Monica Bellucci
Monica Anna Maria Bellucci (Italian pronunciation: [ˈmɔːnika belˈluttʃi]; born 30 September 1964) is an Italian actress and model. Bellucci began her career as a fashion model, modelling for Dolce & Gabbana and Dior, before making a transition to Italian films and later American films and French films.
She is perhaps best known to American audiences for her role as Persephone in the 2003 science-fiction films The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. She also played a Bride of Dracula in Francis Ford Coppola's gothic romance film Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) and Malèna Scordia in the Italian-language romantic drama Malèna (2000), and was in the controversial Gaspar Noé arthouse horror film Irréversible (2002), and Mel Gibson's biblical drama The Passion of the Christ (2004), in which she portrayed Mary Magdalene. She later played a Bond girl in the 2015 James Bond film Spectre.
Early life
Bellucci was born 30 September 1964 in Città di Castello, Umbria, Italy,[1] as the only child of Brunella Briganti and Pasquale Bellucci, and grew up in Lama of San Giustino.[2][3][4]
Career
Modelling
Monica Bellucci began modelling at age 13 by posing for a local photo enthusiast.[5] In 1988, Bellucci left the Faculty of Law at the University of Perugia,[6] and moved to one of Europe's fashion centers, Milan, where she signed with Elite Model Management. By 1989, she was becoming prominent as a fashion model in Paris and across the Atlantic, in New York City. She posed for Dolce & Gabbana and French Elle, among others. In that year, Bellucci made the transition to acting and began taking acting classes. The February 2001 Esquire's feature on Desire featured Bellucci on the cover and in an article on the five senses.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/Monica_Bellucci_%28cannesPhotoCall%29-.jpg/166px-Monica_Bellucci_%28cannesPhotoCall%29-.jpg)
In 2003, she was featured in Maxim.[7] Men's Health also named her one of the "100 Hottest Women of All-Time", ranking her at No. 21.[8] AskMen named her the number one most desirable woman in 2002.[9] According to two national newspapers, she is considered an Italian sex symbol.[10][11]
In 2004, while pregnant with her daughter Deva, Bellucci posed nude for the Italian Vanity Fair in protest against an Italian law that restricts the provision of fertility treatment to heterosexual couples and excludes single women or same-sex couples, restricts surrogacy and research using human embryos, forbids sperm and egg donation, and limits the number of embryos created with in-vitro techniques to three.[12] She posed pregnant and semi-nude again for the magazine's April 2010 issue.[13] From 2006 to 2010 Bellucci was the face of a range of Dior products.[14]
In 2012, she became the new face of Dolce & Gabbana.[15] She is managed by Elite+ in New York City. Bellucci is signed to D'management Group in Milan and also to Storm Management in London.[16] Bellucci also posed for GQ Italia in February 2016.[17]
Bellucci walked the runway for the Spring 2019 Milan Fashion Week for Dolce and Gabbana.[18] Joining her included Isabella Rossellini, Eva Herzigová, and Helena Christensen, continuing the influx of 90s supermodels returning to the spotlight of fashion.
Acting
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Monica_Bellucci%2C_Women%27s_World_Awards_2009_b.jpg/178px-Monica_Bellucci%2C_Women%27s_World_Awards_2009_b.jpg)
Bellucci's film career began in the early 1990s. She played some minor roles in La Riffa (1991) and Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992). In 1996, she was nominated for a César Award for best supporting actress for her portrayal of Lisa in The Apartment and strengthened her position as an actress.[19] She became known and popular with worldwide audiences, following her roles in Malèna (2000), Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001), and Irréversible (2002).
She has since played in many films from Europe and Hollywood like Tears of the Sun (2003), The Matrix Reloaded (2003), The Passion of the Christ (2004), The Brothers Grimm (2005), Le Deuxième souffle (2007), Shoot 'Em Up (2007), Don't Look Back (2009), and The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010).[20][21]
She was supposed to be seen portraying Indian politician Sonia Gandhi in the biopic Sonia, originally planned for release in 2007, but it has been shelved.[22] Bellucci dubbed her own voice for the French and Italian releases of the film Shoot 'Em Up (2007).[23] She also voiced Kaileena in the video game Prince of Persia: Warrior Within, and the French voice of Cappy for the French version of the 2005 animated film Robots.
