Time seems to have stopped. Sophia Loren, icon of Italian beauty in the world, maintains the great charm and sunshine that have contributed to making her the woman and thesuccessful actress that we all know. This birthday is another important milestone for the diva par excellence of our cinema, she who has reached so many goals.
Sophia Loren, from the beginnings to success
Born in Rome on September 20, 1934, and raised in Pozzuoli (Naples), Sofia Costanza Brigida Villani Scicolone has a bright future ahead of her that soon leads her to become the national Sophia. Very young, she made her debut in the world of entertainment, first participating in beauty contests, then with photo novels. In 1950, at the age of 16, a Miss Italy, where, while not winning, she wins the title of "Miss Elegance", created especially for her.
Its extraordinary beauty captivates the producer carlo ponti, who later became her husband and father of her two children: Carlo Jr. and Edoardo. Ponti offers her a seven-year film contract. Another producer, Goffredo Lombardo, on the other hand, chooses for her the stage name Sophia Loren, inspired by that of the Swedish actress Märta Torén. In her first co-star film, “Two Nights with Cleopatra,” Sophia plays the Egyptian queen alongside Alberto Sordi as Cesarino. From that moment on she began her climb to success, which allowed her to achieve international fame, working alongside stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor.
Sophia Loren wins the Oscar with "La Ciociara"
The first big challenge for her came in 1960, when Vittorio De Sica proposed that she take on the role of the protagonist Cesira in the film "La Ciociara". It's a dramatic role that Loren plays masterfully. It is in fact the first to win theOscar for best actress in a non-English film. But “La Ciociara” also earned her the Palme d'Or at Cannes, the Bafta, the David di Donatello and the Nastro d'Argento. In 1965 she was nominated again for the Academy Award for Best Actress and, in 1991, she received the Oscar for Lifetime Achievement.
The partnership with Mastroianni
He works with great directors (Charlie Chaplin, Henry Hathaway, Robert Altman, Mario Monicelli, Ettore Scola, Dino Risi) and movie stars (Cary Grant, Clark Gable, Walter Matthau, Marlon Brando, Omar Sharif, Burt Lancaster, Richard Burton). But the true companion on the big screen, as well as a close friend in life, remains Marcello Mastroianni. With him he shoots unforgettable films such as “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”, “Matrimonio all'Italiana”, “The sunflowers”, “A special day”, “Too bad he's a rogue”, “The priest's wife”.
A star in the history of cinema
Alongside the two Oscars, Sophia Loren wins, over the course of her career, other important and well-deserved awards, such as five Golden Globes, 1 Grammy Award, the Coppa Volpi in Venice, the Prixinterprétation féminine in Cannes, 10 David di Donatello, 3 Silver Ribbons, the Golden Bear and the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. In 1999, the American Film Institute placed her in the twenty-first place among the greatest stars in the history of cinema. No Italian actress has ever achieved such solid and lasting international popularity.
Greetings, Sophia!
Its popularity is deserved more than ever, and rhymes with Italianness, spontaneity, sunshine, friendliness, talent, beauty. Because Sophia Loren is all this and much more. And that is why, today, we at Italiani.it too, in expressing our affection and our great admiration, wish you a wonderful 86th birthday.
