1990 A Country Practice Liz Scales TV series
1991 Celebrity Wheel Of Fortune Herself - Contestant with Brian Wenzel, Agro & Fat Cat TV series, 1 episode
1993 G.P. Bella Tucci TV series
1995 Ten's 30th Anniversary Special Herself TV Special
2000–2007 Fat Pizza Mama Gigliotti TV series
2002–2003 Always Greener Lorraine TV series
2006 Dusty: Little By Little Herself ABC TV series, 1 episode
2006 Mornings with Kerri-Anne Herself TV series, 1 episode
2006 The Big Night In with John Foreman Guest TV series, Season 2, 3 episodes
2008 Stupid Stupid Man Margaret TV series
2011 Swift and Shift Couriers Maria Shembry TV series
2014 Celebrity Come Dine With Me Australia Guest TV series, Season 1, episode 3
2019–2022 Fat Pizza: Back in Business Mama Gigliotti TV series, Season 6
2022 A Current Affair Herself TV series, 1 episode
2022; 2023 The Morning Show Herself TV series, 1 episode
2023 The Morning Show Herself TV series, 1 episode

Stage

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Source: AusStage

Year Title Role
1985 Women Behind Bars
1990-91 Lend Me A Tenor
1995 Maria Venuti
1998 Valentines Day
2000 Mama Claus is Coming to Town
2008 Light the Night
2008 An All-Star Tribute to Peter Allen

Bibliography

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  • Whole Load of Front (2011)[6]

Awards

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Mo Awards

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The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016.[7]

Year Nominee / work Award Result (wins only)
2000 Maria Venuti JohnCampbell Fellowship Award Won

References

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  1. ^ "Maria Venuti makes her 70s sexy". News.com.au. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  2. ^ "Maria Venuti on ageless skin". News.com.au. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  3. ^ "Maria Venuti hospitalized after stroke". MSN.com.au. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  4. ^ "Entertainer Maria Venuti suffered stroke after alleged stalker entered her Sydney home".
  5. ^ "Review: Bathing Franky". Urban Cinefile. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  6. ^ Stayner, Samantha (24 March 2011). "Tim Ferguson, David Malouf and Maria Venuti". ABC.net.au. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  7. ^ "MO Award Winners". Mo Awards. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
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