Sylva Koscina

Sylva Koscina (Sylva Koskinon: Zagreb, Yugoslavia, August 22, 1933 – Rome, December 26, 1994) was an Italian actress.

Her best-known work was as the heroine of "sword-and-sandal" films opposite Steve Reeves in his early appearances as Hercules, and she also worked with stars such as Paul Newman and Kirk Douglas.

Of Greek father and Polish mother, Sylva Koscina moved to Italy during World War II and studied physics at the University of Naples. Her own striking looks, however, soon launched her career as a model, which eventually led her to film at age 22 in Siamo uomini o caporali? (1955) directed by Camillo Mastrocinque. Her elegant screen presence reflected her roots in fashion, and with her aristocratic bearing she began to gain recognition in comedies and sword-and-sandal films such as Hercules and Hercules Unchained. In the late 1960s she made the leap to Hollywood, where she became the first Italian woman to pose for Playboy. After returning to Italy, she moved into erotic and exploitation cinema.