Sophia Loren

 Sophia Loren was born as Sofia Scicolone at the Clinica Regina Margherita in Rome on September 20, 1934. Her father Riccardo who was already married to a different woman, decided to not get married to Romilda Villani. Romilda was the mother to his two children (Sophia Scicolone, and Maria Scicolone, the younger sister of her). Living in the slums of Pozzuoli during the Second World War without any support from her father, she was afflicted with immense sadness throughout her childhood. When she was 14 she participated in an annual beauty contest and was selected as one the top three. This is where Sophia caught the attention of the film director Carlo Ponti, some 22 years her senior, whom she later got married to. It's possible that he was the father figure that she had never known as a child. Sophia was put under his direction and was initially as an actor in the film Le sei mogli di Barbablu (1950), then progressed to supporting roles. Because of her gorgeous beauty, many joked that she could raise Lazzarus from the dead in the early films. she was referred to as "Sofia Lazzaro"

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