At 90, Sophia Loren remains the most famous Italian actress worldwide, a symbol of beauty, glamour, and Italian charm that time has not diminished. However, as Loren herself revealed in a 2012 interview with Vanity Fair, her life was far from a fairy tale, marked by early struggles and hardships.
Born Sofia Villani Scicolone in Rome on September 20, 1934, Loren grew up in difficult circumstances. Her father, Riccardo Scicolone, never married her mother, Romilda Villani, a piano teacher. After giving birth to Sophia’s sister Maria, Villani returned to her family in Pozzuoli, near Naples, where Loren spent her childhood in poverty, surviving World War II and enduring cruel nicknames like “Sofia Toothpick” due to her thin frame.
Her fortunes changed in 1950, when she won Miss Elegance at the Miss Italy pageant at just 15. Noticed by filmmakers, Loren began working with director Carlo Ponti, who became her mentor and later, her husband. It was Ponti who suggested the name “Loren,” steering her career toward international fame. By the mid-1950s, Loren had become a rising star in Italian cinema, starring in films like The Gold of Naples and Miseria e Nobiltà.
Loren’s breakthrough came in 1955, when she appeared on the cover of Life magazine, solidifying her status as an international icon. The following year, she signed a contract with Paramount Pictures and began her ascent in Hollywood. With her signature laugh, curvaceous figure, and a powerful on-screen presence, Loren became the embodiment of Italian beauty, especially for Italian-Americans abroad.
In 1960, Loren delivered one of her most memorable performances in Two Women (La Ciociara), directed by Vittorio De Sica. Her portrayal of a mother enduring the horrors of war earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress—the first time an actress won for a non-English-speaking role. Despite the honor, Loren was too nervous to attend the Oscars ceremony, fearing she might faint from the excitement.
While her career flourished, Loren’s personal life was complex. At 19, she began a relationship with Ponti, who was 20 years her senior and still legally married, as divorce was not allowed in Italy at the time. The couple married in Mexico in 1957, only to have their marriage annulled five years later under charges of bigamy. They remarried in 1966 after acquiring French citizenship, remaining together until Ponti’s death in 2007.
The 1960s cemented Loren’s international fame. She worked with leading Hollywood actors like Clark Gable, Paul Newman, and Charlie Chaplin, and strengthened her artistic partnership with Marcello Mastroianni. Her iconic striptease in Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow (1963) and her role in Marriage Italian Style (1964) with Mastroianni remain cultural landmarks in cinema.
By the 1970s, Loren had shifted focus toward her family, giving birth to sons Carlo Jr. in 1968 and Edoardo in 1973. One of her last major films was A Special Day (1977), once again with Mastroianni, which is widely considered one of her finest performances.
Loren’s influence extends far beyond acting. She has left her mark on fashion, perfumes, and even the food industry, all while shaping the world’s perception of Italian style and beauty. Though she now resides in Switzerland, her legacy as an Italian icon endures.
In a rare interview with Vogue in June, Loren reflected on aging: “I wake up and it’s hard to believe I’ve been on this Earth for almost a century. I still see a road ahead, full of things to do, places to see, and people to meet. If only my knees and back would agree!”
