The iconic Italian actress, Gina Lollobrigida, has passed away at the age of 95. Her legacy and influence on cinema will never be forgotten.
Giulia Citani, her lawyer, announced that she passed away in a Rome clinic.
In the 1950s and ’60s, actress Lollobrigida rose to prominence by appearing alongside icons like Humphrey Bogart, Rock Hudson, Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis and Frank Sinatra.
Throughout her illustrious career, she performed in a wide range of projects including “Crossed Swords,” “Trapeze,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “Beat the Devil,” “Falcon Crest” and the unforgettable classic “Beautiful But Dangerous.”
Not only did Lollobrigida act in her lifetime, but she also experimented with photojournalism and politics.
Throughout the 70s, she bravely captured iconic figures such as Paul Newman, Salvador Dalí, Henry Kissinger, David Cassidy, Audrey Hepburn, and Ella Fitzgerald in her lens.
In 1999, she chose to campaign for a seat in the European Parliament as a representative of the Democratic Party – unfortunately, though, her efforts were unsuccessful.
“I’ve never been involved in politics,” she said at the time, “but when I got the offer I said ‘yes’ immediately … It’s only afterward that I thought about why this was a good thing. I don’t know how many votes I need. I don’t know anything.”
Born in 1927 to a furniture maker living in Subiaco, Italy — just outside of Rome — “La Lollo” was destined for greatness.
As a youth, she set her sights on the Miss Italia pageant in 1947 to give modeling a try and ended up attaining third place. Furthering her education at Rome’s Academy of Fine Arts, Sophia additionally studied sculpture during this period of time.
While the majority of the world was mesmerized by Lollobrigida’s beauty, one man had a unique admiration: billionaire Howard Hughes.
The aviator noticed her in a promotional photo and asked her to fly out to Hollywood for a movie audition. Even though she was already married to the Slovenian doctor Milko Škofič, he attempted to charm her with his eccentric celebrity status.
After two decades of marriage, Škofič and Lollobrigida were blessed with a son, Milko Jr., whom they doted on until their parting in 1971.
“Time and time he tried to get me!”In an interview with Vanity Fair, Lollobrigida detailed Hughes’ advances. “But he didn’t succeed … there was just too much difference between us. I said to him, ‘If you lose all your money, then perhaps I’ll marry you.’ Maybe he was surprised that there was one person who wasn’t interested in his money.”
In 1997, Lollobrigida retired from acting and divulged to Parade magazine in April 2000: “I studied painting and sculpting at school and became an actress by mistake … I’ve had many lovers and still have romances. I am very spoiled. All my life, I’ve had too many admirers.”
