Gina Lollobrigida Biography
Gina Lollobrigida (birth name: Luigina Lollobrigida) is an actress, photojournalist, and sculptress from Italy, In the 1950s and early 60s, Gina was an international sex symbol, having been one of the highest profile European actresses of the time.
She became a sculptress and photojournalist with time as her career in films slowed. Gina is an active supporter of Italian and Italian American causes, particularly the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF). Her contribution is huge as she has a NIAF Lifetime Achievement Award that she received in 2008 at the Foundation’s Anniversary Gala. In 2013, she sold her jewelry collection and donated the nearly $5 million from the sale to benefit stem cell therapy research.
Gina Lollobrigida Age
The iconic actress is 91 years old as of 2018. She was born on 4 July 1927 in Subiaco, Italy.
Gina Lollobrigida Parents and Sisters
Gina was born and raised in a family of four daughters of Giovanni Lollobrigida (d. 1977), a furniture manufacturer and his wife Giuseppina Mercuri (d. 1970). She has had three sisters: older sister Giuliana, younger sisters Maria and Fernanda (1930 – 2011).
Gina Lollobrigida Marriage | Husband | Dating
Gina has been married once and had several romantic relationships, some of which got to engagements. She got married to a Slovenian physician, Milko Škofič in 1949. Milko gave up his medical practice to become his wife’s manager and on 28th July 1957, their son Andrea Milko (Milko Škofič, Jr.) was born. As a family, they moved to Toronto, Canada in 1960 and 11 years later, Milko and Gina got divorced.
In January 1968, she got involved with Christiaan Barnard romantically for a night while she was still married. Barnard was a South African doctor and pioneer in heart transplant surgery. Still, before her divorce, Gina was briefly engaged to a New York real estate heir by the name George Kaufman in 1969.
At the age of 79, in October 2006, Gina made an announcement on Spain’s ¡Hola! that she was engaged, this time to a 45-year-old Spanish businessman by the name Javier Rigau y Rafols. The two had met at a party in 1984 and began dating. However, on 6th December 2006, the engagement was called off as a result of the intense media interest.
Gina Lollobrigida Today
Gina Lollobrigida Career
Gina began her career in the entertainment industry while she was in her youthful days. She modeled in several beauty contests before getting minor roles in Italian movies. At the age of 18, she had a role in the theatre comedy Santarellina at the Teatro della Concordia of Monte Castello di Vibio. She attained national fame in 1947 when she participated in the Miss Italia pageant and earned the third position.
Professionally, Gina began acting in the early 1950s. She was invited to act in Hollywood but refused. She could appear in American films shot in Europe but not in those shot in the U.S until 1959. In 1953, she played a role Bread, Love and Dreams (Pane, amore e fantasia), leading her to receive a BAFTA nomination and a Nastro d’Argento award. She appeared in other Italian films like The Wayward Wife (1953) and in Woman of Rome (1954) as well as in French films such as Fearless Little Soldier (Fanfan la Tulipe, 1952), Beauties of the Night (Les Belles de nuit, also 1952) and Le Grand Jeu (1954).
By the 1970s, Gina’s career in film had slowed. However, in the mid-80s, she got a role in the soap opera Falcon Crest as Francesca Gioberti. This role earned her her third Golden Globe nomination. She went ahead to appear in other series like Deceptions (1985) and The Love Boat (1986). She has since retired from acting with her last film having been in 1997.
Gina Lollobrigida Awards, Nominations and Honors
Gina has received several awards as well as nominations for her work in the entertainment industry. They include:
- 3 David di Donatello Awards
- 2 Nastro d’Argento Awards
- 6 Bambi Awards
- 3 nominations for a Golden Globe Award, winning one in 1961 as World Film Favourite – Female
- 1 nomination for a BAFTA award
- 1985 – Gina was nominated as an officer of France’s Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by Jack Lang, for her achievements in photography and sculpture.
- She was awarded the Légion d’honneur by François Mitterrand.
- On 16 October 1999, Lollobrigida was nominated Goodwill Ambassador of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
- On 1 February 2018, Lollobrigida received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Gina Lollobrigida Movies
Gina has acted in many television films and cinema productions. They include:
Cinema
- 1946 – Lucia di Lammermoor
- 1946 – Black Eagle as Girl at party
- 1947 – When Love Calls
- 1947 – Vendetta nel sole as Young girl
- 1948 – Mad About Operav as Dora
- 1949 – Alarm Bells as Agostina
- 1950 – A Dog’s Life as Rita Buton
- 1950 – Miss Italy as Lisetta Minneci
- 1950 – Alina as Alina
- 1951 – A Tale of Five Cities as Maria Severini
- 1951 – Love I Haven’t… But… But as Gina
- 1952 – Beauties of the Night as Leila, Cashier
- 1953 – Le infedeli as Lulla Possenti
- 1953 – Beat the Devil as Maria Dannreuther
- 1954 – Woman of Rome as Adriana
- 1954 – Le Grand Jeu as Sylvia Sorrego, Helena Ricci
- 1955 – The World’s Most Beautiful Woman as Lina Cavalieri
- 1958 – Anna of Brooklyn as Anna
- 1959 – The Law as Marietta
- 1959 – Never So Few as Carla Vesari
- 1959 – Solomon and Sheba as Queen of Sheba
- 1961 – Go Naked in the World as Giulietta Cameron
- 1961 – Come September as Lisa Helena Fellini
- 1962 – La bellezza di Ippolita as Ippolita
- 1963 – Venere Imperiale as Paulette Bonaparte
- 1963 – Mad Sea as Margherita
- 1964 – Woman of Straw as Maria Marcello
- 1965 – Me, Me, Me… and the Others as Titta
- 1965 – Le Bambole (The Dolls) as Beatrice
- 1966 – Hotel Paradiso as Marcelle Cotte
- 1967 – Cervantes as Giulia Toffolo
- 1968 – Stuntman as Evelyne Lake
- 1968 – Death Laid an Egg as Anna
- 1969 – That Splendid November as Cettina
- 1971 – Bad Man’s River as Alicia
- 1972 – King, Queen, Knave as Martha Dreyer
- 1973 – No encontre rosas para mi madre
- 1997 – XXL as Gaby
- 2011 – Box office 3d as herself
Television
- 1958 – Portrait of Gina(documentary)
- 1972 – The Adventures of Pinocchio as The Fairy with Turquoise Hair
- 1984 – Falcon Crest as Francesca Gioberti
- 1985 – Deceptions
- 1986 – The Love Boat
- 1988 – Woman of Rome as Adriana’s mother
- 1996 – Una donna in fuga
- 2018 – Still Game as herself