During her theatrical career she has been directed, among others, by Strehler, Visconti, Ronconi, Harold Pinter, Susan Sontag, Alfredo Arias interpreting with recognized mastery great characters of classical and modern theater.
She has inspired writers such as Ginzburg, Siciliano, Patroni Griffi, Cesare Musatti and Franca Valeri, who created unforgettable protagonists of our scenes for her.
For many years she has also been acting in French language on stages in Paris introducing some of her heroines with great success.
She wrote two plays, Caro Professore and Alcool, which ran for more than 200 performances, and two novels published in France, Rue Ferou and Se souvenir et oublie.
She has participated in over 60 films directed, among others, by Visconti, De Sica, Pasolini, Bertolucci, Bolognini, Brass, Giordana, Techiné and Bunuel.
Her new role as singer has been demonstrated with Stramilano her city in nostalgia music, and Ja das Meer ist blau, poems and songs from Brecht and Weill, shows conceived by her.
For her performances she has won the prize Ennio Flaiano, three Maschere d’oro, four Nastri d’argento, the David di Donatello, the Grolla d’oro, the Premio De Sica and the Ciak d’oro. Since 2004, she is Grande Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana.
In 2009 Robert Wilson directed her in Happy Days by Samuel Beckett.
In 2011 she was awarded the title of Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et de Lettres.
In 2014 she has been Alice in The Dance of Death by August Strindberg directed by Luca Ronconi. In 2017, Adriana Asti talks about herself in the show Memorie di Adriana, drawn from the book Ricordare e dimenticare, conversazione tra Adriana Asti e René De Ceccatty, directed by Andrée Ruth Shammah, and in 2018 she plays the role of Donna Fabia in the film and installation by Marco Tullio Giordana, based on the poem by Carlo Porta.