Maria Riva BiographyMariaMaria Riva (December 13, 1924 – October 29, 2025) was an American actress, author, and the only child of screen legend Marlene Dietrich. She was a prominent personality in the early days of American television and is known for her best-selling, candid memoir about her mother.
Early Life and Education
Born Maria Elisabeth Sieber in Berlin, Germany, she was the daughter of actress Marlene Dietrich and assistant director Rudolf Sieber. She moved with her mother to Los Angeles at age five. Her education primarily consisted of governesses, though she did briefly attend the Brillantmont International School in Switzerland, where actress Gene Tierney was her roommate. She made her film debut as the child version of her mother’s character in the 1934 film The Scarlet Empress.
Career
Riva had a varied career across stage, television, and film:
- Television: She was a prominent star during the 1950s live television era, appearing in over 500 live teleplays for CBS programs like Studio One and Hallmark Hall of Fame. She received two Emmy Award nominations for Best Actress in 1952 and 1953.
- Stage: She performed with a USO troupe during World War II and appeared on Broadway in plays such as Foolish Notion(1945) and The Burning Glass (1954).
- Film: After retiring from acting in 1962 to help organize her mother’s one-woman shows, she occasionally took on roles, most notably as the wife of Robert Mitchum’s character in the 1988 film Scrooged.
Author and Memoirist
Riva gained significant recognition as an author, particularly for her 1992 New York Times best-selling memoir, Marlene Dietrich: The Life. Published shortly after Dietrich’s death, the book provided an unvarnished and often critical look at her mother’s life and the costs of her fame. She also contributed to other books about her mother and published her first novel, You Were There Before My Eyes, in 2017.
Personal Life
Riva was married twice: briefly to actor Dean Goodman (1943-1944), and then to scene designer William Riva from 1947 until his death in 1999. They had four sons, including the late Oscar-nominated production designer J. Michael Riva.
Maria Riva died in her sleep at the age of 100 on October 29, 2025, at her son’s home in Gila, New Mexico.
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