Zeudi Araya

{{Short description|Eritrean-Italian actress, singer, model and film producer (1951-)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Zeudi Araya

| image = Zeudi Araya (Bolzano, 1975).jpg

| caption = Araya in 1975

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1951|02|10}}

| birth_place = Dekemhare, British Military Administration in Eritrea

| spouse = {{marriage|Franco Cristaldi|1983|1992|end=died}}

| partner = Massimo Spano
(1994–present)

| children = Michelangelo Spano

}}

Zeudi Araya (born 10 February 1951) is an Eritrean former actress, singer, model and film producer.

Life and career

The daughter of a local politician and the niece of the Eritrean diplomat who also served as Ambassador in Italy, in 1969 Araya won the Miss Eritrea contest and subsequently started a modeling career.{{cite journal |last1=Guastella|first1=Antonio |title=La corona imperiale |journal=Nocturno Dossier |date=April 2005 |volume=35 |page=20}} In 1972, Araya shot a commercial for the coffee Tazza D'Oro, and was noted by director Luigi Scattini, who cast her with Beba Lončar in La ragazza dalla pelle di luna shot in the Seychelles. In 1973, she made her singing debut recording two songs composed by Piero Umiliani for the score of another Scattini film, The Off-Road Girl. From 1973 to 1975, she starred in several films produced by P.A.C., then following her love story with film producer Franco Cristaldi in 1976 she became an exclusive actress for Cristaldi's Vides, starring in several high-profile comedies.

Araya's last prominent appearances were in the epic Hearts and Armour (1983) and in Giuliano Montaldo's all-star sci-fi thriller Control. Araya subsequently withdrew from acting, and has since then been producing movies. She was the Gold Lion Lifetime Achievement winner at the 2011 Venice Film Festival.{{Cite web|title=Actress Zeudi Araya, 2011 Gold Lion Lifetime Achievement winner Marco...|url=https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/actress-zeudi-araya-2011-gold-lion-lifetime-achievement-news-photo/124365735|access-date=2021-02-01|website=Getty Images|date=9 September 2011 |language=en-gb}}

=Personal life=

Araya was married to film producer Franco Cristaldi from 1983 until his death in 1992. Since 1994 she lives with the director {{Interlanguage link|Massimo Spano|it}}, with whom she has a son.