Maria Riva, the one little one of movie icon Marlene Dietrich and an actress in her personal proper, has died, her son confirmed to TheWrap. She was 100.
Per Peter Riva, the actress handed away from pure causes on Wednesday whereas at his house in Gila, New Mexico. She was set to show 101 in December.
“We will all miss Maria’s intelligence, recommendation and depth of human understanding,” Riva’s son wrote in an announcement. “The household is comforted figuring out that she now goes to hitch her husband of 50 years, William, and her eldest son Michael and her dad and mom, Marlene and Rudi.”
He added: “It’s with disappointment that we as a household have had to face our mom’s eventual passing, for she was at all times the one individual all of us may at all times rely on being there — at all times prepared with meals, heat, recommendation and love, which had been her truest items to all of the lives that she touched.”
Born Maria Elisabeth Sieber on December 13, 1924 in Berlin, Riva was the one little one of Dietrich and Rudolf Sieber, an editor/assistant director. She adopted in her mom’s footsteps, enjoying the youthful model of Dietrich in Josef von Sternberg’s 1934 movie “The Scarlet Empress.” She landed just a few different roles earlier than starting her appearing coaching at 15 on the Max Reinhardt Academy.
Riva briefly married Dean Goodman in 1943, earlier than divorcing him and marriage ceremony scenic designer William Riva in 1947. They’d 4 youngsters collectively.
Throughout this time, Riva was signed to CBS as a contract participant, and went on to seem in various tasks, together with “Lux Video Theatre,” “Hallmark Corridor of Fame,” and “Studio One.” She was nominated for the Greatest Actress Emmy award in each 1952 and 1953.
The truth is, Riva notably starred reverse Hollywood legends like Rod Steiger, Omar Sharif, Paul Newman, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. She additionally labored with producers Dick Donner, John Frankenheimer and others.
Nevertheless, Riva selected to retire on the peak of her appearing profession, selecting to turn into the supervisor for her mom — earlier than pursing a profitable profession as a biographer and writer.
Her 1992 biography about her mom, titled “Marlene Dietrich,” was met with favorable critiques and located itself on the New York Occasions Greatest Vendor record. Riva launched her first novel, “You Had been There Earlier than My Eyes: A Novel,” on the age of 91 in 2017.
She is survived by her sons, Peter, Paul and David, grandchildren Matthew, Sean, Samantha, William, Michael Jr., Adam, Daniel, and 4 nice grandchildren Lily, Ayla and Aidan and Marilee. Riva’s first son, J. Michael Riva, predeceased her in 2012 after struggling a stroke.
