Sophia Loren Profile
Sophia Loren
from the trailer for Five Miles to Midnight (1962)
Born Sofia Villani Scicolone September 20, 1934 (1934-09-20) (age 73) Rome, Italy
Other name(s) Sofia Lazzaro Sofia Scicolone
Spouse(s) Carlo Ponti (1957-1962, 1966-2007)
Official website
Awards won
Academy Awards
Best Actress 1961 Two Women Academy Honorary Award 1991 Lifetime Achievement
BAFTA Awards
Best Actress in a Leading Role 1961 Two Women
César Awards
Honorary César 1991 Lifetime Achievement
Golden Globe Awards
Cecil B. DeMille Award 1995 Lifetime Achievement
Grammy Awards
Best Spoken Word Album for Children /2004 Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf/Beintus
Other Awards
Volpi Cup for Best Actress 1958 The Black Orchid NYFCC Award for Best Actress 1961 Two Women Best Actress Award - Cannes Film Festival 1961 Two Women NBR Award for Best Cast 1994 Prêt-à-Porter Career Golden Lion 1998 Lifetime Achievement
Sophia Loren (born September 20, 1934) is an Academy Award winning Italian film actress. She is widely considered to be the most popular Italian actress of her time. She is also famous for having once been a major sex symbol.
Contents
1 Early life 2 Career
2.1 International fame 2.2 Musical career 2.3 Later career 2.4 Current Activities
3 Filmography 4 Notes 5 References 6 External links
Early life Sophia was born Sofia Villani Scicolone at the Clinica Regina Margherita in Rome on September 20, 1934 to Riccardo Scicolone and Romilda Villani. Riccardo refused to marry Romilda, leaving her, a piano teacher and aspiring actress without support. Romilda, Sofia and sister Maria returned to Pozzuoli, near Naples, to live with Sofia's grandmother in order to survive. She would eventually change her name to Sophia Loren. During WWII the harbor and munitions plant in Pozzuoli were a frequent bombing target. During one raid, as Sophia ran to the shelter she was struck by shrapnel and wounded in the chin. Subsequently the family moved to Naples and begged distant relatives to take them in. After the war, Sophia and her family returned to Pozzuoli. Grandmother Luisa opened their living room as a pub selling homemade cherry liquor. Romilda played the piano, Maria sang and the shy Sophia waited tables and washed dishes. The place was very popular with the American GIs stationed nearby. When she was 14 years old Sophia entered a beauty contest in Naples and, while not winning, was selected as one of the finalists. Later she enrolled in acting class and was selected as an extra in the Mervyn LeRoy film, Quo Vadis, thus launching her career as a motion picture actress.
Career By the late 1950s, Loren's star had begun to rise in Hollywood, with films such as 1957's Boy on a Dolphin and The Pride and the Passion in which she co-starred with Frank Sinatra and Cary Grant. Grant, reportedly, fell so deeply in love with Loren that he ardently proposed marriage, despite her obvious loyalty to Carlo Ponti and Grant's own union with actress and writer Betsy Drake. It is possible that Loren had an affair with Grant but how serious their relationship was is now known only to her. Stargazers and celebrity biographers consider the putative Loren-Grant romance to be one of the more mysterious and elusive romantic involvements in Hollywood history.
