# Denise Capezza
**Denise Capezza** (born 1989) is an Italian actress from Naples who began her career as a ballet dancer, worked for three and a half years in Turkish television, and became known in Italy for playing [Marinella](https://www.edgepedia.org/marinella) in the Sky crime series *Gomorrah The Series* and Natalia in the Netflix series *Baby*.[1](https://www.denisecapezza.it/en/about-me/) • [2](https://www.vanityfair.it/fashion/borse/2018/12/13/denise-capezza-intervista-gianni-chiarini) Her international profile rose with the role of Odile in [David Cronenberg](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-cronenberg)'s *Crimes of the Future*, which premiered at the 75th Cannes Film Festival, and she later played [Moana Pozzi](https://www.edgepedia.org/moana-pozzi) in *Diva Futura*, presented in competition at the 81st Venice Film Festival.[3](https://www.denisecapezza.it/biografia/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | Naples, Italy, 1989 (IMDb gives 1989; Corriere della Sera gives classe 1990)[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7500140/) • [5](https://napoli.corriere.it/notizie/cultura-e-tempo-libero/16_giugno_15/denise-capezza-marinella-gomorra-non-ha-eroi-fanno-tutti-brutta-fine-b5c65e42-3318-11e6-815d-85ddede72c17_amp.shtml) |
| First career | Classical and contemporary dance; diploma after about fifteen years of study, ended by a knee injury[1](https://www.denisecapezza.it/en/about-me/) • [6](https://www.vanityfair.it/show/tv/2019/12/19/denise-capezza-gomorra-sky-baby-netflix) |
| Turkish period | Lead role as Felicia Matei in *Uçurum* (2012), then five further Turkish series; three and a half years in Istanbul[3](https://www.denisecapezza.it/biografia/) • [2](https://www.vanityfair.it/fashion/borse/2018/12/13/denise-capezza-intervista-gianni-chiarini) |
| Italian breakthrough | Marinella in *Gomorrah The Series*, cast by Stefano Sollima after four auditions over two months[5](https://napoli.corriere.it/notizie/cultura-e-tempo-libero/16_giugno_15/denise-capezza-marinella-gomorra-non-ha-eroi-fanno-tutti-brutta-fine-b5c65e42-3318-11e6-815d-85ddede72c17_amp.shtml) |
| International film | Odile in *Crimes of the Future* (David Cronenberg, 2022), premiered at the 75th Cannes Film Festival[3](https://www.denisecapezza.it/biografia/) |
| Notable later roles | Lawyer Alessandra Persiano in *Vincenzo Malinconico, Avvocato d'insuccesso* (2022); Moana Pozzi in *Diva Futura* (2024)[3](https://www.denisecapezza.it/biografia/) |
| Award | Premio Rivelazione at the Lucca Film Festival[7](https://www.ilgiornale.it/news/spettacoli/gomorra-cronenberg-denise-capezza-oltre-bellezza-c-pi-2071044.html) |
## Early life and dance
Capezza was born in Naples and began studying classical dance at the age of 4 while living in Portici, spending about fifteen years at the same school through her childhood and early teenage years.[6](https://www.vanityfair.it/show/tv/2019/12/19/denise-capezza-gomorra-sky-baby-netflix) • [1](https://www.denisecapezza.it/en/about-me/) She graduated in classical and contemporary dance after fifteen years of academic study.[3](https://www.denisecapezza.it/biografia/) Shortly before her final diploma she injured her knee but still passed the exam; when she resumed training after graduating, the injury worsened and she had to stop, spending a year in physiotherapy, during which she turned toward acting.[6](https://www.vanityfair.it/show/tv/2019/12/19/denise-capezza-gomorra-sky-baby-netflix)
Her acting training began in Naples at the Teatro Elicantropo, under Carlo Cerciello from 2007 to 2010, and continued in Rome and abroad.[3](https://www.denisecapezza.it/biografia/) • [8](https://www.karascioconsulenzeartistiche.com/artisti/denise-capezza/?print-products=pdf) She has said that dance taught her discipline, professionalism, and the habit of confronting her own limits daily, qualities she carried into acting.[2](https://www.vanityfair.it/fashion/borse/2018/12/13/denise-capezza-intervista-gianni-chiarini)
## Career in Turkey
In 2012 Capezza was cast as the main character in the Turkish TV series *Uçurum*, playing Felicia Matei, a young Moldovan woman kidnapped and forced into prostitution.[3](https://www.denisecapezza.it/biografia/) The role took her to Istanbul, where she had to learn Turkish quickly, having not known the language when she was chosen; she also picked up some Moldovan for the part.[1](https://www.denisecapezza.it/en/about-me/) • [2](https://www.vanityfair.it/fashion/borse/2018/12/13/denise-capezza-intervista-gianni-chiarini) After two successful seasons of the series, she took part in other projects for the Turkish market: *Inadına Yaşamak*, *Düşler ve Umutlar*, *Darbe*, *Aşkın Dili Yok*, and *Hep Yek*.[1](https://www.denisecapezza.it/en/about-me/)
