Marcella Rovena (22 January 1905 â 6 October 1991) was an Italian film and voice actress. Born in Conegliano, she started her career on the big screen in 1932 with director Nunzio Malasomma in the film La telefonista.
After fleeing following the Battle of Caporetto, Marcella Rovena reached Rome in 1917. She began her career in local theater companies before joining the company of Alfredo De Sanctis in 1928, followed by that of Armando Migliari. She later served as the "prima attrice giovane" (lead young actress) alongside Dina Galli and Antonio Gandusio. She was eventually discovered by director Mario Mattoli, who cast her in his Za-Bum variety shows.
She was married to the film critic Ermanno Contini.
Rovena made her big-screen debut in the early 1930s under director Nunzio Malasomma in the film La telefonista (1932), appearing alongside Isa Pola, Luigi Cimara, and Sergio Tofano. This marked the beginning of a prolific career as a character actor, appearing in over 60 films through the end of the 1960s. During her career, she collaborated with several of ItalyâÂÂs most prominent directors, including Luchino Visconti, Vittorio De Sica, Roberto Rossellini, and Pietro Germi.
Known for her distinctive and commanding vocal timbre, Rovena became one of Italy's first professional voice actors. In 1932, shortly after the inception of dubbing in Italy, she was selected to provide the Italian voices for major American stars, including Eve Arden, Claudette Colbert, Claire Trevor, and Barbara Stanwyck. Her work was highly regarded; notably, actress Kay Francis reportedly complimented Rovena's performance after viewing the Italian version of the film Cynara (Italian title: Infedele). Rovena also provided the voice for a young Anna Magnani in the film Princess Tarakanova. Dubbing remained a central pillar of her professional life alongside her film roles.