Description:
Sophia Loren was born Sofia Villani Scicolone on September 20, 1934 in the Clinica Regina Margherita in Rome, Lazio, Italy, the daughter of Romilda Villani (1914–1991) and Riccardo Scicolone, a construction engineer. Scicolone refused to marry Villani, leaving Romilda, a piano teacher and aspiring actress, without support. Loren's parents had another child together, her sister Anna Maria Villani Scicolone, in 1938.
Loren has two younger paternal half-brothers, Giuliano and Giuseppe. Romilda, Sofia and Maria lived with Loren's grandmother in Pozzuoli, near Naples.
Sophia Loren was born in Rome in 1934, and raised in war-r
Sophia Loren was born Sofia Villani Scicolone on September 20, 1934 in the Clinica Regina Margherita in Rome, Lazio, Italy, the daughter of Romilda Villani (1914–1991) and Riccardo Scicolone, a construction engineer. Scicolone refused to marry Villani, leaving Romilda, a piano teacher and aspiring actress, without support. Loren's parents had another child together, her sister Anna Maria Villani Scicolone, in 1938.
Loren has two younger paternal half-brothers, Giuliano and Giuseppe. Romilda, Sofia and Maria lived with Loren's grandmother in Pozzuoli, near Naples.
Sophia Loren was born in Rome in 1934, and raised in war-ravaged Naples.
Born Sofia Villani Scicolone, 20 September 1934 is an international film star and Italy's most renowned and honored actress. She was Married to Carlo Ponti from April 9, 1966 to January 10, 2007 (his death).
Sophia Loren graduated from the school of hard knocks to become a legendary screen star, one of the most famous women of her generation. She has worked alongside all the movie greats—from Clark Gable and Cary Grant, to Gregory Peck and Richard Burton, from Peter O'Toole to Charlton Heston, from Paul Newman to Marcello Mastroianni, from Peter Ustinov to Peter Sellers.
Her mother, a single parent, struggled to support Sophia and her sister Maria. At 14, Sophia was a runner up in a beauty contest, and enrolled in acting class.
Encouraged to enroll in acting lessons, Loren appeared in several bit parts and minor roles until the late 1950s when Loren's five-picture contract with Paramount launched her international career.
When she was 14 years old, Loren entered the beauty pageant, Miss Italia 1950 and, while not winning, was selected as one of the finalists. Later, she enrolled in acting class and was selected as an extra in Mervyn LeRoy's film Quo Vadis (1951), launching her career as a motion picture actress. Notable film appearances around this time including; Houseboat, That Kind of Woman and It Started in Naples.
QUO VADIS led to other small roles, and soon after she entered another beauty contest. One of the judges was Carlo Ponti, and he became the most important man in Sophia's life: her producer, her husband and the father of her two sons. Carlo knew me better than I knew myself, she has said.
After being credited professionally as Sofia Lazzaro, she began using her current stage name in La Favorita (1952). Her first starring role was in Aida (1953), for which she received critical acclaim.
After playing the lead role in Two Nights with Cleopatra (1953), her breakthrough role was in The Gold of Naples (1954), directed by Vittorio De Sica.
Too Bad She's Bad, also released in 1954, became the first of many films in which Loren co-starred with Marcello Mastroianni. Over the next three years, she acted in many films such as Scandal in Sorrento (1955) and Lucky to Be a Woman (1956). In 1957, Loren's star had begun to rise in Hollywood, with the films Boy on a Dolphin (her US film debut), Legend of the Lost with John Wayne, and The Pride and the Passion in which she starred opposite Cary Grant and Frank Sinatra.
By the late 1950s, Sophia's star was rising in the west—films with BOY ON A DOLPHIN and THE PRIDE AND THE PASSION helped secure a five-picture contract with Paramount Pictures and projects like DEISRE UNDER THE ELMS with Anthony Perkins, HOUSEBOAT with Cary Grant and George Cukor's HELLER IN PINK TIGHTS where she first when blonde.
In 1960, Loren starred in Vittorio De Sica's TWO WOMEN winning the Cannes, Venice and Berlin film festivals top acting award. She also won an Academy Award for Best Actress, the first time this accolade had been given for a performance in a foreign language film. De Sica's strong, gritty story told of a mother and daughter surviving in war torn Italy.