She also learned Turkish sign language to play the deaf Canan in a series about conflicts between Kurds and Turks, moving to [Kurdistan](https://www.edgepedia.org/kurdistan), in the province of Van, for filming despite the delicate political situation.[3](https://www.denisecapezza.it/biografia/) She has described the Turkish production pace as intense: episodes were shot one per week, scripts sometimes arrived the day before filming, and she once worked from 8 in the morning to 8 the next morning.[6](https://www.vanityfair.it/show/tv/2019/12/19/denise-capezza-gomorra-sky-baby-netflix) She stayed in Turkey three and a half years, and has said she returned to Italy partly because she was being typecast there as the sexy Italian foreigner.[2](https://www.vanityfair.it/fashion/borse/2018/12/13/denise-capezza-intervista-gianni-chiarini) • [9](https://www.panorama.it/tempo-libero/televisione/denise-capezza-intervista-baby3-netflix)
## Gomorrah and the Italian breakthrough
Encouraged by her growth abroad, Capezza returned to Italy in 2015 to build a career in her own country.[1](https://www.denisecapezza.it/en/about-me/) Director Stefano Sollima cast her as Marinella in *Gomorrah The Series*, the Sky adaptation of [Roberto Saviano](https://www.edgepedia.org/roberto-saviano)'s account of the Camorra; the audition process was long, with four auditions over two months, the last two with Sollima.[5](https://napoli.corriere.it/notizie/cultura-e-tempo-libero/16_giugno_15/denise-capezza-marinella-gomorra-non-ha-eroi-fanno-tutti-brutta-fine-b5c65e42-3318-11e6-815d-85ddede72c17_amp.shtml) Marinella, the wife of a boss under pressure from her mother-in-law, the boss Scianel, begins a clandestine relationship with Scianel's driver; Capezza described her as both a victim of the camorra and, in a sense, an executioner.[10](https://napoli.repubblica.it/cronaca/2018/01/30/news/denise_capezza_gomorra_sorrentino_e_ora_un_film_romantico_girato_a_marechiaro_-187642595/) • [6](https://www.vanityfair.it/show/tv/2019/12/19/denise-capezza-gomorra-sky-baby-netflix) She has noted that the series shoots in real, lived locations and pursues a deep search for realism.[6](https://www.vanityfair.it/show/tv/2019/12/19/denise-capezza-gomorra-sky-baby-netflix)
In 2017 she appeared in the short noir film *Killer in Red*, made for Campari and directed by [Paolo Sorrentino](https://www.edgepedia.org/paolo-sorrentino).[1](https://www.denisecapezza.it/en/about-me/) She then played Natalia, a maîtresse, in the Netflix teen drama *Baby*, and performed on stage in *After The End* by Dennis Kelly, including a run at the Teatro Sannazaro in Naples.[3](https://www.denisecapezza.it/biografia/) • [6](https://www.vanityfair.it/show/tv/2019/12/19/denise-capezza-gomorra-sky-baby-netflix) Her film work in this period included leading roles in the pulp comedy *Cobra non è* by Mauro Russo, released on Prime Video on April 30, 2020, and the social film *Un mondo in più* by Luigi Pane, presented at Alice nella Città during the Rome Film Festival.[3](https://www.denisecapezza.it/biografia/) • [9](https://www.panorama.it/tempo-libero/televisione/denise-capezza-intervista-baby3-netflix)
## Crimes of the Future and later work
In 2022 Capezza played Giuseppina in the Prime Video series *Bang Bang Baby*, set in the 1980s, and appeared in David Cronenberg's *Crimes of the Future*, which marked the director's return and competed at the 75th Cannes Film Festival.[3](https://www.denisecapezza.it/biografia/) She was the only Italian in a cast led by [Viggo Mortensen](https://www.edgepedia.org/viggo-mortensen), Kristen Stewart, and [Léa Seydoux](https://www.edgepedia.org/lea-seydoux), playing Odile, a woman who deliberately scars her own face to revolutionize the concept of beauty.[11](https://www.rollingstone.it/cinema-tv/interviste-cinema-tv/denise-capezza-baby-of-the-future/642698/) She has described working with Cronenberg as beautiful, surreal, and overwhelming, and praised Léa Seydoux as generous and unpretentious.[11](https://www.rollingstone.it/cinema-tv/interviste-cinema-tv/denise-capezza-baby-of-the-future/642698/)
The same year she co-starred as the lawyer Alessandra Persiano in *Vincenzo Malinconico, Avvocato d'insuccesso*, a Rai series based on Diego De Silva's bestselling books and the only Italian series selected in competition at the 61st Monte Carlo TV Festival.[3](https://www.denisecapezza.it/biografia/) In 2023 she was among the protagonists of the Sky Original *Unwanted*, based on *Bilal* by Fabrizio Gatti, written by Stefano Bises, and directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel.[1](https://www.denisecapezza.it/en/about-me/)
