Tomorrow, Monica Bellucci turns 60, still glowing from her recent appearance in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice directed by her current partner, Tim Burton. Yet her story begins far from the bright lights of Hollywood, in the small village of San Giustino, near Città di Castello in Umbria, where she was born on September 30, 1964. Raised by her father Pasquale, an employee, and her mother Brunella, a homemaker, young Monica was known for her striking beauty, dark hair, and open smile. She graduated with a classical high school diploma and, to fund her university studies in Perugia, began posing as a model in the early 1980s.
Her modeling career took off in Milan in 1988, where she quickly rose to prominence. Despite a brief marriage to photographer Claudio Basso, Bellucci’s focus remained on her professional aspirations. She trained in acting and landed her first television role in Dino Risi’s Vita coi figli, playing a character who entices Giancarlo Giannini’s much older Adriano. Soon after, two pivotal moments defined her early career: she entered a six-year relationship with actor Nicola Farron and starred in La riffa (1991), her first lead role in a film.
In the mid-1990s, Bellucci was transitioning between acting and the runway. Her ability to perform in English landed her a role in Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), propelling her international recognition. By 1996, her career took a new direction when she starred in the French film L’appartement alongside Vincent Cassel, with whom she shared a 14-year marriage and two daughters. This was also the period when Giuseppe Tornatore cast her in Malena, cementing her status as an iconic figure in both European and Hollywood cinema.
Bellucci’s international stardom soared as she embodied Cleopatra in Asterix & Obelix, tackled challenging roles like the harrowing Irreversible by Gaspar Noé, and appeared in blockbusters such as The Matrix sequels and Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. Her collaboration with top directors continued with Terry Gilliam, Sam Mendes, and Emir Kusturica, highlighting her versatility and global appeal. Despite a public split from Cassel, Bellucci remained a devoted mother to their daughters, including Deva, who recently debuted as an actress.
At 60, Bellucci stands as a symbol of grace, resilience, and enduring success. Her personal life may have unfolded in the spotlight, but she has always maintained a fiercely protected sense of normalcy, rooted in her Italian heritage. Today, with accolades and a rich career behind her, Bellucci looks forward to new chapters, all while maintaining her signature balance between international fame and the simplicity of the girl from Umbria who became an icon.
