Sophia Loren

Born Sept. 20, 1934, in Rome, Sophia Loren endured a childhood of poverty before modeling and beauty pageants brought her to the attention of producer (and future husband) Carlo Ponti. Loren quickly achieved stardom in Italy, but it wasn't until she appeared in Vittorio De Sica's L'Oro di Napoli (1954) that she received international notice.

After signing a multipicture deal with Paramount, Loren began to catch on in America with films such as 1958's Houseboat (with Cary Grant) and It Started in Naples (with Clark Gable). Loren would return to Italy, however, to make the film that earned her an Oscar: De Sica's Two Women (1960).

With acting skills equal to her curves, Loren received another Oscar nomination for De Sica's Matrimonio all'Italiana (with her frequent co-star Marcello Mastroianni). More recent films include Robert Altman's Ready to Wear and Grumpier Old Men.

Filmography