Crossword Genius

Actress unknown to faceless man (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

lorenzo

'man' is the definition.

'actress unknown to faceless' is the wordplay.
'actress' becomes 'Loren' (Sophia Loren).
'unknown' becomes 'z' (represents an unknown value in algebra).
'faceless' means to remove the first letter.
'to' with its first letter removed is 'o'.
'loren'+'z'+'o'='LORENZO'

(Other definitions for lorenzo that I've seen before include "Florentine ruler, -- de' Medici, the Magnificent" , "Venetian lover" , "He loves Jessica (M. of V.)" , "lover of Jessica" , "Italian" .)

I've seen this clue in The Daily Express.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app