Elisabetta Canalis
ItalyElizabeth Canalis Biography
Elizabeth Canalis is an Italian actress, dancer, and model. She was born on September 12, 1978, in Sassari, a major city in the Italian island of Sardinia. Her father worked at the University of Sassari clinic, while her mother was a teacher. Elizabeth grew up with her brother Luigi Canalis.
Education and Career
Elizabeth received her secondary education in Sassari, a city known for its university traditions dating back to the 16th century. After completing her secondary education, she moved to Milan to study foreign languages and literature at the University of Milan, also known as Statale di Milano.
In Milan, Canalis began attending various castings and auditions. She participated in the auditions for the film "Il pesce innamorato" (The Love Fish, 1999) directed by Leonardo Pieraccioni. From 1999 to 2002, Elizabeth worked as a dancer on the television program "Striscia la notizia" on the Italian channel Canale 5.
Acting and Modeling Career
In 2003, Canalis posed for the "Max" calendar. She landed small roles in the comedy film "Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo" (2005) and the romantic historical comedy "Virgin Territory" (2007). In 2005, she replaced Swiss actress and model Michelle Hunziker in the second season of the sitcom "Love Bugs."
Elizabeth was offered to be one of the hosts of the annual music festival "Festivalbar" in 2007. In 2009, she replaced Elena Santarelli in the Italian version of the MTV series "Total Request Live." The following year, she appeared in the third season of the TNT series "Leverage," portraying a mysterious high-ranking Italian character in five episodes.
In February 2011, Elizabeth Canalis unexpectedly performed at the Sanremo Music Festival in Italy with Gianni Morandi and Belen Rodriguez. In June of the same year, she participated in a photoshoot for the Spanish version of "Vogue," and in September, she appeared in the Arabic edition of "Harper's Bazaar."
She also competed in the 13th season of "Dancing with the Stars," partnering with professional dancer Valentin Chmerkovskiy. They were eliminated from the competition on September 27, 2011.
Personal Life
For almost two years, Elizabeth Canalis dated American film star George Clooney, but they ended their relationship in June 2011. She then became engaged to American actor and model Mehcad Brooks, but their relationship came to an end in December 2011. Currently, she is in a relationship with British-born American actor and rapper Stephen Gilchrist Glover, better known as Steve-O.
