Vittoria Marisa Schiaparelli Berenson (born February 15, 1947)[citation needed] is an American model and actress. A granddaughter of designer Elsa Schiaparelli, she rose to international prominence in the late 1960s and 1970s. Berenson was a model, appearing on the covers of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. Known as the "Queen of the Scene," she became a style icon known for her eclectic and bohemian-chic aesthetic.
Berenson was born in New York City, the elder of two daughters. Her father, Robert Lawrence Berenson, was an American career diplomat turned shipping executive. He was of Russian Jewish and Polish Jewish descent; the family's original paternal surname was Valvrojenski.[1][2] Her mother was Maria-Luisa Yvonne "Gogo" Radha de Wendt Schiaparelli, a socialite of Italian, Swiss and French descent.[3][4]
Family
Berenson's maternal grandmother was the fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli,[5][3] and her maternal grandfather was Wilhelm de Wendt de Kerlor, a theosophist and psychic medium.[4][6][7]
Discovered as a teenager by Vogue editor Diana Vreeland, Berenson rose to prominence in the 1960s.[3] She made her debut on the cover of Vogue at age 18 in 1965 and went on to appear in numerous covers and fashion editorials throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s.[3][9] Frequently seen at nightclubs and social gatherings, she became known as "the Queen of the Scene,"[10] while designer Yves Saint Laurent famously dubbed her "the girl of the Seventies."[11][3]
Berenson's early film roles included Gustav von Aschenbach's wife in Luchino Visconti's 1971 film Death in Venice and the Jewish department store heiress Natalia Landauer in the 1972 film Cabaret. The latter role led to two Golden Globe nominations, a BAFTA nomination, and an award from the National Board of Review.
Berenson appeared on the cover of the December 15, 1975 issue of Time magazine. She portrayed the tragic beauty Lady Lyndon in the Stanley Kubrick film Barry Lyndon (1975).[3]Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote: "Marisa Berenson splendidly suits her costumes and wigs."[12][13] She recalled her experience working under Kubrick's direction: I liked him very much. He had a lot of dry humour. Contrary to what people think — they have this image of Stanley as this difficult ogre — he wasn't at all. He was a perfectionist, but every great director I've worked with has been a perfectionist. You have to be to make extraordinary films.[14]
Berenson is chairman of the board of Culture Project, an organization that sponsors the theater.[citation needed]
Personal life
On September 11, 2001, her younger sister and sole sibling, Berry Perkins, widow of actor Anthony Perkins, was killed in the first flight to hit the World Trade Center. Marisa was also in an airplane during the terrorist attacks, flying from Paris to New York. In an interview with CBS, she told of the experience and how hours later she landed in Newfoundland (flights were diverted to Canada), and was told of her sister's death by a phone call with her daughter.[3] Said Berenson: "I have hope and tremendous faith. I think that's what gets you through life ... through tragedies is when you have faith."[17]
India changed my life, because I was searching for my spiritual path, and I ended up in an ashram in Rishikesh with Maharishi and the Beatles. We'd sit on the floor at night, and George and Ringo would play the guitar, and we'd meditate all day, and have meals together, and become vegetarians, and live in huts. But it was just normal. It wasn't like, "Oh, here are the Beatles." The most important thing was my transcendental meditation.[18]
In the 1970s, Berenson was a vegetarian and believer in reincarnation.[19] She later abandoned vegetarianism and returned to eating meat.[20][21]
Berenson lives in a villa on the outskirts of Marrakesh.[3] She is fluent in English, Italian,[22] and French.[23]
Relationships
Berenson became engaged to French banking heir David René de Rothschild in 1972; the couple separated the following year.[24][25] Reportedly, his family disapproved of their relationship because of Berenson's nude modeling photographs and revealing style of dress.[25] Reflecting on the reaction, she later said, "I was very free," recalling how her transparent gowns shocked his family.[26]
Her first husband was James Randall, a rivet manufacturer.[3] They had an extravagant wedding at Randall's Beverly Hills home in November 1976.[27] Berenson's sister was the maid of honor, and George Hamilton was the best man.[28] Guests included Andy Warhol, Halston, Valentino, and Giorgio di Sant'Angelo.[28] In 1977, the couple had one daughter, who is a social worker, before they divorced in 1978.[29]
Her second husband was Aaron Richard Golub (born 1942, Worcester, Massachusetts), a lawyer, whom she married in 1982 and divorced in 1987. During the divorce proceedings, the judge ruled "the increased value of Ms. Berenson's acting and modeling career during the marriage were marital property" and therefore subject to consideration in any settlement agreements.[30][31][32][33]
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