**Janet Leigh** (born Jeanette Helen Morrison; 1927-2004) was an American actress whose career spanned various genres. Discovered at a young age, she debuted with "girl next door" and ingénue roles, often in comedies and melodramas, showcasing grace and versatility.

Her career took a drastic turn with the iconic role of Marion Crane in Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece, *Psycho* (1960), which earned her an Academy Award nomination and immortalized her in cinema history for the famous shower scene. She demonstrated her ability to portray complex and often tormented women also in noirs such as Orson Welles' *Touch of Evil* (1958) and the political thriller *The Manchurian Candidate* (1962).

Leigh stood out for her classic beauty and expressive intensity, becoming an unforgettable figure in cinema, able to effortlessly transition from ingénue roles to characters of great psychological depth.