Boy on a Dolphin (1957) La Ciociara (1960) The Cassandra Crossing (1976) (2006)

Born Sofia Scicolone, the illegitimate child of Romilda Villani and Riccardo Scicolone, in Rome, Italy, she grew up in the slums of Pozzuoli, outside Naples. Loren was a struggling teenage model and bit player when she met producer and future husband Carlo Ponti, one of a panel of judges presiding over a beauty contest in which she was competing, in 1951. Under Ponti's guidance she became one of Italy's leading stars of the 1950s, an earthy, voluptuous figure in the style of Gina Lollobrigida. Over the next two decades, Loren demonstrated the talent and range necessary to transcend her pin-up status. Her English-language film debut was in Jean Negulesco's BOY ON A DOLPHIN for Fox in 1957. That same year, she worked in two independent productions: Stanley Kramer's THE PRIDE AND THE PASSION (Kramer-U/A) with Cary Grant and Frank Sinatra in and Henry Hathaway's LEGEND OF THE LOST with John Wayne and Rossano Brazzi (Batjac/UA). After signing with Paramount, Loren's stock grew in productions like Delbert Mann's DESIRE UNDER THE ELMS, Carol Reed's THE KEY, Martin Ritt's THE BLACK ORCHID, Melville Shavelson's HOUSEBOAT (all 1958), and Sidney Lumet's THAT KIND OF WOMAN (1959). In 1960, Loren appeared in several films: HELLER IN PINK TIGHTS, IT STARTED IN NAPLES, THE MILLIONAIRESS, A BREATH OF SCANDAL, and Vittorio De Sica's LA CIOCIARA / TWO WOMEN, which earned her a Cannes Festival award as well as an Oscar® in 1962 for her memorable performance as a mother fleeing with her 13-year-old daughter from Rome during WW II, making her the first performer to win an Oscar for a performance in a language other than English. She followed these films with EL CID (1961), BOCCACCIO '70, MADAME SANS-GÊNE, I SEQUESTRATI DI ALTONA and LE COUTEAU DANS LA PLAIE (all 1962), IERI, OGGI, DOMANI / YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW (1963), MATRIMONIO ALL'ITALIANA / MARRIAGE ITALIAN-STYLE (1963), OPERATION CROSSBOW and LADY L (both 1965), JUDITH and ARABESQUE (both 1966), A COUNTESS FROM HONG KONG and C'ERA UNA VOLTA (both 1967), and QUESTI FANTASMI (1968). In the 1970s, most of her work was in Europe: I GIRASOLI / SUNFLOWER (1970), LA MORTADELLA and LA MOGLIE DEL PRETE (both 1971), BIANCO, ROSSO, E... and MAN OF LA MANCHA (both 1972), IL VIAGGIO, VERDICT and a television production of "Brief Encounter" (all 1974), LA PUPA DEL GANGSTER (1975), THE CASSANDRA CROSSING (1976), UNA GIORNATA PARTICOLARE / A SPECIAL DAY (1977), ANGELA, FATTO DI SANGUE... and BRASS TARGET (all 1978), and FIREPOWER (1979). Loren made infrequent screen appearances during the 1980s - only one feature film (Maurizio Ponzi's QUALCOSA DI BIONDO in 1984, with her son Edoardo Ponti playing her son) and TV productions of "Sophia Loren: Her Own Story" (1980, in which she played both herself and her mother), "Courage" (1986), "La Ciociara" (1988), and the mini-series "The Fortunate Pilgrim" (also 1988). In the 1990s, she appeared on television and in Robert Altman's PRÊT-À-PORTER (1994), Howard Deutsch's GRUMPIER OLD MEN (1995), and Roger Hanin's SOLEIL (1997). More recent film credits include BETWEEN STRANGERS (2002) and PEPERONI RIPIENI E PESCI IN FACCIA (2004). In 1991, Loren received an honorary Oscar from the Academy in recognition of her lifetime achievement in film, citing her as "one of the genuine treasures of world cinema."  Actress 1961: LA CIOCIARA (TWO WOMEN)  Nominated for Actress 1964: MARRIAGE ITALIAN-STYLE  Honorary and Other Awards 1990: "One of the genuine treasures of world cinema who, in a career rich with memorable performances, has added permanent luster to our art form." Winner presented a Statuette. 2 nominations, 1 Award, 1 Honorary Award