The scandalous reason Sophia Loren wasn’t allowed to become Miss Italy
Born in 1934, Sophia Loren was just a teenager when she began acting, earning herself a contract with Paramount Pictures in 1956. Despite her young age, Loren quickly became a sex symbol, attracting international attention. Working between Italian and Hollywood productions, it didn’t take long for the actor to become one of the most coveted stars of the era.
During the 1950s, Loren starred in movies such as The Pride and the Passion and Houseboat, both alongside Cary Grant. Due to her star status, Loren was often paired with some of Hollywood’s most acclaimed male stars, such as Clark Gable, John Wayne, Richard Burton and Tab Hunter.
Loren made history when she became the first actor to win an Academy Award for a foreign-language production in 1960, earning the coveted prize for her performance in Two Women. She also won an honorary Oscar in 1990 for her contributions to cinema.
Loren frequently collaborated with Vittorio De Sica, starring in movies such as Two Women, Boccaccio ’70, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, Marriage Italian-Style, A Place for Lovers and Un monde nouveau. She cites the director as one of the most influential figures in her career, telling The Independent, “I was 16. I didn’t know what to think. I must say if I hadn’t known Vittorio, I don’t think I would have done as well as I’ve done. He was a wonderful maestro of acting.”
She added: “He gave me strength. Strength to go on and never be afraid of daring. Never.”
However, Loren might not have entered the acting business at all if not for her teenage modelling pursuits. At the age of 15, using the name Sofia Lazzaro, she entered the 1950 Miss Italia beauty pageant. The competition was responsible for shooting many contestants to international fame, and Loren became no exception.
Unfortunately for Loren, she failed to win the overall prize, which was awarded to Maria Bugliari instead, who went on to star in a few films after the competition. Despite being just 15 years old, Loren was deemed “too provocative” to win the prize, leading the panel to create an entirely new award just for Loren – ‘Miss Eleganza 1950’.
Interestingly, Liliana Cardinale won ‘Miss Cinema’, although Loren would soon usurp this title as one of Hollywood’s most well-respected actors in the coming years. Following the pageant, Loren joined the film school Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, soon landing roles in movies such as Era lui… sì! sì! and La Favorita. Under the direction of Clemente Fracassi, Loren landed her first starring role in Aida, released just three years after her appearance at the pageant.
From there, Loren honed a successful career, dedicating herself to roles that present women in a positive light. “In my career, I’ve always tried to play women with a strong character,” she told The Independent.
