Helmut Berger, the stage name of Helmut Steinberger, was an Austrian actor who became an icon of European cinema through his artistic and romantic partnership with director Luchino Visconti. Starring in crucial films by the Italian master, he delivered memorable performances in *The Damned* (1969), *Ludwig* (1973), and *Conversation Piece* (1974). His intense performance in *The Damned* earned him a Golden Globe nomination, while for his role as the Bavarian monarch in *Ludwig*, he received a special David di Donatello award. His career also includes collaborations with other important directors, including Vittorio De Sica for *The Garden of the Finzi-Continis* (1970) and Francis Ford Coppola for *The Godfather Part III* (1990). Considered a symbol of androgynous beauty and restless decadence, his persona left a profound mark on the cinematic imagination of the 1970s, embodying an ideal of tormented and aristocratic beauty.