Top 8 Actresses Who Took on the Role of Mary Magdalene (4 of 5)

6. Maria Grazia Cucinotta — Maria Maddalena (2000, TV miniseries)

Maria Grazia Cucinotta was teased in school for her large breasts and had even scheduled breast reduction surgery when she was 19, as she had been told they weren’t suitable for a modeling career, but she ultimately cancelled the procedure. Fortunately, she was able to get work as a showgirl and from there got a few minor roles in Italian television before being cast in 1994’s critically acclaimed dramedy Il Postino, which won an Oscar and was nominated for 4 more, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Adapted Screen Play. She played Maria Magdalene in the Italian TV miniseries Maria Maddalena.

7. Debra Messing— Jesus (1999, TV film)

Most people remember Debra Messing for her role as Grace Adler in the hugely popular American sitcom Will & Grace, for which she was nominated for nine Golden Globes and five Emmy Awards. She was also nominated for several awards for the TV mini-series The Starter Wife. She portrayed Mary Magdalene in the two-part TV movie Jesus, which aired in Italy in 1999 and in the US in 2000.