Lorenza Francesca Izzo Parsons (/ləˈrɛnzə ˈɪz/;[1][2] Spanish: [loˈɾensa ˈiso];[3] born September 19, 1989)[4] is a Chilean actress and model. She has appeared in films, including Aftershock (2012), The Green Inferno (2013), Knock Knock (2015), and Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019).

Lorenza Izzo
Izzo in 2019
Born
Lorenza Francesca Izzo Parsons

(1989-09-19) September 19, 1989 (age 35)
Alma mater
Occupations
  • Actress
  • model
Years active2011–present
Spouse
(m. 2014; div. 2019)
Sophie Tabet
(m. 2023)

Early life

edit

Izzo was born in Santiago, Chile,[5] to Chilean model Rosita Parsons [es].[4] She is of Italian descent on her father's side. She has a younger sister, Clara Lyon Parsons, who is a model as well.[6] When she was twelve, she moved to Atlanta with her father, who was working towards a Ph.D. at Georgia Institute of Technology. She was bullied over her strong Chilean accent, but said she "got over [her] accent pretty fast" after watching the 2002 sports film Blue Crush several times. She recalls becoming "obsessed with Blue Crush star Kate Bosworth."[5]

Career

edit

In 2007, Izzo was modeling and studying journalism at the University of the Andes (Universidad de los Andes) when she moved to New York City to study acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.[7]

In 2010, she made her acting debut in Instrucciones para mi funeral (Instructions for my Funeral), an independent film made by Sebastián Radic as a graduation project.[8]

Izzo's modeling career reached its peak in 2011 when she and her mother were invited to São Paulo Fashion Week, where they met Gisele Bundchen. It resulted in Izzo becoming the new face of Colcci, a Brazilian fashion company.[7] That year, Izzo appeared in Que pena tu boda [es] (Sorry About Your Wedding) a comedy by Chilean director Nicolás López.[9]

In 2012, with one commercial feature movie to her name and three more about to be released—Que pena tu familia (What a Pity About Your Family), Aftershock, and The Green Inferno (directed by her then-future husband, now ex-husband, Eli Roth)—Izzo moved to Los Angeles, when she soon secured small roles in Hemlock Grove and the failed television pilot I Am Victor.[10]

In 2015, Izzo starred with Keanu Reeves and Ana de Armas in Knock Knock. Her second horror film directed by Eli Roth, it was filmed in Santiago's Chicureo neighbourhood.[11]

Personal life

edit

On November 8, 2014, Izzo married American actor and director Eli Roth on the beach of Zapallar, Chile.[12] They were introduced by mutual friend and director Nicolás López during the production of 2012's Aftershock.[5][13] López was unaware Izzo could speak English, and she originally had a small role in the film. When he learned she could speak English fluently, Roth cast her in the lead, where they "spent the whole shooting process together". She attributes the start of their relationship to "the randomness of the world".[5] They filed for divorce in July 2018; it was finalized in August 2019.[14]

Izzo publicly came out as pansexual in an online interview with actress Emily Hampshire for the 2020 Pride Month.[15]

In 2023, Izzo married her girlfriend, writer and director Sophie Tabet.[16]

Filmography

edit

Film

edit
Year Title Role Notes
2011 Qué pena tu boda Lucia Edwards
2012 Qué pena tu familia Lucia Edwards
2012 Aftershock Kylie
2013 The Green Inferno Justine
2014 The Stranger Ana
2014 Sex Ed Pilar
2015 Knock Knock Genesis
2016 Holidays Jean
2018 Life Itself Elena
2018 The House with a Clock in Its Walls Mrs. Barnavelt
2019 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Francesca Capucci
2019 Where We Go from Here Iris
2021 Women Is Losers Celina
2022 The Aviary Blair
2022 Confess, Fletch Angela
TBA Stone Cold Fox Filming

Television

edit
Year Title Role Notes
2013 Hemlock Grove Brooke Bluebell Guest role; 2 episodes
2013 I Am Victor Lena Engles Television film
2016 Feed the Beast Pilar Herrera Main role; 10 episodes
2017 Dimension 404 Val Hernandez / SpeedRun Episode: "Impulse"
2018 Casual Tathiana Supporting role; 6 episodes
2020 Penny Dreadful: City of Angels Santa Muerte Supporting role; 5 episodes
2021–24 Hacks Ruby 7 episodes
2022 Panhandle Vida Perez Prescott Main role; 8 episodes

Awards and nominations

edit
Year Price Category Work Result
2011 Copihue de Oro TV model Herself Nominated
2014 BloodGuts UK Horror Best actress The Green Inferno Nominated

References

edit
  1. ^ "Win a "Horrorfying" Day with Eli Roth!". Prizeo. August 19, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  2. ^ "Lorenza Izzo - Chile's hottest export". American Latino. LATV. October 17, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  3. ^ "#BOBBIGIRLS MAKEUP VIDEOS - LORENZA IZZO". Bobbi Brown. July 25, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Figueroa, Nicolás (October 10, 2016). "Rosita Parsons y éxito de su hija Lorenza Izzo: "Es la única chilena que ha logrado eso a esta edad"". Teletrece (in Spanish). Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  5. ^ a b c d Nordstrom, Leigh (June 2, 2016). "Meet Lorenza Izzo of AMC's 'Feed the Beast'". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  6. ^ Cata Greloni Pierri (November 12, 2020). "Clara Lyon Parsons: clear voice" (in Spanish). L'Officiel. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Once Upon a Time…in Chile: How Lorenza Izzo made her own path and landed in Hollywood". Miami Magazine. July 24, 2019.
  8. ^ "At the end of the month, Rosita Parsons' daughter debuts in the cinema". La Tercera (in Spanish). October 13, 2010.
  9. ^ Amanda Stern (October 5, 2015). "Lorenza Izzo interview". Interview magazine.
  10. ^ Collinson, Gary (April 10, 2017). "Bond screenwriters adapting Jo Nesbo's I Am Victor for director Baltasar Kormakur". Flickering Myth. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  11. ^ Plant, Isabel (May 11, 2014). "Keanu Reeves termina la filmación de su película Knock Knock en Chile". La Tercera. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  12. ^ Corriston, Michele (November 10, 2014). "Eli Roth Marries Lorenza Izzo". People. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  13. ^ McLevy, Alex (October 9, 2015). "Eli Roth and Lorenza Izzo talk Knock Knock, The Green Inferno, and PC filmmaking". The A.V. Club. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  14. ^ "Eli Roth Settles Divorce, Walks Away Relatively Unscathed". The Blast. August 20, 2019. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
  15. ^ "#HumpdayWithHampshire- PRIDE Episode- Emily Hampshire & Lorenza Izzo SHORT". YouTube. July 29, 2020.
  16. ^ "Lorenza Izzo Marries Girlfriend Sophie Tabet, Reveals Beautiful Photos From Their Wedding Day (View Pics) | 🎥 LatestLY". LatestLY. March 10, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
edit