Sophia
Loren (born September 20, 1934) is one of the most famous
Italian actresses of all time, and even at the age of
70 continues to be considered one of the most desirable
women on the planet.
She was born Sofia Villani Scicolone
in Pozzuoli, Italy, the illegitimate daughter of Romilda
Villani and Riccardo Scicolone. She grew up there
in poverty but found her way into small parts in European
films in the early 1950s, often billed as Sofia Lazzaro.
She was "discovered" by her future husband
Carlo Ponti, who produced many of her films. One of
her first major roles was as the titular character
of the 1953 Italian film Due notti con Cleopatra (a.k.a.
Two Nights with Cleopatra). This film, like many of
her other early roles, emphasized her voluptuous physique;
she even appeared topless in a few films (which was
considered acceptable in European cinema at the time,
though said scenes were usually cut out when the films
were distributed in the United Kingdom or in North
America).
Although she had appeared in a bit
part in the Hollywood blockbuster Quo Vadis in 1951,
it was not until 1957's Boy on a Dolphin that Loren
became a major international film star, due in part
to the iconic image of her wearing a water-soaked,
body-clinging dress.
In short order, however, Loren demonstrated
considerable skill as a dramatic and comedic actress,
which gained her respect as being more than just a
sex symbol. Some of her earliest American films included
Desire Under the Elms (based upon the Eugene O'Neill
play), Houseboat (a romantic comedy starring Cary
Grant), and The Black Orchid (a romantic drama co-starring
Anthony Quinn).
By the 1960s, Loren was one of the
most popular actresses in the world, and continued
to make popular films in both America and in Europe.
One of her best-known films of this period was The
Millionairess (1960) which became the subject of much
speculation due to the fact her co-star, Peter Sellers,
became infatuated with the actress and later claimed
to have had an affair with her (a fact she denies).
To promote the film, Loren and Sellers recorded a
best-selling album of comedic songs.
That same year, Loren gave an acclaimed
performance in Italy's Two Women, which earned her
the distinction of being the first actor to win a
major category Academy Award (in her case, Best Actress)
for a non-English language performance.
Loren moved into her 40s and 50s gracefully
and continued to be considered both a fine dramatic
actress and a sex symbol for years, with acclaimed
roles in films such as The Cassandra Crossing and
Robert Altman's Ready to Wear. In 1982, she made headlines
when she served an 18-day prison sentence in Italy
on tax evasion charges but this didn't slow down her
career. In 1980 she had the rare distinction of portraying
herself (as well as her own mother) in a made-for-television
biopic, Sophia Loren: Her Own Story (Ritza Brown and
Chiara Ferrari played younger versions of the actress).
In 1991, Loren received an honorary
Academy Award for her contributions to cinema.
In her 60s, Loren was selective in
her films, but made a well-received appearance in
the 1994 comedy Grumpier Old Men and in 2004 had a
major role in the mini-series, Lives of the Saints.
Loren was portrayed by Sonia Aquino
in the 2004 biopic The Life and Death of Peter Sellers,
as well as by Silvia Vrij in a 1980 film entitled
Dirty Picture.
Notes
Received an Oscar for Best Actress
for the 1960 film Two Women.
Often appeared with Marcello Mastroianni
Her childhood nickname: "Toothpick"
Other notable film roles were: Jimena (Charlton Heston's
love interest) in El Cid; Lucilla in The Fall of the
Roman Empire with Alec Guinness; and Aldonza/Dulcinea
in Man of La Mancha with Peter O'Toole.
Quotes
"Mistakes are a part of
the dues one pays for a full life."
"Sex appeal is 50% what you've got and 50% what
people think you've got."
When asked why she stopped doing nude scenes: "When
Sophia Loren is naked, that is a lot of nakedness."
"A woman's dress should be like a barbed-wire
fence: serving its purpose without obstructing the
view."
"Everything you see I owe to spaghetti."
"Getting ahead in a difficult profession requires
avid faith in yourself. That is why some people with
mediocre talent, but with great inner drive, go much
further than people with vastly superior talent."
"It's a mistake to think that once you're done
with school you need never learn anything new."
"The two big advantages I had at birth were to
have been born wise and to have been born in poverty."
"If you haven't cried, your eyes can't be beautiful."
.
source from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
More Articles..
