Giorgio Strehler, with whom she had a long lasting relationship, Franco Zeffirelli, Luchino Visconti and Patrice Chéreau. In 1980, she married industrialist Carlo De Angeli. Her last film was Zeffirelli's 1993 Sparrow. Cortese died on 10 July 2019, aged 96. In 2017, Francesco Patierno documented her life in the film Diva!, based on her 2012 autobiography Quanti sono i domani passati ("How many tomorrows have gone by"). Selected filmography L'orizzonte dipinto (1941) L'attore scomparso (1941) The Hero of Venice (1941) – Alina First Love (1941) – Nerina Redi Girl of the Golden West (1942) – Madge / Juanita The Jester's Supper (1942) – Lisabetta The Queen of Navarre (1942) – Eleonora d'Austria Soltanto un bacio (1942) – Maria Renda / Luisa Renda Orizzonte di sangue (1942) – Lidia Quarta pagina (1942) – Valentina, la sua segretaria Happy Days (1942) – Marianna 4 ragazze sognano (1943) – Enrichetta Dorlence La carica degli eroi (1943) Nessuno torna indietro (1945) – Valentina The Ten Commandments (1945) – (segment "Non nominare il nome di Dio invano") Chi l'ha visto? (1945) – Luisella Roma città libera (1946) – La ragazza A Yank in Rome (1946) – Maria, La maestrina Bullet for Stefano (1947) – Barbara The Courier of the King (1947) – Louise de Renal Les Misérables (1948) – Fantine and Cosette The Wandering Jew (1948) – Esther Crossroads of Passion (1948) – Maria Pilar The Glass Mountain (1949) – Alida Black Magic (1949) – Zoraida Thieves' Highway (1949) – Rica Malaya (1949) – Luana Women Without Names (1950) – Anna Petrovic the Jugoslav Shadow of the Eagle (1950) – Elizabeth, Princess Tarakanova The Rival of the Empress (1951) – Principessa Tarakanova The House on Telegraph Hill (1951) – Victoria Kowelska Secret People (1952) – Maria Lulu (1953) – Lulù Jealousy (1953) – Agrippina (voice, uncredited) The Walk (1953) – Lisa Angels of Darkness (1954) – Vally Marriage (1954) – Natalia Stefanovna Chubukova Avanzi di galera (1954) – Moglie di Luprandi The Barefoot Contessa (1954) – Eleanora Torlato-Favrini Adriana Lecouvreur (1955) – Adriana Lecouvreur Le Amiche (1955) – Nene Il conte Aquila (1955) – Teresa Casati Faccia da mascalzone (1956) Magic Fire (1956) – Mathilde Wesendonk The Rocket from Calabuch (1956) – Eloisa, the Schoolmistress Dimentica il mio passato (1957) Kean – Genio e sregolatezza (1957) – Fanny (uncredited) Amore a prima vista (1958) Love and Troubles (1958) – Marisa Square of Violence (1961) –