In the year 1961, Sophia Loren starred in the film La Ciociara (Two Women). Her performance in this role won her the 1961 Academy Award for Best Actress. This was the first Academy Award ever given to a performer for a non-English language film. This win garnered her international fame. Her roles were often women with complex sexual experiences. In La Ciociara, her character endures a sexual assault as she protects her daughter in post-invasion Italy. In later films, she would continue to take these complex roles as in her role in the 1964 film Matrimonio all’italiana (Marriage Italian Style). In this film, Loren portrays a post-War World II sex worker who mutually falls in love with a successful businessman. Loren wasn’t known just for her acting prowess, but for her beauty as well. She was an icon and sex symbol of the 60s. She appeared in Life magazine seven times through the 50s and 60s, Cosmopolitan and Vogue in 1962, the French women’s magazine Marie Claire in 1964, and countless other publications over the course of her career. Because of her beauty and the roles she took in films, she was often compared to Marilyn Monroe, often being called “The Italian Marilyn”.  

Thomas, Antonia. “Sophia Loren: The Story of the Most Iconic Italian Actress.” Italy Segreta, 11 Mar. 2024, italysegreta.com/sophia-loren-the-story-of-the-most-iconic-italian-actress/.