Loren was in huge demand, often for epic subjects—EL CID with Charlton Heston, THE MILLIONAIRESS with Peter Sellers, IT STARTED IN NAPLES with Clark Gable, Peter Ustinov's LADY L with Paul Newman, ARABESQUE with Gregory Peck, and Charlie Chaplin's last film, A COUNTESS FROM HONG KONG with Marlon Brando.
She holds the record for having earned six David di Donatello Awards for Best Actress, the most ever received: Two Women; Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow; Marriage Italian-Style (for which she was nominated for a second Oscar); Sunflower; The Voyage and A Special Day.
As well as an Academy Award, Loren earned a Grammy Award, five special Golden Globes, a BAFTA Award, a Laurel Award as well as the Honorary Academy Award in 1991. In 1995, she received the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievements, one of many such awards.
In 1980, Sophia played herself and her own mother in the made-for-television version of her autobiography. Through the 1990s Loren chose her films and her business enterprises with care—appearing in well received movies like Robert Altman's PRET A PORTER, and the 1995 comedy GRUMPIER OLD MEN as a femme fatale opposite Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon.
In 1991, Loren was awarded an Honorary Academy Award recognizing her contribution to world cinema. In 1993, she presented Federico Fellini with an Honorary Academy Award. In 1998, she presented the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film for Roberto Benigni's LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL.
In 2001, Loren received a Special Grand Prix of the Americas Award at the Montreal World Film Festival for her body of work. She filmed two projects in Canada during this time: the independent film Between Strangers (2002), directed by her son Edoardo and co-starring Mira Sorvino, and the television miniseries Lives of the Saints (2004).
In 2010, Loren played her own mother in a two-part Italian television miniseries about her early life, directed by Vittorio Sindoni, entitled La Mia Casa È Piena di Specchi (translated My House Is Full of Mirrors), based on the memoir written by her sister Maria.[17]
In July 2013, it was reported that Loren was to make her film comeback in an Italian adaptation of Jean Cocteau's 1930 play The Human Voice (La Voce Umana) which charts the breakdown of a woman who is left by her lover – with her youngest son, Edoardo Ponti, as director. Filming is to take under a month during July in various locations in Italy including Rome and Naples. It will be Loren's first significant feature film since the 2009 film – Nine – in which critics received it to mixed reviews.
Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1950 I Am the Capataz Secretary of the Dictator
Barbablu's Six Wives Girl kidnapped
Tototarzan A tarzanide
Il voto A commoner at the Piedigrotta festival
Hearts at Sea Extra Uncredited
1951 White Leprosy A girl in the boardinghouse
Owner of the Vapor Ballerinetta
Milan Billionaire Extra Uncredited
Magician for Force The bride
Quo Vadis Lygia's slave Uncredited
It Was Him!... Yes! Yes! Odalisque
Anna Night club assistant Uncredited
1952 And Arrived the Accordatore Amica di Giulietta
I Dream of Zorro Conchita As Sofia Scicolone
The Favorite Leonora
1953 The Country of Campanelli Bonbon
Pilgrim of Love
We Find Ourselves in the Gallery Marisa
Two Nights with Cleopatra Cleopatra/Nisca
Girls Marked Danger Elvira
Good Folk's Sunday Ines
Aida Aida
Africa Under the Seas Barbara Lama
1954 Neapolitan Carousel Sisina
Un giorno in pretura Anna
The Anatomy of Love The girl
Poverty and Nobility Gemma
The Gold of Naples Sofia Segment "Pizze a Credito"
Attila Honoria
Too Bad She's Bad Lina Stroppiani
1955 The Sign of Venus Agnese Tirabassi
The Miller's Beautiful Wife Carmela
The River Girl Nives Mongolini
Scandal in Sorrento Donna Sofia
1956 Lucky to Be a Woman Antonietta Fallari
1957 Boy on a Dolphin Phaedra
The Pride and the Passion Juana
Legend of the Lost Dita
1958 Desire Under the Elms Anna Cabot
The Key Stella
The Black Orchid Rose Bianco Volpi Cup-Venice Film Festival