**2024 and after.** At the 41st Turin Film Festival, *Holy Shoes*, a debut feature by Luigi Di Capua, was presented, with theatrical release on July 4; *Sul più bello – The Series*, directed by Francesca Marino, premiered at the Giffoni Film Festival on July 21 and streamed on Prime Video from July 29.[1](https://www.denisecapezza.it/en/about-me/) Projects from 2023 and 2024 included *Uonderbois*, a fantasy series for Disney+ directed by Andrea De Sica and Giorgio Romano; *Inganno*, a Netflix series produced by Cattleya and directed by Pappi Corsicato; and *The Place of Life* for Paramount+, written by Margaret Mazzantini and directed by Maria Sole Tognazzi.[1](https://www.denisecapezza.it/en/about-me/)
At the 81st [Venice Film Festival](https://www.edgepedia.org/venice-film-festival), *Diva Futura*, the new film by Giulia Steigerwalt about the Italian casting and production agency of that name led by Riccardo Schicchi and Debora Attanasio, was presented in competition; Capezza is among the leads and plays Moana Pozzi.[3](https://www.denisecapezza.it/biografia/) • [12](https://www.vogue.it/article/in-utero-serie-tv-denise-capezza-intervista) She has since appeared in the American production *In the Hand of Dante* alongside [Oscar Isaac](https://www.edgepedia.org/oscar-isaac), and stars in *In Utero*, a series conceived by Margaret Mazzantini and directed by Maria Sole Tognazzi about couples using assisted reproduction, which arrived on HBO Max Italy on May 8.[12](https://www.vogue.it/article/in-utero-serie-tv-denise-capezza-intervista)
## Acting approach
Capezza has said she fought to avoid being cast purely for looks, declining auditions in which beauty had no function in the story, a stance she kept even during periods without work.[11](https://www.rollingstone.it/cinema-tv/interviste-cinema-tv/denise-capezza-baby-of-the-future/642698/) She contrasts her two best-known early characters: Marinella was psychologically easier for her to understand, while Natalia, a conscious victim of the prostitution world, was controversial and impenetrable.[6](https://www.vanityfair.it/show/tv/2019/12/19/denise-capezza-gomorra-sky-baby-netflix) She received the Premio Rivelazione (Breakout Award) at the Lucca Film Festival.[7](https://www.ilgiornale.it/news/spettacoli/gomorra-cronenberg-denise-capezza-oltre-bellezza-c-pi-2071044.html)
## References
1. [About Denise Capezza, Official Site](https://www.denisecapezza.it/en/about-me/)
2. [Denise Capezza: «Il mio mondo in una borsa», Vanity Fair Italia](https://www.vanityfair.it/fashion/borse/2018/12/13/denise-capezza-intervista-gianni-chiarini)
3. [Biografia, Denise Capezza Sito Ufficiale](https://www.denisecapezza.it/biografia/)
4. [Denise Capezza, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7500140/)
5. [Denise Capezza "Marinella": «Gomorra non ha eroi, fanno tutti una brutta fine», Corriere del Mezzogiorno](https://napoli.corriere.it/notizie/cultura-e-tempo-libero/16_giugno_15/denise-capezza-marinella-gomorra-non-ha-eroi-fanno-tutti-brutta-fine-b5c65e42-3318-11e6-815d-85ddede72c17_amp.shtml)
6. [Denise Capezza: «Lasciatemi parlare», Vanity Fair Italia](https://www.vanityfair.it/show/tv/2019/12/19/denise-capezza-gomorra-sky-baby-netflix)
7. [Da "Gomorra" a Cronenberg, Denise Capezza: "Bisogna puntare sulle donne", il Giornale](https://www.ilgiornale.it/news/spettacoli/gomorra-cronenberg-denise-capezza-oltre-bellezza-c-pi-2071044.html)
8. [Denise Capezza, Karasciò Consulenze Artistiche](https://www.karascioconsulenzeartistiche.com/artisti/denise-capezza/?print-products=pdf)
9. [Denise Capezza: «I miei sogni tra serie tv, teatro e cinema», Panorama](https://www.panorama.it/tempo-libero/televisione/denise-capezza-intervista-baby3-netflix)
10. [Denise Capezza: "Gomorra, Sorrentino e ora un film romantico girato a Marechiaro", la Repubblica Napoli](https://napoli.repubblica.it/cronaca/2018/01/30/news/denise_capezza_gomorra_sorrentino_e_ora_un_film_romantico_girato_a_marechiaro_-187642595/)
11. [Denise Capezza, baby of the future, Rolling Stone Italia](https://www.rollingstone.it/cinema-tv/interviste-cinema-tv/denise-capezza-baby-of-the-future/642698/)
12. [Con In Utero, Denise Capezza mostra come il desiderio di diventare genitori cambia nel tempo, Vogue Italia](https://www.vogue.it/article/in-utero-serie-tv-denise-capezza-intervista)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › Italian actors*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license