Valentina Cervi

Seductive Italian actress Valentina Cervi was introduced to American audiences with her role as Pier Angeli in the 2001 made-for-TV biopic "James Dean." Supporting roles in Spike Lee's 2008 "Miracle at St. Anna" and Cary Fukanaga's elegant 2011 "Jane Eyre" adaptation helped further her international reputation. But her portrayal of the ancient vampire Salome in HBO's "True Blood," inspired by the mysterious Biblical seductress, brought Cervi the largest mainstream attention of her career. She is known to Italian audiences for her portrayal of Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi in the 1997 biopic "Artemesia," as well as her award-winning turn in 2002's "Soul Mate."