( CNN ) Anita Ekberg , the Swedish-born actress whose role in `` La Dolce Vita '' made her into an international symbol of sensuality , died in Italy on Sunday . Her death was widely reported in Italian media , citing complications from a longtime illness . She was 83 . Ekberg died in the country that made her an international star thanks to her turn as Sylvia , Marcello Mastroianni 's unattainable dream woman the 1960 Federico Fellini classic . However , she was often quoted as saying that Fellini owed his fame to her , not the other way around . A scene from `` La Dolce Vita '' of her bathing in Rome 's Trevi fountain , clad in a black gown with a plunging neckline , cemented her sex symbol status , a designation she would later refer to as a `` handicap . '' American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan also immortalized Ekberg in the song `` I Shall Be Free . '' Born in Malmo , Sweden , in 1931 , Ekberg 's road to stardom began in 1950 , when she represented Sweden in the Miss Universe competition , according to internet movie database IMDb . She did not win , but she landed a modeling contract in the United States , where she posed for Playboy and American pinup magazines . She landed Hollywood roles over the next decade that played on her beauty and her voluptuous figure . She appeared in the comedy `` Abbott and Costello Go to Mars '' as a guard on the planet Venus . She also appeared in two comedies with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis , `` Artists and Models '' and `` Hollywood or Bust , '' and another with Bob Hope , `` Paris Holiday . '' She made Italy her home after her breakthrough role , where she continued to pursue a career in TV and film , though she drew more attention for her personal life , which included two marriages . She was absent from the public eye in recent years . According to Italian media , she had grown destitute over the years , with little financial recourse when she became began suffering the setbacks of old age . People we lost in 2015 .
Swedish-born actress Anita Ekberg died Sunday in Italy , her adopted home . She often said that `` La Dolce Vita '' director Federico Fellini owed his success to her .