Hollywood icon Gina Lollobrigida dies, aged 95
The Italian actress was one of the world's most famous movie stars in the 1950s and '60s.
Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida, a major star of 1950s and '60s cinema, has died at the age of 95.
Lollobrigida starred in films including Crossed Swords, Beautiful But Dangerous and the 1956 version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and appeared alongside actors including Humphrey Bogart, Frank Sinatra and Errol Flynn.
She was dubbed at the time to be the "most beautiful woman in the world" and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2018.
After leaving the world of acting she went on to become a photojournalist, taking pictures of, amongst many others, Salvador Dalí, Henry Kissinger and Audrey Hepburn.
Her lawyer Giulia Citani has said that she died in a clinic in Rome.
Lollobrigida was born in Italy in 1927 and came third in the Miss Italia beauty pageant in 1947. She married Slovenian doctor Milko Škofič in 1949 but they were divorced in 1971. During this time she also caught the attention of business magnate and film producer Howard Hughes, who tried to seduce her.
Lollobrigida went on to star in Beat the Devil opposite Humphrey Bogart in 1953, bringing her international fame. However, she continued to mostly star in Italian films, including the romantic comedy Pane, amore e fantasia (Bread, Love and Dreams), for which she was nominated for a BAFTA.
She was also nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in 1968's Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell.
Throughout her career she had a famous rivalry with Sofia Loren. In 2017, when asked about this, she said: "I was not looking for any rivalry against anyone: I was the No. 1."
In the 1970s, she largely withdrew from the film world and instead focused on her photography and journalism, going on to conduct a high profile interview with Fidel Castro.
In 1999, she also entered the world of politics, running for the European Parliament, representing the Democrats, but was unsuccessful. Last year, she also stood for the Italian Senate.
Those paying tribute to Lollobrigida have included Antonio Banderas, who posted on Twitter: "Nos deja una gran leyenda del cine italiano. Riposa in pace", translating to: "A great legend of Italian cinema leaves us. Rest in peace."
Lollobrigida is survived by her son Milko and her grandson Dimitri.
Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