At 50, she became the oldest Bond girl ever in the James Bond film franchise, playing Lucia Sciarra in Spectre (2015). Monica will appear as a Soul Sucking Queen of the Underworld in Australia's movie, Nekrotronic.[24][25]
Personal life
Bellucci married Italian photographer Claudio Carlos Basso in 1990; they divorced after eighteen months.[26]
Bellucci met French actor Vincent Cassel on the set of their 1996 film The Apartment.[27] They married in 1999[27] and have two daughters, Deva (born 2004) and Léonie (born 2010).[28][29] Bellucci and Cassel announced their divorce on 26 August 2013.[27]
In the documentary movie The Big Question, about the film The Passion of the Christ, she stated: "I am an agnostic, even though I respect and am interested in all religions. If there's something I believe in, it's a mysterious energy; the one that fills the oceans during tides, the one that unites nature and beings."[30][better source needed][31]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
1990 | Vita coi figli | Elda |
1991 | The Raffle | Francesca |
1992 | Bram Stoker's Dracula | One of Dracula's brides |
1992 | Ostinato Destino | Marina/Angela |
1994 | Briganti – Amore e libertà | Costanza |
1994 | I Mitici | Deborah |
1995 | Snowball | Melina |
1995 | Bits and Pieces | |
1995 | Joseph | Pharaoh's wife |
1996 | The Apartment | Lisa |
1996 | Sorellina e il principe del sogno | Princess |
1997 | Stressati | |
1997 | Dobermann | Nat the Gypsy |
1997 | Mauvais genre | Camille |
1997 | Come mi vuoi | Nellina |
1998 | Le Plaisir | Girl |
1998 | Compromise | Monique |
1998 | Kaputt Mundi | Giulia Giovannini |
1998 | A los que aman | Valeria |
1999 | Comme un poisson hors de l'eau | Myrtille |
1999 | Méditerranées | Marguerite |
2000 | Under Suspicion | Chantal Hearst |
2000 | Franck Spadone | Laura |
2000 | Malèna | Malèna Scordia |
2001 | Brotherhood of the Wolf | Sylvia |
2002 | Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre | Cleopatra |
2002 | Irréversible | Alex |
2003 | Remember Me, My Love | Alessia |
2003 | Tears of the Sun | Dr. Lena Fiore Kendricks |
2003 | The Matrix Reloaded | Persephone |
2003 | The Matrix Revolutions | Persephone |
2004 | The Passion of the Christ | Mary Magdalene |
2004 | Secret Agents | Barbara/Lisa |
2004 | She Hate Me | Simona Bonasera |
2005 | The Brothers Grimm | The Mirror Queen |
2005 | How Much Do You Love Me? | Daniela |
2006 | Sheitan | La belle vampiresse |
2006 | Napoleon and Me | Baroness Emilia Speziali |
2006 | The Stone Council | Laura Siprien |
2007 | Heartango | L'inafferrabile |
2007 | Manual of Love 2 | Lucia |
2007 | Shoot 'Em Up | Donna Quintano |
2007 | Le deuxième souffle | Manouche |
2008 | Sanguepazzo | Luisa Ferida |
2008 | L'uomo che ama | Alba |
2009 | Don't Look Back | Jeanne |
2009 | The Private Lives of Pippa Lee | Gigi Lee |
2009 | Baarìa – La porta del vento | Bricklayer's girlfriend |
2009 | Omaggio a Roma | Tosca |
2010 | The Whistleblower | Laura Leviani |
2010 | The Sorcerer's Apprentice | Veronica |
2010 | Rose, c'est Paris | L'esprit de gala |
2011 | Manuale d'amore 3 | Viola |
2011 | A Burning Hot Summer | Angèle |
2012 | Rhino Season | Mina |
2013 | Des gens qui s'embrassent (People who kiss) | Giovanna |
2014 | The Wonders | Milly Catena |
2014 | Na Quebrada | Paola |
2015 | Ville-Marie | Sophie |
2015 | Spectre | Lucia Sciarra |
2016 | On the Milky Road | Nevesta |
2016 | Mozart in the Jungle | Alessandra |
2018 | Nekrotronic | Finnegan |
2018 | Call My Agent! | Herself |
2019 | The Best Years of a Life | Elena |
2019 | Spider in the Web | Angela |
2020 | Radical Eye: The Life and Times of Tina Modotti | Tina Modotti |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2017 | Twin Peaks | Herself | Episode: "Part 14" |
2016 | Mozart in the Jungle | Alessandra | Guest role; 5 episodes |
2018 | Call My Agent! | Herself | Episode: "Monica" |
2018 | Call My Agent! | Herself | Episode: "ASK" |
Video games
Year | Title | Voice role |
---|---|---|
2003 | Enter the Matrix | Persephone |
2004 | Prince of Persia: Warrior Within | Kaileena |
Dubbing roles
Year | Film | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2003 | Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas | Marina | French dub |
2005 | Robots | Cappy | French dub |
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Nominated Work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2003 | Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists | Silver Ribbon for Best Supporting Actress | Ricordati di me | Won |
2005 | Globo d'oro | European Golden Globe | Won | |
1997 | César Awards | Best Promising Actress | The Apartment | Nominated |
2001 | European Film Awards | Audience Award for Best Actress | Malèna | Nominated |
2003 | Saturn Award | Best Supporting Actress | Brotherhood of the Wolf | Nominated |
2003 | Cinescape Genre Face of the Future Award | Best Female | The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions | Nominated |
2003 | David di Donatello Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Ricordati di me | Nominated |
2003 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Female Breakout Star | The Matrix Reloaded and Tears of the Sun | Nominated |
2004 | MTV Movie Awards | Best Kiss | The Matrix Reloaded | Nominated |
2005 | Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists | Silver Ribbon for Best Supporting Actress | The Passion of the Christ | Nominated |
2007 | Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists | Silver Ribbon for Best Supporting Actress | N | Nominated |
2017 | Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists | European Nastro D'Argento | On the Milky Road | Won |
2020 | Magritte Award | Honorary Magritte Award | Won |
References
- ^ Martínez, Claudio (30 October 2003). "Persephone". El Diario de Hoy (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 11 January 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2009.