International fame Loren became an international film star with a five-picture contract with Paramount Pictures. Among her films at this time: Desire Under the Elms with Anthony Perkins, based upon the Eugene O'Neill play; Houseboat, a romantic comedy co-starring Cary Grant; and George Cukor's Heller in Pink Tights in which she appeared with blonde hair (a wig) for the first time. Loren demonstrated considerable dramatic skills and attracted respect as a dramatic and comedic actress, especially in Italian projects where she could express herself more freely, although she acquired great proficiency in English. In 1960, her acclaimed performance in Vittorio De Sica's Two Women earned many awards, including the Cannes, Venice and Berlin Film Festivals' best performance prizes. Her performance was also awarded an Academy Award for Best Actress, the first major Academy Award for a non-English-language performance. Initially, the stark, gritty story of a mother and daughter surviving in war-torn Italy was to cast Anna Magnani as Sophia's mother. Negotiations, perhaps due to billing, broke down and the screenplay was rewritten to make Sophia the mother; Eleonora Brown portrayed the daughter. Belying the typical portrayal of the beautiful actress as vacuous and emptyheaded, Loren was known for her sharp wit and insight. One of her most frequently-quoted sayings is her quip about her famously-voluptuous figure: "Everything you see, I owe to spaghetti." During the 1960s Loren was one of the most popular actresses in the world, and she continued to make films in both the U.S. and Europe, acting with leading male stars. In 1964, her career reached its zenith when she received $1 million to act in The Fall of the Roman Empire. Among her best-known films of this period are The Millionairess (1960) with Peter Sellers, It Started in Naples with Clark Gable (1960), Vittorio De Sica’s triptych Ieri, oggi, domani (1963) with Marcello Mastroianni, Peter Ustinov's Lady L (1965) with Paul Newman, the 1966 classic Arabesque with Gregory Peck, and Charlie Chaplin's final film, A Countess from Hong Kong (1967) with Marlon Brando. Despite the failure of many of her films to generate sales at the box office, she has an impressive roster of credits and work with famous co-stars. Invariably, she has turned in a charming performance and worn some of the most lavish costumes ever created for the movies. Some of her most attractive performances include A Breath of Scandal (1960), Madame Sans-Gêne (1962), Heller in Pink Tights (1960) and More Than A Miracle (1967).
Musical career Loren also recorded well over two dozen songs throughout her career, including a best-selling album of comedic songs with Peter Sellers; reportedly, she had to fend off his romantic advances. It was partly owing to Sellers' infatuation with Loren that he split with his first wife, Anne Howe. Loren has made it clear to numerous biographers that Sellers' affections were reciprocated only platonically. This collaboration was covered in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers where actress Sonia Aquino portrayed Loren. It is said that the song Where Do You Go To (My Lovely) by Peter Sarstedt was inspired by Sofia Loren.
Later career Once she achieved motherhood, Loren worked less. She moved into her 40's and 50's with roles in films including the last De Sica movie, The Voyage, with Richard Burton and Ettore Scola's A Special Day with Mastroianni. In 1980, she portrayed herself, as well as her mother, in a made-for-television biopic adaptation of her autobiography. Actresses, Ritza Brown and Chiara Ferrari played Loren at younger ages. She made headlines in 1982 when she served an 18-day prison sentence in Italy on tax evasion charges, a fact that didn't damage her career or popularity. In her 60s, Loren became selective about choosing her films and ventured into various areas of business, including cook books, eyewear, jewelry and perfume. She also made well-received appearances in Robert Altman's Ready to Wear and the 1995 comedy Grumpier Old Men playing a femme fatale opposite Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon. In 1991, Loren received an honorary Academy Award for her contribution to world cinema and was declared "one of the world cinema's treasures".
Current Activities Loren appeared in the 2007 Pirelli Calendar at the age of 72. She is a huge fan of the football club S.S.C. Napoli and in May 2007, when the team was third in Serie B, she told the Gazzetta dello Sport that she would do a striptease if they achieved promotion to Serie A for the 2007/08 season. “The fans have a total passion, the city deserves promotion". On June 10, 2007, they did achieve promotion to Serie A but Loren did no striptease.
