Sophia Loren
Sophia Loren | |
|---|---|
 Loren at the 81st Academy Awards in February 2009 | |
| Born | Sofia Villani Scicolone |
| Other names | Sofia Lazzaro Sofia Scicolone |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1950 – present |
| Spouse | Carlo Ponti (1957 – 1962, 1966 – 2007) |
| Website | http://www.sophialoren.com |
Sophia Loren (born Sofia Villani Scicolone on September 20, 1934) is an Italian actress.[1] In 1961, she won an Academy Award for Best Actress for Two Women, becoming the first actress to win an Academy Award for a non-English-speaking performance. Loren has also won five Golden Globe Awards and received an Honorary Academy Award in 1991. She has won 49 international awards, including two academy awards, a grammy award and a BAFTA; she is the second most awarded actress in cinema history behind Meryl Streep. Her prominent films include El Cid, Arabesque, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, The Fall of the Roman Empire, A Special Day, Prêt-à-Porter, Grumpier Old Men, and (most recently) Nine.
In 1999, Sophia Loren was listed by the American Film Institute on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Stars as one of 25 American female screen legends of all time.
Early life
Loren was born Sofia Villani Scicolone at the Clinica Regina Margherita in Rome, the daughter of Romilda Villani and Riccardo Scicolone, a construction engineer.[2] Scicolone refused to marry Villani, leaving her, a piano teacher and aspiring actress, without support.[3] Romilda, Loren and sister Maria returned to Pozzuoli, near Naples, to live with Loren's grandmother in order to survive.[4]
During World War II, the harbor and munitions plant in Pozzuoli was a frequent bombing target of the allies. During one raid, as Loren 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, Loren and her family returned to Pozzuoli. Grandmother Luisa opened their living room as a pub, selling homemade cherry liquor. Villani played the piano, Maria sang and Loren waited tables and washed dishes. The place was very popular with the American GIs stationed nearby.
When she was 14 years old, Loren 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. She eventually changed her name to Sophia Loren.
Career
Beginnings
Loren began her film career in 1950 with bit parts in Italian movies. After being credited as Sofia Lazzaro and Sofia Scicolone, she began using her stage name in 1952's La Favorita.[5] Her first starring role was in Aida (1953), for which she received critical acclaim.[6] Her breakthrough role was in The Gold of Naples (1954), directed by Vittorio De Sica.[7] Too Bad She's Bad, also released in 1954, became the first of many films in which Loren co-starred with Marcello Mastroianni over a 40-year period. By the late 1950s, Loren's star had begun to rise in Hollywood, with films such as 1957's Boy on a Dolphin (her U.S. film debut), Legend of the Lost with John Wayne, and The Pride and the Passion in which she co-starred with Cary Grant and Frank Sinatra.
International fame
Loren became an international film star with a five-picture contract with Paramount Pictures in 1958. Among her films at this time were 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 as a blonde for the first time.
In 1960, Loren's acclaimed performance in Vittorio De Sica's Two Women earned many awards, including the Cannes Film Festival's best performance prize. Her performance was also awarded an Academy Award for Best Actress, the first major Academy Award for a non-English-language performance and to an Italian actress. 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 broke down and the screenplay was rewritten to make Loren the mother; Eleonora Brown portrayed the daughter.
Loren is 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." However, on the December 20, 2009, episode of CBS News Sunday Morning, Loren denied ever saying the line.
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. In 1965, she received a second Academy Award nomination for her performance in Marriage Italian-Style
Among Loren's best-known films of this period are Samuel Bronston's epic production of El Cid (1961) with Charlton Heston, 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. Other performances include A Breath of Scandal (1960), Madame Sans-Gêne (1962), Heller in Pink Tights (1960) and More than a Miracle (1967).
Loren received four Golden Globe Awards between 1964 and 1977 as "World Film Favorite - Female."[8]
Mid-career and musical recordings
Once she became a mother, Loren worked less. During the 1970s, she appeared in such films as the last De Sica movie, The Voyage (1974), with Richard Burton and Ettore Scola's A Special Day (1977) with Mastroianni. She re-teamed with Burton that same year to star in a remake of the film Brief Encounter. Loren then starred in the Hollywood thrillers Brass Target (1978), set during World War II, and Firepower (1979).