- ^ "Monica Bellucci in vacanza a casa dei genitori". corrieredellumbria.corr.it.
- ^ Rogers, Chris (4 December 2016). "Monica Bellucci: 5 Things To Know About The New ‘Bond’ Girl". Hollywood Life.
- ^ "42 facts about model and actress Monica Bellucci". BoomsBeat. 14 March 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
- ^ Yucel, Author (4 August 2011). ""Monica Bellucci" by Monica Bellucci with Introduction by Giuseppe Tornatore – Book Review".
{{cite web}}
:|first=
has generic name (help) - ^ "Style & Substance: Monica Bellucci". New York Post. 24 December 2000.
- ^ "Monica Bellucci Photos". Maxim. Archived from the original on 15 January 2007. Retrieved 15 January 2007.
- ^ "The 100 Hottest Women of All-Time". Men's Health. 2011. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
- ^ "Monica Bellucci". AskMen.com. Archived from the original on 2 December 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
- ^ Salisbury, Mark (23 October 2005). "Danger woman". The Observer. UK. Retrieved 26 May 2007.
- ^ Morgoglione, Claudia (14 October 2006). "Monica baronessa divertente per Virzì "Bello quel ruolo un po' da mignotta"". La Repubblica (in Italian). Italy. Retrieved 26 May 2007.
- ^ Owen, Richard (4 June 2005). "Actresses fight Pope over fertility". The Times. UK. Archived from the original on 5 June 2005. Retrieved 30 May 2007.
- ^ Shanelle Rein-Olowokere (11 May 2010). "Moms-to-Be Who've Dared to Bare!". People. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
- ^ "Monica Bellucci – Actor Profile – Photos & latest news". Models.com. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
- ^ Amy Lawrenson. "Monica Bellucci Dolce & Gabbana's new face." Archived 22 January 2013 at archive.today Elle, 17 February 2012
- ^ "Monica Bellucci". Storm Model Management. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
- ^ "5 cose che ancora non sapete di Monica Bellucci". GQ Italia.
- ^ "Milan Fashion Week: Dolce & Gabbana's DNA Is in the Beauty of All Women". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
- ^ Campion, Chris (5 October 2006). "Fantasy made flesh". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 April 2009.
- ^ Peter Sciretta (19 June 2009). "First Look: Monica Bellucci in The Sorcerer's Apprentice". slashfilm.com. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- ^ "Bellucci, Monica". About.com. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- ^ "Monica Bellucci – Indian Government Demands Halt To Gandhi Biopic". Retrieved 29 October 2010.
- ^ "Monica Bellucci's balancing act". CraveOnline. 5 September 2007. Archived from the original on 31 March 2010. Retrieved 21 October 2007.
- ^ Grobar, Matt; Grobar, Matt (7 September 2018). "'Nekrotronic's Monica Bellucci On Playing Soul-Sucking Queen Of The Internet-Age Underworld – Toronto Studio".
- ^ "What's Up Down Under? Bellucci Fronts NEKROTRONIC at TIFF — Alexandra Heller-Nicholas – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS".
- ^ Williams, Sally (15 July 2017). "Monica Bellucci on life after divorce and finding herself in her 50s". The Telegraph. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
- ^ a b c "Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel To Divorce After 14 Years". HuffPost. 26 August 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
- ^ Silverman, Stephen M. (14 September 2004). ""Passion" actress bellucci has baby girl". People. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
- ^ "Actress Monica Bellucci has baby girl". Agence France-Presse. 25 May 2010. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
- ^ "Monica Bellucci Quotes". BrainyQuote. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
- ^ "Monica Bellucci Quotes". MotivationQuotes. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
External links
- 1964 births
- Living people
- People from Città di Castello
- Italian female models
- Italian film actresses
- Italian video game actresses
- Italian agnostics
- Nastro d'Argento winners
- 20th-century Italian actresses
- 21st-century Italian actresses
- University of Perugia alumni
- Italian expatriates in France
- Italian expatriates in Spain
- Italian expatriates in Brazil
- Magritte Award winners