FASHION Magazine

Days after Isabella Rossellini turned 40, she was asked to leave one of the loves of her life. Not a husband or boyfriend—she ended relationships with Martin Scorsese and David Lynch long before celebrating
the big 40. It wasn’t acting, either, as Rossellini racked up stacks of film credits (from noirs such as Blue Velvet to comedies such as Death Becomes Her) before writing, producing and starring in her popular series of short films on animal sexuality, Green Porno. Rossellini, the daughter of Ingrid Bergman and filmmaker Roberto Rossellini, was pushed to abandon her place in the modelling world. And, as she conveyed in her 1997 autobiography, Some of Me, when she was 43 an executive at Lancôme decided that after serving 14 years as the face of the brand, it was time for a younger woman to take over. Rossellini has maintained that she was urged to graciously retire to save herself from embarrassment. Looking back at her track record (she’s appeared on 28 Vogue covers), she decided she would be foolish to step down from such a lucrative career. And at the age of 61, she continues to make modelling a part of her life, recently starring in a Bulgari campaign.

As for acting, Rossellini kept Hollywood at bay to devote her time to her Green Porno project. Having written and starred in more than 45 films on the subject of mating in the wild kingdom (she dresses up as a handful of creatures to demonstrate their sexual encounters), Rossellini, who is currently doing a master’s degree in conservation and ethology, has seen her venture blow up online as well as offline, as millions of viewers have clicked on her educational spots. The project became so popular that Rossellini adapted the films into a one-woman stage show which will have its Canadian debut in Toronto on June 6 as part of the Luminato Festival.