In 1980, Loren 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. In 1981, she became the first female celebrity to launch her own perfume, Sophia, and a brand of eyewear followed soon thereafter.[9] 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 1988 she appeared in the TV miniseries A Fortunate Pilgrim.
Loren has 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 Loren. [citation needed]
Later career
In 1991, Loren received the Academy Honorary Award for her contributions to world cinema and was declared "one of the world cinema's treasures." In 1995, she received the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award. She made frequent appearances at awards ceremonies, and in 1993, Loren presented Federico Fellini with an Academy Honorary Award. In 1998, she presented the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film for Roberto Benigni's Life Is Beautiful.
Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Loren was 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 (1994), receiving a Golden Globe nomination for her performance. In the box-office hit comedy Grumpier Old Men (1995), Loren played a femme fatale opposite Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, and Ann-Margaret.
In 2001, Loren received a Special Grand Prix of the Americas Award at the Montreal World Film Festival for her body of work.[10] Her acting projects during this period were made in Italy, including the independent film Between Strangers (2002), directed by her son Eduoardo, and the television miniseries Lives of the Saints (2004).
In 2009, she co-presented the category of Best Actress at the 81st Academy Awards. After five years off the set and fourteen years since she starred in a prominent US theatrical film, Loren starred in Rob Marshall's film version of Nine, based on the Broadway musical that tells the story of a director whose midlife crisis causes him to struggle to complete his latest film; he is forced to balance the influences of numerous formative women in his life, including his deceased mother. Loren was Marshall's first choice to portray the mother. The film also stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Penelope Cruz, Kate Hudson, Marion Cotillard, and Nicole Kidman. During the red carpet for the 81st Academy Awards, Loren expressed how much she enjoyed the filming. She is a 2009 nominee for a Screen Actors Guild Award as part of the film's ensemble cast.
Current activities
Loren, at the age of 72, appeared in the 2007 Pirelli Calendar entitled "A Bed and Five Stories" along with Hillary Swank, Penelope Cruz, Naomi Watts, and Lou Doillon.[11]
Loren is a huge fan of the football club S.S.C. Napoli. 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", Loren said. Although they achieved promotion to Serie A on June 10, 2007, Loren did not do a striptease.[12]
Loren's famous eyes can be found on the Italian wine Fattoria Paradiso bottles.
There is a street in the city of Etobicoke, Toronto, Ontario named for her.[13]
Loren is referenced in the song "Italian Girls" by 80s duo Hall & Oates on the 1982 album H20. The lyrics in the bridge say "I see Sophia on the Silver Screen, there must be more like her in Rome."
In 2009, it was revealed that Loren had written a letter in favour of the beatification of John Paul II.[14]
Marriage
Loren first met Carlo Ponti in 1950 at a beauty contest. She was 15 years old at the time, while he was 37. Later, while in Mexico in 1957, he had lawyers obtain a Mexican divorce from his wife Giuliana and a marriage by proxy to Loren. Italy did not recognize divorce at the time, and the Catholic Church denounced their marriage. In 1962 the marriage was annulled. After this he arranged with Giuliana for the three of them to move to France, which at that time allowed divorce, and they became French citizens. In 1965 Giuliana Ponti divorced her husband, allowing Ponti to marry Loren in 1966 in a civil wedding in Sèvres.[15][16][17]
The couple has two sons: Carlo Ponti Jr. (born December 29, 1968) and Edoardo Ponti (born January 6, 1973). Earlier in their marriage, Loren had two miscarriages and sought help from gynecologist Frank Novak in order to have children.
Loren remained married to Carlo Ponti until his death on January 10, 2007 of pulmonary complications.
