Italian actresses can be counted amongst some of the most well-known in the world. Given below are some of the most popular Italian actresses who have emblazoned the silver screen with their unique beauty, flair, and impressive achievements.
Gina Lollobrigida: Born as Luigina Lollobrigida, in Subiaco, Italy, in 1927, Gina’s career began with modeling as well as participating in a number of beauty contests, coming in third place in the Miss Italy contest held in 1947. At about this time, she started appearing in films made in Italian language, which resulted in drawing Hollywood’s attention on her. It was in 1953 that she appeared in ‘Beat the Devil’, her first American film. With her popularity increasing, Gina began being called the ‘The World’s Most Beautiful Woman’, following her 1955 movie. ‘Trapeze’, in which she co-starred with Burt Lancaster, and ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ were two of her noteworthy movies which were screened in 1956. ‘Never So Few’, in which Frank Sinatra was her co-star, and ‘Solomon and Sheba’, in which she was paired with Yul Brynner, came out in 1959.
However, it was her 1961 movie, ‘Come September’, in which she co-starred with Rock Hudson, which is considered one of her most popular and which got her the Golden Globe as the ‘World Film Favorite’. The next time she co-starred with Rock Hudson was in ‘Strange Bedfellows’, which came out in 1965. The next year, 1966, saw her appearing with Alec Guinness in ‘Hotel Paradiso’, and in 1968 she appeared in ‘Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell’, with Telly Savalas, Phil Silvers, and Shelley Winters, for which she got a Golden Globe nomination. Her career in films began winding down by the 1970s, with her appearing in just a few films, which were quite poorly received.
However, by then she had commenced her vocation as a photographic journalist, which proved to be a success. Amongst the notable people whom she photographed were Salvador Dali, Paul Newman, as well as the German national football team, while wowing the world’s press by getting Fidel Castro to give her an exclusive interview.
Sophia Loren: It has been over fifty years since Sophia Loren, who is regarded as one of the most popular Italian actresses, has been captivating film audiences the world over. Born as Sofia Scicolone in 1934, she began her career when she was 14 years of age as a model. After she won a beauty contest, which took place in Naples, she was enrolled in an acting class by her determined mother. Her first movie was ‘Quo Vadis’ in which she was an extra.
It was Carlo Ponti, the film producer (whom she would later marry), who suggested that Sophia should take part in a beauty pageant being held in Rome. Even though she did not win the contest, she was called for a screen test by him, with Ponti expressing displeasure with some of her physical attributes.
Sophia Loren’s popularity began rising in Hollywood by the latter part of the 1950s with movies like ‘The Pride and the Passion’ and the ‘Boy on a Dolphin’ coming out in 1957 in which her co-stars were Cary Grant and Frank Sinatra. It is said that Grant fell so much in love with Sophia Loren that he proposed marriage to her ardently, although she was with Carlo Ponti as well as Grant’s own pairing with Betsy Drake, the writer and actress.
Amongst her most notable achievements in acting is the Best Actress Academy Award that she won in 1961 for her performance in ‘Two Women’. Sophia has done about 75 films since the beginning of her career in acting, wherein she has won various other awards such as Golden Globes and the Venice Film Festival Award, proving her longevity and sheer acting talent. She was presented the Honorary Award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1990.
Isabella Rossellini: Being born in 1952, she is the daughter of Roberto Rossellini, the director, and Ingrid Bergman, the famous Swedish-born actress. ‘A Matter of Time’ was her first feature film, in which she played opposite Ingrid Bergman, her mother. She was married to Martin Scorsese, the director, and has been linked romantically with Mikhail Baryshnikov, the famous Russian ballet dancer. Her roles in the two American movies ‘Wild at Heart’ and ‘Death Becomes Her’ have won her acclaim. Apart from her acting career, she also runs a perfume company which bears her famed Italian name.
Gina Lollobrigida: Born as Luigina Lollobrigida, in Subiaco, Italy, in 1927, Gina’s career began with modeling as well as participating in a number of beauty contests, coming in third place in the Miss Italy contest held in 1947. At about this time, she started appearing in films made in Italian language, which resulted in drawing Hollywood’s attention on her. It was in 1953 that she appeared in ‘Beat the Devil’, her first American film. With her popularity increasing, Gina began being called the ‘The World’s Most Beautiful Woman’, following her 1955 movie. ‘Trapeze’, in which she co-starred with Burt Lancaster, and ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ were two of her noteworthy movies which were screened in 1956. ‘Never So Few’, in which Frank Sinatra was her co-star, and ‘Solomon and Sheba’, in which she was paired with Yul Brynner, came out in 1959.
However, it was her 1961 movie, ‘Come September’, in which she co-starred with Rock Hudson, which is considered one of her most popular and which got her the Golden Globe as the ‘World Film Favorite’. The next time she co-starred with Rock Hudson was in ‘Strange Bedfellows’, which came out in 1965. The next year, 1966, saw her appearing with Alec Guinness in ‘Hotel Paradiso’, and in 1968 she appeared in ‘Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell’, with Telly Savalas, Phil Silvers, and Shelley Winters, for which she got a Golden Globe nomination. Her career in films began winding down by the 1970s, with her appearing in just a few films, which were quite poorly received.
However, by then she had commenced her vocation as a photographic journalist, which proved to be a success. Amongst the notable people whom she photographed were Salvador Dali, Paul Newman, as well as the German national football team, while wowing the world’s press by getting Fidel Castro to give her an exclusive interview.
Sophia Loren: It has been over fifty years since Sophia Loren, who is regarded as one of the most popular Italian actresses, has been captivating film audiences the world over. Born as Sofia Scicolone in 1934, she began her career when she was 14 years of age as a model. After she won a beauty contest, which took place in Naples, she was enrolled in an acting class by her determined mother. Her first movie was ‘Quo Vadis’ in which she was an extra.
It was Carlo Ponti, the film producer (whom she would later marry), who suggested that Sophia should take part in a beauty pageant being held in Rome. Even though she did not win the contest, she was called for a screen test by him, with Ponti expressing displeasure with some of her physical attributes.
Sophia Loren’s popularity began rising in Hollywood by the latter part of the 1950s with movies like ‘The Pride and the Passion’ and the ‘Boy on a Dolphin’ coming out in 1957 in which her co-stars were Cary Grant and Frank Sinatra. It is said that Grant fell so much in love with Sophia Loren that he proposed marriage to her ardently, although she was with Carlo Ponti as well as Grant’s own pairing with Betsy Drake, the writer and actress.
Amongst her most notable achievements in acting is the Best Actress Academy Award that she won in 1961 for her performance in ‘Two Women’. Sophia has done about 75 films since the beginning of her career in acting, wherein she has won various other awards such as Golden Globes and the Venice Film Festival Award, proving her longevity and sheer acting talent. She was presented the Honorary Award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1990.
Isabella Rossellini: Being born in 1952, she is the daughter of Roberto Rossellini, the director, and Ingrid Bergman, the famous Swedish-born actress. ‘A Matter of Time’ was her first feature film, in which she played opposite Ingrid Bergman, her mother. She was married to Martin Scorsese, the director, and has been linked romantically with Mikhail Baryshnikov, the famous Russian ballet dancer. Her roles in the two American movies ‘Wild at Heart’ and ‘Death Becomes Her’ have won her acclaim. Apart from her acting career, she also runs a perfume company which bears her famed Italian name.
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