Maria Schneider (actress) miniseries "Jesus of Nazareth" (1979), in which Schneider said she did not feel right for the part of Mary, mother of Jesus, though later regretted missing out on this opportunity and instead eventually appeared in Zeffirelli's 1996 film "Jane Eyre" in a brief appearance as Bertha Mason. The 1970s were turbulent years for Schneider, marked by drug addiction, overdoses, and a suicide attempt. Schneider said that she disliked the instant fame accorded to her from "Last Tango in Paris". She suffered abuse and began taking drugs. By the 1980s, however, her life had improved: Schneider died of breast cancer on
Maria Caserini Maria Caserini Maria Caserini (née Gasperini; 24 July 1884 – 15 April 1969) was an Italian stage and film actress, as well as a pioneer of filmmaking during the early 20th-century. She often starred in adaptations of stage and film productions for the works of William Shakespeare. Born in Milan, she started acting in stage productions at a young age. Her first film was in 1906, in what is believed to be the earliest film adaptation of Shakespeare's "Othello", titled "Otello", which was directed by her husband, Mario Caserini. She appeared in a film adaptation of "Romeo and Juliet" in