Gina Lollobrigida

Italian actress who made her debut in 1947 after winning a beauty contest. She was the sexy star of some 60 films that include The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1956) and Trapeze (1956) in which she sizzled with Burt Lancaster. Her film career fell off in the '60s and, with business sense and driving ambition she started a second career as a photographer and filmmaker of documentaries. At the time of her death at age 95, Lollobrigida was among the last living high-profile international actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema. Also photographer and sculptor.

Lollobrigida won three David di Donatello, two Nastro d'Argento, and six Bambi awards. She was nominated three times for the Golden Globe and won once in 1961 as World Film Favorite – Female. She was nominated once for a BAFTA award.

She published four photo montage books, reaching surrealism with The Wonder of Innocence (1994), which has 150 photos interlaced of kids, animals and nature.

In 2013, she sold her jewelry collection, and donated the nearly $5 million from the sale to benefit stem cell therapy research.

In 1949, Lollobrigida married a Slovenian physician, Milko Škofič. Their only child, Andrea Milko (Milko Škofič, Jr.), was born on 28 July 1957. In 1960, Lollobrigida moved from her native Italy to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with Škofič and their son Andrea. They divorced in 1971. For a period of time she was involved in multiple law suits, coming and going.

In 2006 Lollobrigida and Spanish businessman, Javier Rigau y Rafols, signed a prenuptial agreement and married in Spain.

Still stunning in her 80s, Gina Lollobrigida had great energy and a passion for life. She died at a clinic in Rome on 16 January 2023 at the age of 95.