She was teased for her looks as a child, yet it was her beauty that launched her on the road to fame. But her first Academy Award was for a role in which she gave up a younger character to show off her talent. Although she was adored by famous men, she sought happiness with a man for 50 years. Today, one of the jewels of Italian cinema, the beautiful and world-famous Sophia Loren, is 88.
Sophia Loren was convicted of tax evasion in 1982. She had the choice of paying the fine or serving the sentence. She refused to pay and went to prison instead. Fortunately, he was released after 17 days.
If you had to name three actresses whose beauty, as well as their talent, has made them iconic figures in the world of cinema, Sophia Loren would probably be on most people’s lists. Yet the beautiful actress was a skinny and waifish little girl, derided by many as a dirtbag. But by her teens, the ugly duckling had turned into a swan. She went to a beauty contest, where she didn’t win the grand prize.
BUT HER TRAIN TICKET TO ROME SENT HER STRAIGHT TO THE GATES OF WORLD FAME.
Sophia Loren was born Sofia Costanza Brigida Villani Scicolone on 20 September 1934 in Rome, and as a little girl she was brought up in the Pozzuoli district of Naples. Her mother was Romilda Villani and her father Riccardo Scicolone, who, although he named his child after her, was never involved in her life, as he was married to her and, although he was involved with Romilda Villani, he had no intention of divorcing her. It is no wonder that the family lived in such poor circumstances that Sophia is said to have vowed to break out of poverty, which is one of the reasons why she was so keen to learn English at a young age.
Toothpicks are a man’s dream
Sophia grew from the toothpick she was teased as a child into an undeniably beautiful young woman, as witnessed by her mother, who was inspired to enter her daughter in a beauty contest. The 15-year-old beauty came second in the competition, winning $35 and a train ticket to Rome that would change her life forever. She became a permanent extra at Cinecittà, then caught the eye of a magazine and was signed as a model, and met producer Carlo Ponti.
He immediately fell in love with the breathtakingly beautiful woman and helped her launch her career. Although she was 22 years his senior, his love for her did not remain platonic. She was married and had to divorce, but once she did, their love was unhindered and the couple stayed together until his death in 2007. On her husband’s advice, she took the surname Loren, and Sofia became Sophia.
Sophia was only 25 when the film A Woman and Her Daughter was shot. The filmmakers originally offered her the role of the daughter, but she insisted on playing the mother.
SHE DIDN’T WANT TO BE JUST HER BEAUTY ON SCREEN, SHE WANTED TO SHOW HER TALENT.
It worked for her, as she won an Oscar for the role. But she didn’t go to the awards ceremony, because Audrey Hepburn was among the nominees for Dream of a Luxury Cruise, and Loren was left with the peace of mind of an underdog. The news that she had won the golden statuette came from Cary Grant, who at one point had been courting the actress’ heart, but in the end they remained colleagues and friends.
He also starred with names such as Richard Burton (Late Encounters, The Journey), Marlon Brando (The Countess of Hong Kong), Clark Gable (It Began in Naples), Paul Newman (Lady L.) and Jean-Paul Belmondo (A Woman and Her Daughter).