Filmography
Year Title Role Other notes
1950 I am the Capataz Secretary of the Dictator
You Are Mogli of Barbablu Girl kidnapped
A Certain Amount of Tarzan A tarzanide
I Devote, Thee A popular to the party of piedigrotta
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's Him!... Yes! Yes! Odalisca
Anna Night club assistant uncredited
1952 And Arrived the Accordatore Amica di Giulietta
I Dream of Zorro Conchita
The Favorite Leonora
1953 The Country of Campanelli unknown
Pilgrim of Love unknown
We Find Ourselves in Arcade Marisa
Two Nights with Cleopatra Cleopatra/Nisca
Girls Marked Danger Elvira
Good Folk's Sunday Ines
Aida Aida
African Under the Seas Barbara Lama
1954 Neapolitan Carousel Sisina
A Day in Court Anna
The Anatomy of Love The girl
Poverty and Nobility Gemma
The Gold of Naples Sofia
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
Houseboat Cinzia Zaccardi
1959 That Kind of Woman Kay
1960 Heller in Pink Tights Angela Rossini
It Started in Naples Lucia Curio
The Millionairess Epifania Parerga
A Breath of Scandal Princess Olympia
Two Women Cesira Academy Award - Best Actress Oscar
1961 El Cid Ximena
1962 Boccaccio '70 Zoe
Madame Sans-Gêne Catherine Hubscher aka Madame Sans-Gêne
The Condemned of Altona Johanna
Five Miles to Midnight Lisa Macklin
1963 Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow Adelina Sbaratti/Anna Molteni/Mara
1964 The Fall of the Roman Empire Lucilla
Marriage Italian-Style Filumena Marturano Academy Award nomination - 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 Natascha
More Than a Miracle Isabella Candeloro
1968 Ghosts - Italian Style Maria Lojacono
1970 I Girasoli (Sunflower) Giovanna
1971 Lady Liberty Maddalena Ciarrapico
The Priest's Wife Valeria Billi
1972 The Sin Hermana Germana
Man of La Mancha Aldonza/Dulcinea
1974 The Voyage Adriana de Mauro
Verdict Teresa Leoni
Brief Encounter Anna Jesson
1975 Sex Pot Pupa
1976 The Cassandra Crossing Jennifer Rispoli Chamberlain
1977 A Special Day Antoinette
1978 Angela Angela Kincaid
Blood Feud Titina Paterno
Brass Target Mara
1979 Firepower Adele Tasca
1980 Sophia Loren: Her Own Story Herself/Romilda Villani
1984 Aurora by Night Aurora
1986 Courage Marianna Miraldo
1988 Running Away Cesira
The Fortunate Pilgrim Lucia
1990 Saturday, Sunday and Monday Rosa Priore
1994 Prêt-à-Porter Isabella de la Fontaine
1995 Grumpier Old Men Maria Sophia Coletta Ragetti
1997 Soleil Maman Lévy
2001 Francesca and Nunziata Francesca Montorsi
2002 Between Strangers Olivia
2004 Lives of the Saints Teresa Innocente
Too Much Romance... It's Time for Stuffed Peppers unknown
2009 Nine Guido's Mother pre-production
Awards
Preceded by Dzidra Ritenberga for Malva Volpi Cup for Best Actress - Venice Film Festival 1958 for The Black Orchid Succeeded by Madeleine Robinson for À Double Tour
Preceded by Jeanne Moreau for Moderato Cantabile and Melina Mercouri for Never on Sunday Award for Best Actress - Cannes Film Festival 1961 for Two Women Succeeded by Katharine Hepburn for Long Day's Journey Into Night
Preceded by Elizabeth Taylor for Butterfield 8 Academy Award for Best Actress 1961 for Two Women Succeeded by Anne Bancroft for The Miracle Worker
Preceded by Shirley MacLaine for The Apartment BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role 1961 for Two Women Succeeded by Anne Bancroft for The Miracle Worker
Preceded by Deborah Kerr for The Sundowners NYFCC Award for Best Actress 1961 for Two Women Succeeded by Patricia Neal for Hud
Preceded by Akira Kurosawa Academy Honorary Award 1991 co-awarded with Myrna Loy Succeeded by Satyajit Ray
Preceded by Robert Redford Cecil B. DeMille Award 1995 Succeeded by Sean Connery
Notes
^ Reuters report of 2007-05-15
References
This article does not cite any references or sources. (January 2008) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.
External links
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Sophia Loren
Sophia Loren at the Internet Movie Database Sophia Loren at the TCM Movie Database Official website Sophia Loren at TV.com
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Academy Award for Best Actress
Sophia Loren (1961) · Anne Bancroft (1962) · Patricia Neal (1963) · Julie Andrews (1964) · Julie Christie (1965) · Elizabeth Taylor (1966) · Katharine Hepburn (1967) · Katharine Hepburn / Barbra Streisand (1968) · Maggie Smith (1969) · Glenda Jackson (1970) · Jane Fonda (1971) · Liza Minnelli (1972) · Glenda Jackson (1973) · Ellen Burstyn (1974) · Louise Fletcher (1975) · Faye Dunaway (1976) · Diane Keaton (1977) · Jane Fonda (1978) · Sally Field (1979) · Sissy Spacek (1980)
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Persondata
NAME Loren, Sophia
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Scicolone, Sofia Villani
SHORT DESCRIPTION actress
DATE OF BIRTH September 20, 1934
PLACE OF BIRTH Rome, Italy
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH
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