She was born in the Italian colony of Libya, where she spent her first years in Tripoli and later moved to Rome after World War II. She still lives in Italy, in Dubino (Sondrio province), together with the famous mountain climber, explorer and journalist Walter Bonatti.

Podestà's most memorable role was as Helen in Helen of Troy, produced by Robert Wise in 1956. She could not speak English so she learned her lines by rote with a voice coach. The movie gave Podestà international exposure, and she performed alongside a young Brigitte Bardot.

Podestà also worked in the movie Ulisse, directed by Mario Camerini, and in the sixties and seventies she acted in some romantic movies, including Paolo il caldo and Il prete sposato. Her last performance was in 1985's Segreti segreti, directed by Giuseppe Bertolucci.

She married and then divorced movie producer Marco Vicario.