Hollywood Legend Sophia Loren Is 88 Today - Here Are Some Of Her Best Moments

Today is Sophia Loren’s 88th birthday.

The Italian bombshell is one of the great actresses from Hollywood’s Golden Age, and sadly, she is one of the few still with us. Loren has long been a favorite of mine, and I think she should be studied and appreciated far more than she is.

The inimitable #SophiaLoren, who once said “Everything you see I owe to spaghetti,” is a beautiful reminder of the glamour and elegance of old Hollywood. In this 1966 clip, she accepts an award from the National Association of Theater Owners. Now go eat some pasta! pic.twitter.com/Crby3jPbPm

— 1stDibs (@1stDibs) September 18, 2022

The Amazing Life & Career of Sophia Loren

Before the current era of lip injections and plastic surgery, Loren was a natural, timeless beauty.

Sophia Loren photographed by Angelo Frontoni, 1961. pic.twitter.com/u6u8ka5Qk9

— ?????????. (@Dear_Lonely1) September 19, 2022

One of her most famous roles was opposite Charleton Heston in the Anthony Mann-directed classic El Cid.

Charlton Heston with the lusciously sublime Sophia Loren in ‘El Cid’.#CharltonHeston #SophiaLoren #ElCid #1960s pic.twitter.com/8WiEdrr5Cy

— Golden Age of Hollywood Reigns Supremely (@VintageEraReign) September 13, 2022

Age was just a number for Loren, and she let her natural beauty shine; even in her 50s, she never hid behind plastic surgery and heavy make-up.

Sophia Loren photographed at the Mayfair Regency Hotel during the New York Film Festival in 1991. pic.twitter.com/sLsVryTkxr

— sophia loren files ? (@thelorenfiles) September 16, 2022

She was one of the first women to vocally buck Hollywood beauty trends, and she always had a witty line to do it!

“I’d much rather eat pasta and drink wine than be a size zero.” Sophia Loren 1965. pic.twitter.com/BvLdExOA7O

— History In Pictures (@HistoryInPics) September 12, 2022

Women in this era of Hollywood were afraid to be seen doing anything other than looking beautiful; Sophia Loren had no such problem.

Sophia Loren photographed by Richard C. Miller, 1958 pic.twitter.com/mWKCxXLcx2

— ?????????. (@Dear_Lonely1) September 14, 2022

In an era of slight blondes, she always stood out.

The #ICFF wishes a very happy birthday to the legendary Sophia Loren, who turns 85 years old young today! The iconic beauty brought mediterranean charisma from #Napoli all the way to #Hollywood pic.twitter.com/gTzH1Jpoqb

— ICFF Canada (@ICFFCanada) September 20, 2019

Brains, Beauty, And Talent

All of this and brains too! She is a phenomenal actress, winning the Best Actress Oscar for the 1961 film, Two Women. At the time, she made history for being the first person to win an Oscar for a Non-English performance.

“I said I will never be able to do it. I am 25 yrs old… I am not a mother. [De Sica] said just believe me. He sent me a telegram saying ‘I am going to do this film and I want to do it with you b/c I believe in you. That is the miracle of movies.” ―Sophia Loren, TWO WOMEN (’60) pic.twitter.com/DZRAePAIUp

— Dominique Revue (@DominiqueRevue) March 17, 2022

Loren is an icon in her hometown of Napoli.