The iconic Italian actress, Gina Lollobrigida, passed away at the age of 95 in a Rome clinic. Giulia Citani, her lawyer, announced her passing. Her legacy and influence on cinema will never be forgotten.
In the 1950s and ’60s, Lollobrigida rose to fame by appearing in films alongside iconic actors such as 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,” “Ump the Devil,” “Falcon Crest” and the classic “Beautiful But Dangerous.”
In addition to her acting career, Lollobrigida also experimented with photojournalism and politics. Throughout the 70s, she captured iconic figures such as Paul Newman, Salvador Dalí, Henry Kissinger, David Cassidy, Audrey Hepburn, and Ella Fitzgerald in her lens. In 1999, she even campaigned for a seat in the European Parliament as a representative of the Democratic Party, although her efforts were unsuccessful.
Born in 1927 to a furniture maker living in Subiaco, Italy, “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.
In 1997, Lollobrigida retired from acting. She revealed in an interview, that she became an actress by mistake and that she has had many admirers throughout her life.
Gina Lollobrigida’s legacy in the film industry and her influence on cinema will be remembered forever, her beauty, talent and her ability to captivate the audience will be missed.
