Moira Orfei (Italian pronunciation: [ˈmɔira orˈfɛi]; 21 December 1931 – 15 November 2015), a.k.a. Miranda Orfei, was a popular Italian actress and television personality. Moira was considered the queen of the Italian circus.

Spouse:

Walter Nones (1961 – 2015; her death)

Children:

Stefano Orfei
Lara Orfei

Parents:

Riccardo Orfei
Violetta Arata

Biography

Raised in a family who owned the circus company Circus Orfei, Moira became the symbol of circus in Italy and attained international fame. The Circus Moira Orfei itself was founded in 1960. Moira has been photographed in various scenes as a rider, trapeze artist, acrobat, dominatrice of elephants and trainer of doves.

Moira's excessively garish image mirrors her eccentric and exuberant personality. It was Dino De Laurentiis who suggested that she change her name from Miranda to Moira. From then on, Moira's face became an effigy of unchanging characteristics: heavy make-up with eyes coated with eyeliner, bright lipstick, an accentuated mole above the lip, hair tied in a turban. Promotional billboards were carpeted with this picture in every city that the circus stopped. As a result, Moira has become one of the most recognized faces in Italy.

Almost by chance, Moira also became a film actress, acting in over forty films, from comedies to sword and sandal films (among which were many Italian crime films). It has been said that if Moira had studied drama she could have been good as Sophia Loren.

Moira's parents were Riccardo Orfei and Violetta Arata. She married Walter Nones and they had two children Stefano Orfei and Lara Orfei.

On 4 August 2006 Moira Orfei had an Ischemic stroke during a show in Gioiosa Ionica. The artist was still under medical care when she died on 15 November 2015 in Brescia, Italy.