Barbara Steele (born December 29, 1937) is a British actress celebrated as one of horror cinema's most iconic and enigmatic stars. Her brooding beauty and electrifying screen presence defined Italian Gothic horror in the 1960s, beginning with Mario Bava's landmark Black Sunday (La maschera del demonio). Steele went on to star in classic films such as The Pit and the Pendulum, An Angel for Satan, and Nightmare Castle, earning a devoted following across Europe and America. Her haunting, otherworldly quality made her a muse for horror auteurs and the undisputed queen of Italian Gothic cinema.