| Sophia Loren is someone truly special in a row of | | | | of all her face parts, her body language and her inner |
| world's famous glamorous women. Her inner beauty | | | | beauty made her stunning. Remembering the |
| and nobility, the warmth of her personality, and the | | | | difficulties of the early days of her career, Sophia |
| fascinating story of her life and success make her an | | | | said: |
| outstanding role model for millions of women. | | | | "I was so boldly confident about myself...I have never |
| She did not seem to have received anything in her | | | | sold myself short. I have never judged myself by |
| life for granted. Her beauty, family, success and | | | | other people's standards...At sixteen I already knew |
| wealth have been the result of a hard work, | | | | certain self-truths: I was a survivor; I relied on myself |
| determination and her inner vitality. Sophia is an | | | | and no one else; I would get to wherever I was |
| actress, writer and designer. She looks at her life as a | | | | destined to go and it was futile to try to alter my |
| process of self-discovery. | | | | fate." |
| "...The two big advantages I had at birth were to | | | | ("Sophia. Living and Loving. Her Own Story by A. E. |
| have been born wise and to have been born in | | | | Hotchner) |
| poverty...It gave me one big advantage: none of my | | | | Sofia's acting career began at the age of eighteen in |
| troubles or problems as an adult could throw me." | | | | 1952 with her role in a film "Africa Under the Seas". |
| Sophia was born in a charity ward for unmarried | | | | The film did not make a sensation, but did give a |
| women in Rome in 1934. The name entered in the | | | | good start to the young actress. The dream of a |
| hospital records was Sofia Scicolone. Her father | | | | skinny little girl, sitting in a dark movie house, was |
| Riccardo Scicolone officially recognized the child, but | | | | finally to come true. |
| refused to marry the mother. | | | | In Hollywood Sophia Loren won the public with her |
| Loren still has vivid memories of her younger years. | | | | acting performance and beauty, and in 1962 won the |
| "When I was a child, fear was common to my life - | | | | first best actress Oscar ever given for a |
| fear of having nothing to eat, fear of the other | | | | performance in a foreign film. |
| children taunting me at school because I was | | | | The Hollywood Foreign Press Association gave her |
| illegitimate, and particularly fear of the big bombers | | | | the Golden Globe for World Film Favorite in 1964, |
| appearing overhead and dropping their lethal burst | | | | 1965 and 1969. Among her numerous awards is an |
| from the sky." ("Sophia. Living and Loving. Her Own | | | | honorary Cesar (France's Oscar) for lifetime |
| Story by A. E. Hotchner). | | | | achievement and an honorary Oscar as "one of the |
| Loren was a very young girl, when she saw the first | | | | genuine treasures of world cinema." She graced |
| Hollywood films. This is how she describes it: "I was | | | | numerous magazine covers and television specials. |
| suffused with the feeling that that's what I was put | | | | She was soon referred to as an international |
| on earth to do, to act, to express myself, to let out | | | | celebrity. In this status Sophia had been associated |
| whatever feelings I had inside; and perhaps a need to | | | | with the House of Dior, Valentino and Giorgio Armani. |
| escape anonymity." (Sophia. Living and Loving. Her | | | | Her name itself became a brand of her Italian beauty, |
| Own Story) | | | | glamour and taste. Sofia seems to have a natural |
| At the age of thirteen Sophia Loren entered the | | | | ability to enhance every dress she wears. |
| Queen of the Sea beauty contest in Naples. She was | | | | In 1980 Loren established the first entrepreneurial |
| chosen one of the Queen's twelve Princesses. Her | | | | venture by launching the perfume bearing her name. |
| prize included a train ticket to Rome. | | | | She also launched her signature line of eyeglasses, |
| The mother and daughter took this chance and went | | | | promoting them as a fashion item. They became a |
| to Roma to look for work as film extras. | | | | permanent part of her look. |
| Sophia' first work was posing for "fumetti" | | | | Sophia Loren is known for her devotion to many |
| (photoplays) and postcards. She met the successful | | | | charities. For her generosity she received in 1996 a |
| producer Carlo Ponti through her participation in a | | | | NATO/ShoWest award for lifetime achievement. This |
| beauty contest. Carlo Ponti immediately felt the | | | | award is a recognition of her work on behalf of the |
| magic of her personality, what her later described as | | | | National Alliance for the Prevention of Child Abuse |
| "a kind of illumination" about her. However it took a | | | | and Maltreatment, and her long service to the United |
| long time before Sophia was offered her first role in | | | | Nations as a goodwill ambassador. |
| a film. She failed the screen tests one after the | | | | The lesson we can learn from the biography of |
| other, and it seemed as if there was no way for her | | | | Sophia Loren is priceless. It can be summarized in her |
| to become an actress. She was not a classical | | | | own words: "I firmly believe we can make our own |
| beauty: with her nose too long, her mouth too large, | | | | miracles if we believe strongly enough in ourselves |
| her chin and her hips too broad. What the | | | | and our mission on earth. |
| cameramen could not see at first, was that the total | | | | |