Monica Bellucci

Monica Anna Maria Bellucci (Italian: [ˈmɔːnika belˈluttʃi]; born 30 September 1964) is an Italian actress and model. She began her career as a fashion model, modelling for Dolce & Gabbana and Dior, before making a transition to Italian films and later American and French films.

Monica Bellucci
Bellucci in 2016
Born
Monica Anna Maria Bellucci

(1964-09-30) 30 September 1964
Città di Castello, Umbria, Italy
Occupation
  • Actress
  • fashion model
Years active
  • 1977–present (model)
  • 1990–present (actress)
Height1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Spouses
  • Claudio Carlos Basso
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1984; div. 1985)​
  • Vincent Cassel
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1999, divorced)​
Children2

She made her film debut in Francesco Laudadio's Italian comedy La Riffa (1991). The following year she played a Bride of Dracula in Francis Ford Coppola's gothic horror romance film Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992). For her leading role in L'Appartement (1997), she received a César Award for Most Promising Actress. She played Malèna Scordia in the Giuseppe Tornatore's acclaimed Italian romantic drama Malèna (2000). She starred in Gaspar Noé's controversial arthouse psychological thriller film Irréversible (2002), which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.

In 2004 portrayed Mary Magdalene in Mel Gibson's biblical drama The Passion of the Christ (2004). She portrayed Persephone in the 2003 science-fiction films The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. At the age of 51, by appearing in the 2015 James Bond film Spectre, she became the oldest Bond girl in the history of the franchise.[1] She has since acted in films such as The Whistleblower (2010), The Wonders (2014), On the Milky Road (2016), The Best Years of a Life (2019), The Man Who Sold His Skin (2020), and Memory (2022).

Early life

Bellucci was born 30 September 1964 in Città di Castello, Umbria,[2] the only child of Brunella Briganti and Pasquale Bellucci, and grew up in Lama of San Giustino.[3][4][5]

Career

Modelling
Bellucci at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival for the promotion of Irréversible

Monica Bellucci began modelling at age 13 by posing for a local photo enthusiast.[6] In 1988, Bellucci left the Faculty of Law at the University of Perugia,[7] and moved to one of Europe's fashion centers, Milan, where she signed with Elite Model Management with the aid of model agent Piero Piazzi.[8] By 1989, she was becoming prominent as a fashion model in Paris and across the Atlantic, in New York City. She posed for Dolce & Gabbana and French Elle, among others. In that year, Bellucci made the transition to acting and began taking acting classes. The February 2001 Esquire's feature on Desire featured Bellucci on the cover and in an article on the five senses.

In 2003, she was featured in Maxim.[9] Men's Health also named her one of the "100 Hottest Women of All-Time", ranking her at No. 21.[10] AskMen named her the number one most desirable woman in 2002.[11] According to two national newspapers, she is considered an Italian sex symbol.[12][13]

In 2004, while pregnant with her daughter Deva, Bellucci posed nude for the Italian Vanity Fair in protest against an Italian law that restricts the provision of fertility treatment to heterosexual couples and excludes single women or same-sex couples, restricts surrogacy and research using human embryos, forbids sperm and egg donation, and limits the number of embryos created with in-vitro techniques to three.[14] She posed pregnant and semi-nude again for the magazine's April 2010 issue.[15] From 2006 to 2010 Bellucci was the face of a range of Dior products.[16]

In 2012, she became the new face of Dolce & Gabbana.[17] She is managed by Elite+ in New York City. Bellucci is signed to D'management Group in Milan and also to Storm Management in London.[18] Bellucci also posed for GQ Italia in February 2016.[19]

Bellucci walked the runway for the Spring 2019 Milan Fashion Week for Dolce and Gabbana.[20] Joining her included Isabella Rossellini, Eva Herzigová and Helena Christensen, continuing the influx of 90s supermodels returning to the spotlight of fashion.

Acting
Bellucci at the 2009 Women's World Award ceremony

Bellucci's film career began in the early 1990s. She played some minor roles in La Riffa (1991) and Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992). In 1996, she was nominated for a César Award for best supporting actress for her portrayal of Lisa in The Apartment and strengthened her position as an actress.[21] She became known and popular with worldwide audiences, following her roles in Malèna (2000), Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001) and Irréversible (2002).

