Sofia Villani Scicolone, better known as Sophia loren is an award-winning Italian actress Oscar Y Golden Globe.
Sophia was born on September 20, 1934 and is the illegitimate daughter of the engineer Riccardo scicolone and from the piano teacher Romilda Villani. He grew up in Pozzuoli (near Naples) during World War II.
Loren began his acting career in the early 1950s, with small roles in Italian films. At that time, he acted as an extra along with his mother in the movie “Quo Vadis” starring Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr Y Peter Ustinov, which was filmed in Rome.
She also worked as a model in weekly fotonovelas (fotoromanzi), credited as Sofia Villani or Sofia Lazzaro. She was a model in several beauty contests, where she won several awards and met her future husband, Carlo Ponti, a film producer, with whom, despite being 22 years apart, she married on September 17, 1957. Together they would have two children, Carlo Ponti Jr. Y Edoardo Ponti. The marriage was temporarily annulled to avoid a legal claim against Ponti after accusing him of bigamy, and they remarried in 1966.
Carlo Ponti He became her mentor and made her one of the most important personalities in film history. From that change in your situation, Ponti made her participate in irregular films, although of some impact at the time, as is the case of “Man or devil“(1953), from Pietro Francisci. Then he starred “The thief, her father and the taxi driver“(1955), from Alejandro Blasetti.
His career began to take off when he met, in 1954, Vittorio De Sica Y Marcello mastroianni. By the second half of the 1950s, Loren was popular in Hollywood, starring in movies along with Frank Sinatra Y Cary grant. Loren signed a contract for five films with the studios Paramount. Among his works from this time are “I wish under the elms” with Anthony Perkins, “Cynthia” with Cary grant; Y “Heller in Pink Tights“, with Anthony Quinn.
Sophia Loren earned the respect of the audience for her participation in dramas and comedies, especially in Italian projects, where she was freer to express herself.
In 1960, his performance in “Two women“(“La Ciociara“), from Vittorio de Sica, gave her several awards, including best actress at the Cannes, Berlin and Venice festivals. In addition, he won the award for that performance Oscar as best actress, being the first person to win it with a performance in a language other than English.
Despite her typical appearance of a beautiful actress, but hollow head, Loren she was renowned for her intelligence and sharpness. One of his most frequently used sayings refers to his diet: “Everything they see, I owe it to the spaghetti“. Her beauty made her one of the sex symbols of the 60s, at the height of stars like Marilyn monroe, Brigitte bardot Y Jane fonda. She was close friends with actor Cary Grant.
In the late sixties and during the seventies he worked on a series of Italian films that were well received by the public. His films are from the ’70s “The bridge of Cassandra” next to Richard Harris Y Martin Sheen; Y “A particular day” with Marcello mastroianni.
In 1980, Sophia loren she had the rare privilege of acting as herself and as her mother, in the biographical film for television. The film was based on his autobiographical book titled Sophia: her own story.
His name made headlines around the world in 1982 for extra-artistic reasons, as he received an 18-day jail sentence for tax evasion.
Already in his sixties, Loren She was more selective in her roles, and also ventured into other types of businesses, publishing cookbooks, advertising glasses, jewelry and perfumes, being the first actress to launch her own fragrance. He acted in the movie “Ready-to-wear“, from Robert Altman, and in comedy “Discord on demand“, With Walter Matthau Y Jack Lemmon.
His latest work, still in filming, is the movie “Nine“based on a script by Federico Fellini, where Sophia stars as the mother of a film director (Daniel day lewis) who has problems with all the women in his life (his mother, his wife, his lover and his protégé). They also act Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz Y Judi Dench. Its premiere is scheduled for the end of 2009.
Sophia loren She was the great diva of European cinema and the prototype of Mediterranean beauty, but also a woman who knew how to travel a path that led her from sympathetic vulgarity to being considered a great lady of the world of cinema.
In 1991, he received a Oscar honorary for his contribution to the world of cinema, and was declared one of the world treasures of cinema.
In 1997 he was awarded the Order of “Knight of the Republic”From the hands of Italian President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, which obliterated the years in which she was tried and even imprisoned for currency evasion.