Houseboat Cinzia Zaccardi
1959 That Kind of Woman Kay
1960 Heller in Pink Tights Angela Rossini
It Started in Naples Lucia Curio Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
The Millionairess Epifania Parerga
A Breath of Scandal Princess Olympia
Two Women Cesira
Academy Award for Best Actress
BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actress
Bambi Award for Best Actress – International
Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Award
David di Donatello for Best Actress
Nastro d'Argento for Best Actress
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress
Sant Jordi Awards Best Performance in a Foreign Film
1961 El Cid Chimena
Madame Sans-Gêne, a.k.a., "Madame" Catherine Hubscher, known as "Madame Sans-Gêne"
1962 Boccaccio '70 Zoe Segment "La Riffa"
The Prisoners of Altona with Maximillian Schell, Robert Wagner, and Frederic March filmed in Tirrenia, Italy
Five Miles to Midnight Lisa Macklin
1963 Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow Adelina Sbaratti/Anna Molteni/Mara David di Donatello for Best Actress
Nominated — Nastro d'Argento for Best Actress
1964 The Fall of the Roman Empire Lucilla
Marriage Italian-Style Filumena Marturano
David di Donatello for Best Actress
Moscow International Film Festival Award for Best Actress[33]
Golden Laurel Awards for Best Actress, Chile (1st Place)
Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actress
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Nominated — Nastro d'Argento for Best Actress
1965 Operation Crossbow Nora
Lady L Lady Louise Lendale/Lady L
1966 Judith Judith
Arabesque Yasmin Azir
1967 A Countess from Hong Kong Natasha
More Than a Miracle Isabella Candeloro Nominated — Nastro d'Argento for Best Actress
1968 Ghosts - Italian Style Maria Lojacono
1970 Sunflower Giovanna
David di Donatello for Best Actress
Nominated – Fotogramas de Plata Best Foreign Performer
1971 Lady Liberty Maddalena Ciarrapico
The Priest's Wife Valeria Billi
1972 Man of La Mancha Aldonza/Dulcinea
1973 The Sin Hermana Germana
1974 The Voyage Adriana de Mauro
David di Donatello for Best Actress
San Sebastian International Film Festival Best Actress
Verdict Teresa Leoni
Brief Encounter Anna Jesson TV movie(Hallmark hall of fame)
1975 Sex Pot Pupa
1976 The Cassandra Crossing Jennifer Rispoli Chamberlain
1977 A Special Day Antoinette
David di Donatello for Best Actress
Globo d'Oro Award for Best Actress
Nastro d'Argento for Best Actress
1978 Blood Feud Titina Paterno
Brass Target Mara/cameo role
Angela Angela Kincaid
1979 Firepower Adele Tasca
1980 Sophia Loren: Her Own Story herself/Romilda Villani (her mother)
1984 Aurora Aurora Television film
1986 Courage Marianna Miraldo Television film
1988 The Fortunate Pilgrim Lucia Television miniseries
1989 Running Away Cesira TV miniseries(remake of "two women")
1990 Saturday, Sunday and Monday Rosa Priore premiered during the Chicago film festival
1994 Prêt-à-Porter Isabella de la Fontaine
National Board of Review Award for Best Cast
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
1995 Grumpier Old Men Maria Sophia Coletta Ragetti
1997 Soleil (fr) Maman Levy
2001 Francesca e Nunziata Francesca Montorsi TV miniseries
2002 Between Strangers Olivia
2004 Too Much Romance... It's Time for Stuffed Peppers Maria
Lives of the Saints Teresa Innocente TV miniseries
2009 Nine Mamma
Satellite Award for Best Cast – Motion Picture
Nominated — Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Nominated — Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble Cast
2010 My House Is Full of Mirrors Romilda Villani TV miniseries
2011 Cars 2 Mama Topolino voice (in non-English speaking countries)
2013/14 La Voce Umana One-woman film role Short film; currently filming
... (more)
(less)
Tags: Beautiful (81), Gorgeous (76), Actress (60), Italian (25), Brunette (11), Born 1934 (9), Hot (8), Bombshell (7), Pin-up Girl (7), Green Eyes (7), Curves (7), European (6), Female (6), Cat Eyes (6), Killer Curves (6), Italy (5), Legend (5), Oscar Winner (5)
My tags:
Add tags
Login
Italy
Switzerland
40 comments
Actors/Actresses who are in their 80's
Women with viewed 100k+ images