She has since played in many films from Europe and Hollywood like Tears of the Sun (2003), The Matrix Reloaded (2003), The Passion of the Christ (2004), The Brothers Grimm (2005), Le Deuxième souffle (2007), Shoot 'Em Up (2007), Don't Look Back (2009) and The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010).[22][23]

She also voiced Kaileena in the video game Prince of Persia: Warrior Within and the French voice of Cappy for the French version of the 2005 animated film Robots. She was supposed to be seen portraying Indian politician Sonia Gandhi in the biopic Sonia, originally planned for release in 2007, but it has been shelved.[24] Bellucci dubbed her own voice for the French and Italian releases of the film Shoot 'Em Up (2007).[25]

In 2011, Bellucci was ranked fourth in Los Angeles Times Magazine's list of the 50 most beautiful women in film.[26]

At 50, she became the oldest Bond girl ever in the James Bond film franchise, playing Lucia Sciarra in Spectre (2015). Three years later, she appeared in the Australian film Nekrotronic.[27][28]

In 2021 she was honoured with Stella Della Mole Award for Artistic Innovation at 39th Torino Film Festival considering her lifetime achievements.[29]

Personal life

At the age of 20, Bellucci married Italian photographer Claudio Carlos Basso; they divorced after six months.[30][31]

From 1989 to 1995, she had a relationship with Italian actor Nicola Farron.[32][33]

She met French actor Vincent Cassel on the set of their 1996 film The Apartment.[34] They married on 2 August 1999 in Monaco.[35] Bellucci and Cassel have two daughters, Deva (born 12 September 2004) and Léonie (born 21 May 2010). Their daughters were born in Rome.[36][37] Bellucci and Cassel acted together in nine films from 1996 to 2006.[38] The couple announced their separation on 26 August 2013[34] and later divorced.[39] At the end of 2014, Bellucci said she was still enamoured of Cassel; both have remained close ever since.[40]

After her divorce, Bellucci was in a relationship with French sculptor and former model Nicolas Lefebvre, who was then 37 years old. They made it official in early March 2019 during a Chanel show at the Grand Palais in Paris.[41] She announced the end of their relationship in early July 2019.[42]

During the coronavirus lockdowns, Bellucci and Cassel lived in two nearby houses on the Basque coast (Pyrénées-Atlantiques) so that the latter could see his daughters and thus continue to share parental duties.[43]

Bellucci lived with Cassel and their daughters in Italy, France, Brazil, and England.[35] Then, in 2015, she decided to settle in Paris. Bellucci says, "Paris is part of my history", but she nevertheless considers herself "completely Italian. Everything in me is Italian."[44] She has houses in Lisbon and Rome.[45] Bellucci is fluent in Italian, French and English.[46][47] Deva became Dolce & Gabbana's muse at the age of 15 and, later, their runway model.[48][49] Her daughters' native language is Italian;[50] Deva spoke five languages ​​at the age of 16.[51]

In the documentary movie The Big Question, about the film The Passion of the Christ, Bellucci stated: "I am an agnostic, even though I respect and am interested in all religions. If there's something I believe in, it's a mysterious energy; the one that fills the oceans during tides, the one that unites nature and beings."[52][53]

