Actor / Actress

Marisa Mell

Born February 24, 1939 Graz, Austria 29 credits available

Biography

Marisa Mell (24 February 1939 – 16 May 1992) was an Austrian actress who became a cult figure of 1960s Italian B-movies. She was born as Marlies Theres Moitzi in Graz, Austria.

In 1963, she was involved in a violent automobile accident in France. For six hours, she lay unconscious, unaware that she nearly lost her right eye. The disfigurement extended to her lip as well. She spent the next two years undergoing plastic surgery, and no damage remained in her face, except for a distinctive curl of her upper lip.

She turned down a seven-year Hollywood contract, saying that while the payment would have been great, "the contract was a whole book. I think that even to go to the toilet I would have needed a permission."

In 1967, she performed the title role in the "utterly calamitous" musical Mata Hari alongside Pernell Roberts. After a preview performance in Washington, D.C. that became infamous for its numerous technical problems, producer David Merrick decided to close the production before its scheduled Broadway run.

She is best known for the role of Eva Kant in Danger: Diabolik (1968). In the late 1990s, the television show MST3K brought the actress to a new generation of B-movie viewers when the film was featured on an episode. The show also spoofed another of her starring roles in the film Secret Agent Super Dragon. She died in Vienna from throat cancer in 1992, aged 53.

Marisa Mell is known for work in acting across film and television. New Release currently presents 29 verified screen credits connected to this profile.

Selected work includes Feuerblume - Die zwei Leben der Marisa Mell (2023), In Zeiten wie diesen (1989), Seifenblasen (1985), The Commissioner (1983), Nude Strike (1983), The Doctor Prefers Sailors (1981), College Girl on Vacation (1980), Under Siege (1980). The recorded credits span 1960 to 2023, including 27 movies and 2 TV shows.

The filmography below lists available titles, release years and known roles. This profile is updated as additional verified information becomes available.