Matilda De Angelis: Naked Ambition
摘要
In the special issue of Bianco e Nero dedicated to Italian stardom, Italy is defined as “the country of the antidivi.” This chapter, through the case study of the young Italian actress Matilda de Angelis, questions that statement. De Angelis’ career shows instead an attitude toward showbusiness that is fully in line with international artistic and production values. Compared to performers of the previous generation such as Margherita Buy, Elio Germano, or Giovanna Mezzogiorno, the case of de Angelis—a young actress of Bolognese origin who, starting from 2015, quickly gained the attention of audiences and critics alike, becoming “the hope of Italian cinema,” is part of the new global trend in which the boundaries of the entertainment and advertising industries, and between spectacle and life are falling apart. As Landrini noted, de Angelis’ persona is characterized by a confrontation with the American entertainment business and the pervasiveness of the third-feminist idea, which facilitates it. This chapter looks closely at how, through the exploitation of the scandal of full-frontal nudity exhibited in the HBO television series The Undoing (2020), de Angelis managed to become an instant glamorous icon, beyond the shared notion of “celebrity.”