In 2009, Bellucci signed a petition in support of director Roman Polanski, who had been detained while traveling to a film festival in relation to his 1977 sexual abuse charges, which the petition argued would undermine the tradition of film festivals as a place for works to be shown "freely and safely", and that arresting filmmakers traveling to neutral countries could open the door "for actions of which no-one can know the effects."[54][55]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1991 La Riffa Francesca
1992 Bram Stoker's Dracula one of Dracula's brides
Ostinato Destino Marina/Angela
1994 Briganti – Amore e libertà Costanza
I mitici – Colpo gobbo a Milano Deborah
1995 Palla di neve Melina
Il cielo è sempre più blu
Bible: Joseph (miniseries) Pharaoh's wife
1996 L'Appartement Lisa
Sorellina e il principe del sogno Princess
1997 Stressati
Dobermann Nat the Gypsy
Mauvais genre Camille
Come mi vuoi Nellina
1998 Le Plaisir Girl
Compromise Monique
Kaputt Mundi Giulia Giovannini
A los que aman Valeria
1999 Comme un poisson hors de l'eau Myrtille
Méditerranées Marguerite
2000 Under Suspicion Chantal Hearst
Franck Spadone Laura
Malèna Malèna Scordia
2001 Brotherhood of the Wolf Sylvia
2002 Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre Cleopatra
Irréversible Alex
2003 Remember Me, My Love Alessia
Tears of the Sun Dr. Lena Fiore Kendricks
The Matrix Reloaded Persephone
The Matrix Revolutions Persephone
2004 The Passion of the Christ Mary Magdalene
Secret Agents Barbara/Lisa
She Hate Me Simona Bonasera
2005 The Brothers Grimm The Mirror Queen
How Much Do You Love Me? Daniela
2006 Sheitan La belle vampiresse
2006 Napoleon and Me Baroness Emilia Speziali
The Stone Council Laura Siprien
2007 Heartango L'inafferrabile
Manual of Love 2 Lucia
Shoot 'Em Up Donna Quintano
Le deuxième souffle Manouche
2008 Sanguepazzo Luisa Ferida
L'uomo che ama Alba
2009 Ne te retourne pas Jeanne
The Private Lives of Pippa Lee Gigi Lee
Baarìa – La porta del vento Bricklayer's girlfriend
Omaggio a Roma Tosca
2010 The Whistleblower Laura Leviani
The Sorcerer's Apprentice Veronica Gorloisen
Rose, c'est Paris L'esprit de gala
2011 Manuale d'amore 3 Viola
Un été brûlant Angèle
2012 Rhino Season Mina
2013 Des gens qui s'embrassent Giovanna
2014 The Wonders Milly Catena
Na Quebrada Paola
2015 Ville-Marie Sophie
Spectre Lucia Sciarra
2016 On the Milky Road Nevesta
2018 Nekrotronic Finnegan
2019 The Best Years of a Life Elena
Spider in the Web Angela
2020 The Man Who Sold His Skin Soraya Waldy
2021 Fantasies (Les Fantasmes)[56] Sabrina
The Befana Comes At Night 2: The Origins (La Befana vien di notte II - Le origini) Dolores
The Girl in the Fountain[29] Anita Ekberg
2022 Memory Davana Sealman
Dry Valentina

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1990 Vita coi figli Elda TV movie
1995 Joseph Pharaoh's Wife TV movie
2011 R.I.S. Roma - Delitti Imperfetti Herself 1 episode
2011 Platane Herself 1x4, "La fois où Monica Bellucci a failli signer" ("The one where Monica Bellucci almost got signed")
2016 Mozart in the Jungle Alessandra Guest role; 5 episodes
2017 Twin Peaks: The Return Herself (Monica Bellucci's dream) Episode: "Part 14"
2018 Il Miracolo the Virgin Mary (dream sequence) 1 episode
2018 Call My Agent! Herself 2 episodes
2021 L'Amour Fluo Valéria 9 episodes
TBA Ark: The Animated Series Post-production, upcoming series

Video games
Year Title Voice role
2003 Enter the Matrix Persephone
2004 Prince of Persia: Warrior Within Kaileena
2005 The Matrix Online Persephone

Dubbing roles
Year Film Role Notes
2003Sinbad: Legend of the Seven SeasMarinaFrench dub
2005RobotsCappyFrench dub

Awards and nominations
Bellucci at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival
Year Award Category Nominated work Result
1997 César Awards Most Promising Actress L'Appartement Nominated
2001 European Film Awards Audience Award for Best Actress Malèna Nominated
2003 Saturn Award Best Supporting Actress Le pacte des loups Nominated
Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists Silver Ribbon for Best Supporting Actress Ricordati di me Won
Cinescape Genre Face of the Future Award Best Female The Matrix Reloaded
and The Matrix Revolutions		 Nominated
David di Donatello Awards Best Supporting Actress Ricordati di me Nominated
Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie Female Breakout Star The Matrix Reloaded
and Tears of the Sun		 Nominated
2004 MTV Movie Awards Best Kiss The Matrix Reloaded
(with Keanu Reeves)		 Nominated
2005 Globo d'oro European Golden Globe Won
Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists Silver Ribbon for Best Supporting Actress The Passion of the Christ Nominated
2007 Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists N Nominated
2017 Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists European Nastro D'Argento On the Milky Road Won
San Sebastian Film Festival Honorary Donostia Award Won
2020 Magritte Award Honorary Magritte Award Won
2021 David di Donatello Awards David Speciale Won
Torino Film Festival Stella Della Mole Award for Artistic Innovation Lifetime achievement Honoured[29]

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