Saturday, January 12, 2013

Sophia Loren



Sophia Loren, Dama di Gran Croce OMRI (English: /sə'fiə lə'ɹɛn/, Italian: [so'fi:a lo'rɛn]; born Sofia Villani Scicolone on 20 September 1934) is an Italian actress.

Loren is widely recognized as the most awarded Italian actress. She was the first actress of the talkie era to win an Academy Award for a non-English-speaking performance, for her portrayal of Cesira in Vittorio De Sica's Two Women. Her other awards include one Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award, a BAFTA Award and a Laurel Award. In 1995 she received the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievements, one of many such awards.

Her films include: Houseboat (1958), El Cid (1961), Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1963), Marriage Italian-Style (1964), and A Special Day (1977). In later years she has appeared in American blockbusters such as Grumpier Old Men (1995), and Nine (2009). In 1994 she starred in Robert Altman's Prêt-à-Porter, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination the same year. She has also achieved critical and commercial success in TV movies such as Courage (1986).