Adriana Asti, death of a discreet essential figure of Italian cinema

Adriana Asti was one of those rare actresses who shunned fame at all costs. A very private, if not prized, club. A comet, but for a long time: that of an entire life. She died at the age of 94, as discreetly as she lived, on the morning of July 31, in Rome. Why write "died" rather than "passed away," or any other euphemism as is customary? Well, because Adriana Asti had her own way of achieving the most difficult thing: absolute simplicity. But this simplicity was matched by an irresistibly funny and personal point of view on everything she saw. We listened to her and couldn't help but write down what she said; words like poetic gold came from her mouth.

Adriana Asti could have not been an actress. She said there was nothing more boring than acting. And she immediately added: "But this boredom is wonderful because while you're acting, you're free to think about anything."

An actress by chance, then, according to what she told us when we met her one Christmas day, at midday, when