Sophia Loren names her one and only regret: “That was the dream of my life”
There are only a few names in the movie business that ring as true in terms of their iconic status as Sophia Loren. The Italian film star was one of the biggest names in the classic Hollywood era, with an Academy Honorary Award for lifetime achievement, and is one of the last surviving stars to have garnered this accolade.
After featuring in a series of bit-part roles, Loren signed a five-picture contract with Paramount and the likes of The Pride and the Passion, Houseboat and It Started in Naples made her an international star. From there, Loren cemented her place in cinema history with appearances in Two Women, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow and Marriage Italian Style.
However, like any actor or artist, Loren harbours some regrets over how her life turned out. Well, at least in her instance, she has just one. In an interview with the Radio Times, Loren admitted, “It’s very hard to say you have no regrets. In life, you always go through so many experiences.”
Still, the legendary actor noted that she had always tried to go through her life trying to stand by the mantra: don’t sweat the small stuff (it’s all small stuff). That, of course, proves hard to abide by constantly, and she said that she had just one “little regret” that still lives inside of her. Many actors regret a particular role or performance, but for Loren, it lies within her personal life.
“The only thing I regret a little is that I never got married in a white dress,” she said. “That was the dream of my life, which is still inside me.” With so much success in the film industry, it’s only natural that Loren turned to the personal experiences that make up her life when naming the only regret that still plagues her mind.
Loren married the Italian film producer Carlo Ponti in 1966, but she did not wear a white wedding dress as she had always dreamed of. The two were married for 41 years and have two sons together, Edoardo and Carlo Jr. Just prior to the two Italians tying the knot, Loren had a widely publicised relationship with the acting legend Cary Grant.
However, Grant did not ask for Loren’s hand in marriage. “Cary Grant was a very handsome man and a wonderful actor, but he didn’t propose,” she added. “I mean, how can you propose while you’re doing a picture? It’s impossible. We had a very nice relationship, but Cary was much older than me.” Had Grant indeed proposed, then perhaps Loren might have had her dreams come true and never lived with her white dress regret.
Of course, she had a wonderful relationship with her husband, and by the time she and Grant met, she’d already largely fallen in love with Ponti. When asked if she would marry again in a white wedding dress, the actor replied, “No. I have children. I have grandchildren. I think I’ve reached a peaceful life. I have everything I ever wanted.”
