Iconic Actress Gina Lollobrigida Has Passed Away Aged 95

Jan 16, 2023 by apost team

Gina Lollobrigida was an iconic actress and one of the last remaining stars from Hollywood's Golden Age. Sadly, her grandnephew, Francesco Lollobrigida, who is the Italian Minister of Agriculture, tweeted the news that she had passed away at the age of 95 on Jan. 16, 2023. He called her “one of the brightest stars of Italian cinematography and culture.” No cause of death has been reported.

One of the most famous actresses from Europe of her era, the Italian bombshell made her name as a sex symbol before she pivoted to working in other creative fields later in her life. 

Making it well into her 90s, Lollobrigida had a resume that was beyond impressive. While she first obtained fame as an actress, this versatile woman also achieved great success in photojournalism, and later on returned to her first loves: drawing and sculpture.

What's more, she was an active supporter of Italian and Italian American causes for years, and in 2013, she auctioned off her impressive jewelry collection and donated the $5 million profits to stem-cell therapy research. 

Although she was a sex symbol who was known all over the world at the height of her fame, Lollobrigida never grew accustomed to her level of celebrity. She said in a 2001 interview:

"I never got used to the success. Success embarrasses me, and it bothers me to be looked at. I never sought out publicity. I’ve had too much exposure. I have had 7,000 covers, and I’ve never paid for an article. Quite a good record. I never even had a publicist. The Americans couldn’t believe it."

In honor of this powerhouse of a woman, let's take a look at Lollobrigida's incredible life.

Born on July 4, 1927, in Subiaco, Rome, Lollobrigida was one of four daughters. When she was young, she entered beauty contests and did some modeling. This was around the time she first began to appear in movies in the Italian film industry. However, her first passion was actually drawing and sculpture, which she had begun studying at Rome's Academy of Fine Arts. 

In fact, it was outside her university that she was discovered by studio executives from Rome's famed Cinecittà Studios. She told Vanity Fair in 2015 that she didn't want to go to an audition, "but they insisted." She added:

"They asked my mother to convince me and said they would pay me one thousand lire. So I told them my price was one million lire, thinking that would put a stop to the whole thing. But they said yes!"

This set a precedent that meant throughout her career Lollobrigida got whatever she wanted, often without even having to ask. She recalled:

"I was successful very early ... I never had to ask for what I wanted. I just had to say yes, because they always offered me so much more. At one point, I had in my contract, in addition to 10 percent of the gross, approval of my co-star, the director, and the script. I had more publicity than anyone because I refused it — I didn’t care about it."

Nevertheless, the film industry — both Italian and Hollywood — saw a star in Lollobrigida. She was dubbed "La Lollo" by the press and became famous for her curvy figure. While her good looks certainly kept people captivated, she also became known for her immense talent. Her performance in "Bread, Love and Dreams" (1953) put her on the map as someone who had the potential to become a major star.  

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The 1950s was when she attracted the attention of Hollywood. Howard Hughes took a liking to her and offered a seven-year contract with RKO Pictures. She found success Stateside and continued to work as an actress for the next few decades, during which she continued to appear in many films in the Italian, French and American film industries, all through to the 1970s. 

Some of her most famous movies included "The Wayward Wife," "Woman of Rome," "Beat the Devil," "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," "Come September," "Buona Sera Mrs. Campbell" and more.

After her acting career slowed down, this Italian beauty didn't fade along with it. Her ambition led her to an eventful and successful career as a photojournalist. In fact, she became known for her eye behind the camera and ended up photographing some of the most famous people in the world, including Audrey Hepburn, Henry Kissinger, Paul Newman, Salvador Dali and Ella Fitzgerald. She also released a number of photography books.

Not content resting on her laurels, Lollobrigida slowly stopped her photojournalism work and finally returned to her first love, drawing and sculpture. She had a studio in the Italian city of Pietrasanta, and she described it as "the perfect place for my work." 

When she was asked why she didn't become a painter or sculptor when she was young, Lollobrigida said in the same interview, "Fate took me in a different direction." She added, "Finally, I’m doing what I have wanted to do from the time I was a child."

Despite her huge success in life, Lollobrigida did what she could to help those less fortunate. Over the years, she amassed a rather impressive array of valuable jewelry, and in 2013, she sold most of it and used the proceeds to donate $5 million dollars to stem cell research.  

Gina Lollobrigida was truly an icon, not only of the screen but of the arts in general. Were you a fan of hers? What is your favorite film she starred in? Let us know, then pass this on to others so they can read about her incredible life too!