Sophia Loren

Sophia Loren is such an Italian cultural icon that her career as an actor is not always given the attention it deserves. HCC film professors Marie Westhaver and Mike Giuliano devote this podcast episode to ensuring that her acting career is given its due. From her humble origins in wartime Italy, Loren became a star in both Italian and Hollywood films in the 1950s. Many of these films admittedly did little more than turn the camera on her great beauty, but given the right role she proved that she has great talent as well. Indeed, Sophia Loren won the Academy Award as Best Actress in director Vittorio De Sica's dramatic masterpiece "Two Women" in 1960. There have been other notable films since then and now, at age 86, Loren is winning critical praise for her latest film, "The Life Ahead." As if that weren't nice enough, this new film was directed by one of her sons!