**Leonora Ruffo** (Rome, 1936) was an Italian actress remembered for her striking stage presence and luminous beauty. She made her debut at a very young age, establishing herself in the role of Iris in Federico Fellini's *The Swindlers* (1955), her most celebrated and complex performance.

Often nicknamed the "Blonde Venus," she embodied on screen seductive women, sometimes naive or tormented, but always possessing strong charisma and a powerful physicality. Her versatility led her to act in various genres: from dramas to peplum films, such as Pietro Francisci's famous *Hercules* (1958), to comedies and early giallo films. Although rarely a leading lady, Ruffo left a distinctive mark on Italian cinema from the 1950s to the 1970s.