Moira Orfei, stage name of Miranda Orfei, was an Italian circus, actress and television personality, considered the queen of Italian circus art.
She performed as a horsewoman already at the age of 6 and together with the young cousins Liana Orfei and Graziella Orfei she became one of the main attractions; she is also cousin of Nando Orfei. Over time Moira has become the very symbol of the circus in Italy, bringing the Orfei circus with the strength and help of the family to be known and appreciated also in the world. The Circus of Moira Orfei was founded in 1960 and Moira has followed her scenes as a horsewoman, trapeze artist, acrobat, tamer of elephants and trainer of doves. Her kitsch image, mirror of her eccentric and exuberant personality, was recommended to her by Dino De Laurentiis, who also suggested that she change her name. Initially, in fact, it had to be simply Mora because of her complexion and above all the dark eyes and the raven hair, but an i was added to make it become more exotic.
Since then Moira's face has become like an effigy with unchanged characteristics: heavy makeup with eyes circled by the eyeliner, bright lipstick, a mole accentuated above the lip, hair gathered like a turban. By wallpapering the city where her circus stops with her photo, she has become one of the most recognized faces in Italy. In addition to the triumphs on the circus platform, over the years she has also cultivated a second passion, born almost by chance, as a film actress, coming to interpret forty films.
