Sophia

Loren

Sophia Loren was born Sofia Scicolone, on Sept. 20, 1934, in Rome. An illegitimate child, she grew up in the slums of Naples during wartime in dire poverty. Her first taste of glamour came at fourteen when she was crowned one of twelve "Princesses of the Sea" in a beauty contest - an honor for which she earned a railroad ticket to Rome. Sofia met producer and future husband Carlo Ponti while competing in another beauty contest. Though she placed second, Ponti gave her a screen test and he advanced her career in a succession of low-budget Italian productions. Sofia Lazzaro, as she was then known, became Sophia Loren in 1952.
Though she had been involved romantically with Carlo Ponti (he was married with two children) from the age of eighteen, Sophia had suffered through years of frustration while he attempted to obtain an annulment from the church. Loren and Ponti, 24 years her senior, were married in 1957, following his Mexican divorce from his estranged wife. But the Italian law did not recognize the divorce and charged them with bigamy. They were forced to have their marriage annulled in 1962, and after four more years of frustration turned in their Italian passports and became citizens of France, where they were finally legally married in 1966.
Sophia is still the only performer ever to win an Oscar for a foreign-language film. She received an honorary Oscar in 1980 for Lifetime Achievement.

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Sophia Loren Filmography

"She is so sensual that most men must have a mad desire to tear off her clothes. However, they do not even dare to take her hand because she looks so distinguished, natural and discreet." - Cary Grant

Cary Grant romantically wined and dined her as The Pride and the Passion was being filmed in Spain. She said, "I was fascinated with him and his warmth, affection, intelligence, and his wonderfully dry, mischievous sense of humor." He sent her roses everyday and finally did propose to her in Spain. Sophia turned down Cary's proposal, but he wouldn't accept her no and continued to pester her for marriage. Her co-writer said, "Sophia loved Cary the way she loved no one else. He was her romantic love. I think there may be ambivalence about her decision not to stay with him."