Sophia Loren

Sophia Loren, born Sofia Villani Scicolone, is an Italian actress who rose from poverty in postwar Naples to become one of the world's most iconic film stars, winning the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Two Women (1960), the first for a non-English-speaking performance. Discovered after a beauty pageant at age 15, she began her career in small roles and gained fame through collaborations with directors like Vittorio De Sica and co-star Marcello Mastroianni in over 100 films spanning seven decades. She received an Academy Honorary Award in 1991 for her contributions to world cinema.