Loren, Sophia, 1934-, Italian film actress, b. as Sophia Scicoloni. She grew up in the slums of Naples. With the help of Italian producer Carlo Ponti (later her husband) she gained international fame as a beautiful and accomplished film actress in both tragic dramas and boisterous comedies. She won the first Academy Award for a foreign-language performance for her role in Two Women (1961), and she received a special Academy Award in 1991 for her body of work. Her movies include The Gold of Naples (1954), The Pride and the Passion (1957), Houseboat (1958), Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1963), Marriage Italian Style (1964), and A Special Day (1977). In the autobiographical television movie Sophia Loren: Her Own Story (1980), she played herself and her mother.

orig. Sofia Villani Scicolone

(born Sept. 20, 1934, Rome, Italy) Italian film actress. After a poverty-stricken childhood in war-torn Naples, she became a model and movie extra in Rome. Coached by the producer Carlo Ponti (later her husband), she acted in Italian movies from 1950, including The Gold of Naples (1954). Her later films, in which she became noted for her statuesque beauty and earthy femininity, include The Black Orchid (1959), El Cid (1961), Two Women (1961, Academy Award), Boccaccio '70 (1962), Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow (1964), Marriage Italian Style (1964), and A Special Day (1977).

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orig. Sofia Villani Scicolone

(born Sept. 20, 1934, Rome, Italy) Italian film actress. After a poverty-stricken childhood in war-torn Naples, she became a model and movie extra in Rome. Coached by the producer Carlo Ponti (later her husband), she acted in Italian movies from 1950, including The Gold of Naples (1954). Her later films, in which she became noted for her statuesque beauty and earthy femininity, include The Black Orchid (1959), El Cid (1961), Two Women (1961, Academy Award), Boccaccio '70 (1962), Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow (1964), Marriage Italian Style (1964), and A Special Day (1977).

Learn more about Loren, Sophia with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Loren may refer to any of the following:

Surname

• Eric Loren, U.S. actor
• Giselle Loren, U.S. voice actor
• Sophia Loren (born 1934), Italian actress
• Todd Loren (1960—1992), U.S. comic book publisher
• Trinity Loren (1964—1998), U.S. porn star

Given name

• Loren Acton
• Loren Bouchard
• Loren Cameron
• Loren Carpenter
• Loren Coleman
• Loren Cunningham
• Loren Dean
• Loren Eiseley
• Lorenzo "Loren" Juarros, former footballer for Real Sociedad
• Loren Legarda
• Loren Lonsdale
• Loren Toews

Fiction

• Loren, from the Animorphs series
• Loren Power, from Blue Water High