When she arrived in Rome, she taught physical education at Liceo Artistico in Via di Ripetta.
She worked on Coca Cola TV commercials, took part in photonovels, and made her debut in cinema. Her first important role was in 1969 when she was selected to play the lead in Massimo Dallamano's "Venere in Pelliccia", which was based on the novel by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch. It was not released due to the strict censorship of the time and came out six years later as "Le Malizie di Venere". In 1971 she became famous with her role in "Il Merlo Maschio", with Lando Buzzanca and directed by Pasquale Festa Campanile. In 1973 she played the sensual maid in "Malizia", directed by Salvatore Samperi, with Turi Ferro and the young Alessandro Momo. The film made six billion lira and became a cult movie, evoking the erotic imagination in Italians and established her as a "sexy icon".
She was awarded the Nastro d'Argeto as best leading actress and the Globo d'Oro as best new actress. As she became famous her fees rose from four million lira to 100 million lira a film.
Her rise to fame ended on April 27, 1991, when she was discovered at her villa in Cerveteri with 36 grams of cocaine.
She was sentenced to three years and six months for drug trafficking, but was acquitted nine years later, when the Court of Appeal in Rome decided she was a habitual drug user but not a supplier. The actress underwent several periods of physical and psychological distress. These culminated during a long legal dispute when she sought damages for a cosmetic surgery operation which she claimed had disfigured her face. Her claim failed. (AGI)