From unforgettable fame to who they are today — the full story, with rare photos.
The Face Everyone Knew
Luigia “Gina” Lollobrigida was an Italian actress, model, photojournalist, and sculptor. She was one of the highest-profile European actresses of the 1950s and 1960s, a period in which she was an international sex symbol and was dubbed “the most beautiful woman in the world”. Nicknamed “la Bersagliera” in her country after her famed role in Bread, Love and Dreams as well as her combative character, at the time of her death she was among the last surviving high-profile international actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema.
Rise to Stardom
As her film career slowed, Lollobrigida established a second career as a photojournalist. In the 1970s she achieved a scoop by gaining access to Fidel Castro for an exclusive interview.
Life at the Top
Lollobrigida continued as an active supporter of Italian and Italian-American causes, particularly the National Italian American Foundation . In 2008 she received the NIAF Lifetime Achievement Award at the Foundation’s Anniversary Gala. In 2013, she sold her jewellery collection and donated the nearly US$5 million from the sale to benefit stem-cell therapy research. She won the Henrietta Award at the 18th Golden Globe Awards.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons (public domain / Creative Commons).