Italy: The legendary Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida passed away at the age of 95, the death was confirmed by her agent, Paola Comin.
Together with Sophia Loren, Lollobrigida came to symbolize the earthy sexuality of Italian actresses in the 1950s and 1960s. Lollobrigida began her career as a popular beauty queen and model after completing her schooling as a painter and sculptor. In 1946, she made her film debut in a modest role in the action-packed adventure “The Black Eagle.”
Lollobrigida had already made appearances in more than twenty European films when she made her first English-language film, John Huston’s 1953 camp drama “Beat the Devil,” in which she portrayed Humphrey Bogart’s wife and partner.
The actress was on the cover of Time magazine in 1954 because of that movie and the recognition she received for the Italian-French period comedy “Fanfan la Tulipe,” which was released in the US the same year.
Oggi è scomparsa #GinaLollobrigida, una delle stelle più luminose della cinematografia e della cultura italiana. Ineguagliabile fuoriclasse, icona di bellezza e versatilità, donna e professionista straordinaria. Continuerà a vivere e ispirare attraverso le sue opere. pic.twitter.com/fEW9gVFuEi
— Francesco Lollobrigida ?? (@FrancescoLollo1) January 16, 2023
Lollobrigida established a new line of work as a photojournalist when she faced a dwindle in film roles. The Italian actress sporadically made appearances in movies and on television, most notably in 1984 as a recurring character in the US prime-time soap opera “Falcon Crest.”
Francesco Lollobrigida, the Italian Minister of Agriculture, and her grandnephew tweeted the news of her death and referred to her as “one of the brightest stars of Italian cinematography and culture.”