Celebrity Nooz: Gina Lollobrigida

Gina Lollobrigida (Actress) - Beat the Devil

Updated: 7/13/17

Name: Gina Lollobrigida

Birth Name: Luigina Lollobrigida

Born: July 4, 1927, Subiaco, Italy

Nickname: The Mona Lisa of the 20th Century, La Lollo

Claim To Fame: A beautiful Italian actress best known for films like Beat the Devil and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Family Life: She was married to Slovenian physcian Milko Skofic from 1949-1971. They had one child, Andrea Milko.

In 1969, she was engaged briefly to real estate heir George Kaufman. She was also briefly engaged to Spanish businessman Javier Rigau y Rafols in 2006.

Info: Lollobrigida started out modeling as a young woman, and went on to participate in several beauty contests.

After appearing in a half-dozen films in Italy, it was rumored that, in 1947, film tycoon Howard Hughes had her flown to Hollywood; however, she returned to Italy.

Her Hollywood breakout movie would not come until six years later in the John Huston film Beat the Devil (1953).

As her film roles and national popularity increased, she was tagged "The Most Beautiful Woman in the World" after her signature movie Beautiful But Dangerous (1955).

She co-starred with Rock Hudson in the 1961 film Come September, which won the Golden Globe Award as the World's Film Favorite.

In the 1970s, Lollobrigida turned her focus to photography. Among her subjects were Paul Newman, Salvador Dali and the German national soccer team. A collection of her work titled Italia Mia was published in 1973.

In January 2013, she started legal action against Javier Rigau y Rafols, claiming that her ex-boyfriend had staged a secret ceremony in which he "married" an imposter pretending to be her at a registry office in Barcelona. She said he intended to lay claim to her estate after her death. Lollobrigida accused Rigau of fraud.

Trivia: Has won six David di Donatello, two Nastro d'Argento, and six Bambi Awards; she was nominated three times for the Golden Globe and won one in 1961 as World Film Favorite - Female; she was nominated once for a Bafta.

Was nominated in 1985 as an officer of Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by Jack Lang because of her achievements in photography and sculpture.

In 1992, she was awarded the Legion d'honneur by Francois Mitterrand.

Where Are They Now: Lollobrigida is retired from acting. Since 1949, she has lived at her home ranch and gardens in Sicily, Italy, a property that also contains her personal museum.

In addition, she regularly stays at her house on Via Appia Antica in Rome and at a villa in Monte Carlo.

In 2013, Lollobrigida sold her jewelry collection through Sotheby's. She donated nearly $5 million to benefit stem cell therapy.

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