Fellini's muse and Italian film icon Sandra Milo dies at 90

Sandra Milo, an icon of Italian cinema who played a key role in Federico Fellini’s “8½” and later became his muse, died Monday, her family said. She was 90.

Milo, noted for her distinctive high-pitched voice, died in her sleep at home in Rome, surrounded by her family and beloved dogs Jim and Lady, according to a statement from the family carried by state-run RAI television.

“Ciao Diva!” the Venice Biennale posted on social media, calling Milo an “unforgettable and versatile” actor both in comedy and drama.

Born Elena Salvatrice Greco, Milo had her break in Roberto Rossellini’s 1959 film “Il generale Della Rovere (General Della Rovere).” She went onto star with some of the greats of Italy’s post-war film industry, including Alberto Sordi and Marcello Mastroianni, with whom she appeared in the Oscar-winning “8½.”