Sophia Loren
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Biography
Sophia Loren, an Italian actress who rose to fame as a sex kitten in the 1950's, was the first person to win an Academy Award for a foreign language film; the film in question being Two Women (1961) (La Ciociara).
Sophia was originally named Sofia Scicolone and was born on September 20, 1934 in Rome. She was born out of wedlock and her mother, Romilda Villani, brought her up on her own in the slums of Naples.
In her early teens, Sophia grew into a beautiful young woman. Her mother entered her in a beauty pageant that Sophia won. She then went on to become a model and act as an extra in films.
In 1951, Sophia got her first break when she became the runner-up Miss Rome and also won a film contract with producer Carlo Ponti. Ponti gave all that Sophia needed to be a star-drama coaches and roles in films like the hit Anna (1951). He even changed her name to Sofia Lazzaro and in 1952 to Sophia Loren. With the new name, Sophia acted in her first major role in La Favorita (1952). It was not long before Sophia captured the imagination of people in Italy and became a star.
With films such as The Gold of Naples, Too Bad She's Bad (1954), and The Miller's Wife (1955), Sophia became a star in Europe.
In 1957, Sophia made her American film debut with Boy on a Dolphin opposite Alan Ladd. Her next film was The Pride and the Passion opposite Cary Grant who fell in love with her and proposed to her. This prompted Ponti to dissolve his first marriage in Mexico and marry Sophia. This resulted in a major scandal and they were forced by Italian law to annul their marriage in 1962.
Meanwhile, Sophia's Hollywood career was on a peak. She was critically acclaimed for her role in The Black Orchid (1958) and won Best Actress awards at the 1959 Venice and Cannes Film Festivals. However, it was with the 1960 romantic comedy It Started in Naples opposite Clark Gable that she became a hit commercially.
In 1961, Sophia starred in the Italian wartime drama La Ciociara (Two Women), as a widowed mother and rape victim of World War II who is caught in a love triangle with her teenage daughter and another man. Her performance won her the Best Actress award at the Oscars and the Cannes Film Festival.
Sophia went to be a superstar in the 1960's and her notable films include The Millionairess (1960), Ieri, oggi, domani (1963), Lady L (1965) with Paul Newman, and Charlie Chaplin's A Countess from Hong Kong (1967) with Marlon Brando.
In 1964, Sophia was nominated for 1964's Marriage Italian-Style. She also won the Golden Globe award for Female World Film Favorite in 1963, 1964, 1968, and 1976. However, her commercial success in films was on a decline.
In 1979, Sophia wrote her autobiography, Sophia -- Living and Loving: Her Own Story, and starred in a television film based on the book. She has worked in over seventy films and in 1991 won an Honorary Oscar for her contribution to world cinema.
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The Sophia Loren Archives Celebrity Site of the Day on 11/28/07
AskMen.com: Sophia Loren
Sofia Loren at StarPulse.com
123celebs - Sophia Loren
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