Lilla Brignone (1913-1984) was an Italian actress, considered one of the greatest performers in 20th-century Italian theatre. The daughter of director Guido Brignone, her career developed primarily on the stage, where she collaborated with directors such as Luchino Visconti, Giorgio Strehler, and Orazio Costa, often in an artistic partnership with actor Gianni Santuccio. Her dramatic sensibility and intense stage presence made her the ideal interpreter for complex characters from the repertoire of Luigi Pirandello, Henrik Ibsen, and Anton Chekhov; her performance in *As You Desire Me* remains memorable. Also active in cinema, she worked with directors such as Mario Monicelli, Bernardo Bertolucci, and Pier Paolo Pasolini. Her performance in *Violent Summer* (1959) earned her the Nastro d'Argento for Best Supporting Actress. She was also one of the pioneers of Italian television dramas. Her talent was celebrated with numerous theatre awards, including the San Genesio Prize and the Ubu Prize, which solidified her status as a "grande dame" of the Italian stage.