She has two grandchildren: Lucia (born 2006) and Vittorio (born 2007). Her daughters-in-law are Sasha Alexander and Andrea Meszaros.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | I am the Capataz | Secretary of the Dictator | |
| Barbablu's Six Wives | Girl kidnapped | With the name Sofia Lazzaro | |
| Tototarzan | 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 | With the name Sofia Scicolone | |
| The Favorite | Leonora | ||
| 1953 | The Country of Campanelli | Bonbon | |
| Pilgrim of Love | N/A | ||
| We Find Ourselves in Arcade | Marisa | ||
| Two Nights with Cleopatra | Cleopatra/Nisca | With the name Sofia Lazzaro | |
| Girls Marked Danger | Elvira | ||
| Good Folk's Sunday | Ines | ||
| Aida | Aida | ||
| Africa 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 | Based on the novel Stella by Jan de Hartog | |
| The Black Orchid | Rose Bianco | Venice Film Festival - Volpi Cup | |
| 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 Nominated - Laurel Awards | |
| The Millionairess | Epifania Parerga | ||
| A Breath of Scandal | Princess Olympia | ||
| Two Women | Cesira | Academy Award for Best Actress BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role NYFCC Award for Best Actress Best Actress Award (Cannes Film Festival) David di Donatello for Best Actress Nastro d'Argento Best Actress Sant Jordi Awards Best Performance in a Foreign Film - Win Nominated - Laurel Awards | |
| 1961 | El Cid | Jimena | |
| 1962 | Boccaccio '70 | Zoe | Segment "La Riffa" |
| 1963 | Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow | Adelina Sbaratti/Anna Molteni/Mara | David di Donatello 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 Laurel Awards for Comedy Performance, Female Nominated - Academy Award for Best Actress Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | |
| 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 | 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 | The Sin | Hermana Germana | |
| Man of La Mancha | Aldonza/Dulcinea | ||
| 1974 | The Voyage | Adriana de Mauro | David di Donatello for Best Actress San Sebastian International Film Festival Prize San Sebastian |
| Verdict | Teresa Leoni | ||
| Brief Encounter | Anna Jesson | ||
| 1975 | Sex Pot | Pupa | |
| 1976 | The Cassandra Crossing | Jennifer Rispoli Chamberlain | |
| 1977 | A Special Day | Antoinette | Nastro d'Argento Best Actress David di Donatello for Best Actress |
| 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 | National Board of Review Award for Best Acting by an Ensemble Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture |
| 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 | Maria | ||
| 2009 | Nine | Mamma | Satellite Award for Best Cast – Motion Picture Nominated-Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards for Best Ensemble Cast Nominated-Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
| 2010 | Femina | unknown | Pre-production |
References
- ^ Gundle, Stephen (2007). Bellissima: feminine beauty and the idea of Italy. Yale University Press. p. 157. ISBN 0300123876.
- ^ http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,896055-3,00.html
- ^ http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=BG&p_theme=bg&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EADE07D731F1199&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM
- ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qCQeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GpYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5056,1131904&dq=sophia-how-she's-managed-to-succeed-ophia-loren-has-a&hl=en
- ^ http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800018204/bio
- ^ http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800018204/bio
- ^ http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800018204/bio
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000047/awards
- ^ http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800018204/bio
- ^ Awards 2001. Festival des Films du Monde.
- ^ "Models". Pirelli Calendar. 2007.
(alternate Flash version / access)
{{cite web}}: External link in|quote= - ^ Staff writers (15 May 2007). "Napoli fan Sofia Loren to strip if team go up". Thomson Reuters. Retrieved 23 April 2008.
- ^ Sophia Loren Court, Toronto, Ontario at Google Maps
- ^ AFP article
- ^ Exshaw, John (12 January 2007). "Carlo Ponti". The Independent.
- ^ Sheri & Bob Stritof. "Sophia Loren and Carlo Ponti Marriage Profile". About.
- ^ "Italian Producer Carlo Ponti". Associated Press. January 2007.
archived at TV Fan Forums
External links
- Sophia Loren Official website
- Please use a more specific IMDb template. See the documentation for available templates.
- Sophia Loren at the TCM Movie Database
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