Sophia Loren is possibly the most famous actress to come from Italy. She achieved international success and was hailed as one of the most beautiful women in the world. Despite her fame, there are many facts you may not know about this actress. Here are 12 interesting facts about Sophia Loren.
- She was born on September 20 1934 in Rome and her birth name was Sofia Villani Scicolone.
- Sophia Loren’s career began in 1949 after she entered a beauty pageant. She was just 14 years old at the time.
- Her international career was launched in the late 1950s when she signed a five-movie contract with Paramount.
- Loren won six David di Donatello Awards for Best Actress giving her the record as the woman who has won the most of these awards. The roles for which she was given these accolades were A Special Day, Marriage Italian Style, Sunflower, The Voyage, Two Women and Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.
- She began a family in the early 1970s. During this period of her life she concentrated on her family. Acting took a back seat and she made just a few appearances in films.
- In addition to the David di Donatello Awards, she has also won an Academy Award, a BAFTA, a Grammy Award, a Laurel Award, the Honorary Academy Award and five special Golden Globes.
- When she won her Academy Award for Best Actress in 1962 for Two Women, it was the first time an artist had won an Oscar for a performance in a foreign language.
- During World War II, a raid left Sophia with a scar on her chin when she was hit by shrapnel.
- Loren has also starred in animated films. In 2011, she was the voice of Mama Topolino in the Disney movie, Cars 2.
- She married the same man twice. Loren originally married Carlo Ponti in 1957 before the marriage was annulled in 1962. This was because Ponti was divorced from his first wife Giuliana Ponti. The divorce was not legally recognized in Italy and put Sophia and Carlos at risk of arrest. The couple remarried in 1966 as Ponti had obtained a French divorce that was recognized.
- Sophia has two sons; Eduardo and Carlo.
- In 1982, Sophia Loren was convicted of tax evasion. She was given a 30-day custodial sentence, of which she served 17 days.
