In The Toast series today, we honor Italian, Hollywood, and global cinema icon Sophia Loren. The first performer to win a Best Actress Oscar for a foreign language film with Two Women (1960), this sunny starlet continues to shine today!
She was called “Stuzzicadente” (toothpick). But this toothpick didn’t break. As a girl during World War II, in her small hometown near Naples, Italy, legend has it that she and her family took refuge in the railroad tunnels to avoid being killed by bombs. She tucked in her skinny toothpick legs from the tracks to avoid being killed by passing trains, too. Tough initiation into the world? Definitely. But the best Sophia Loren movies came from exactly that start. Sofia Villani Scicolone, born near Naples, became the tough, talented movie star who has reigned for seven decades. Sophia turned 92 this past September 20, and here’s wishing a buon compleanno to the first performer to win a Best Actress Oscar for a foreign language film. Cheers to her iconic character Cesira in Two Women (1960).
One of the last surviving movie stars from the shining Golden Age of Hollywood (which lasted roughly from the late 1920s to the late 1960s), Sophia Loren continues to show Italian, Hollywood, and global cinema how it’s done. This icon might’ve thrust open that Hollywood door in 1961 with her groundbreaking Oscar win. She revealed both the gorgeous, faraway breeze of an Italian Mediterranean Sea, and the gorgeous, faraway talent that lives within. But, more than that, she’s kept that door open.
Over seven decades, Sophia has starred in a huge string of both Italian and Hollywood films, continuously helping to bring worldwide recognition and acclaim to an Italian movie industry that had arguably always been thriving. Further, she helped shine a light on the importance of all international film outside of Hollywood.
What’s more, Sophia seemed to prove it so effortlessly. Anyone that’s witnessed her on-screen can attest. Sophia is mesmerizing. As the saying goes, “A picture paints a thousand words.” That’s Sophia in a movie. With one look, she can reach right into our heart. Whether in Italian or English, she doesn’t even have to speak lines. Sophia has on-screen presence “in spades,” or like those perfect pearls plucked from that deep blue Mediterranean Sea.
In the 1950s, France had Brigitte Bardot. Italy had Sophia Loren. She was the quintessence of “hip.” To cinephiles with a penchant for astronomy, Sophia’s early reign was like a luminous solar storm (of course minus any deleterious environmental or health effects). Sophia starred in legendary Italian films Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1963) and Marriage Italian Style (1964), both alongside her frequent acting pal, Italian icon Marcello Mastroianni. On this same timeline, she also starred in Hollywood epic films El Cid (1961) and The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), among others.
Further noteworthy, she lit up the screen in the Hollywood film Houseboat (1958), which caused quite the romantic comedy splash. Grab that towel! In this playful, frothy confection, Sophia is paired up with her Hollywood ex-beau Cary Grant. Yes, “Old Hollywood’s Ultimate Leading Man” was reputedly in complete and total amore (love) with the Italian goddess. A toothpick no longer, Sophia had grown into a voluptuous, tall Italian beauty with towering acting skill to match. Sidebar – did Sophia Loren and Cary Grant marry? No. Sophia instead married Italian film producer Carlo Ponti, who would go on to produce 1965’s epic Doctor Zhivago.
Fast-forwarding to the 2000s, Sophia’s last major film was Italy’s The Life Ahead in 2020. She was a whopping 86 years old. What’s more, she’s staunchly proclaimed in recent years that she has no plans of retiring. These comments come even after an unfortunate fall at her Switzerland home in 2023, where she suffered multiple broken bones. No, Sophia Loren proves how positive a long career can be. She’s that dazzlingly luminous sun, whose rays extend long and far.
Ranked #21 on the AFI’s (American Film Institute’s) list of Greatest Female Stars of Classic Hollywood Cinema compiled in 1999, Sophia Loren is the sole surviving actress on this list. So, in honor of this truly legendary star, here’s a breakdown of some of her best films. Ten films across seven decades, split between the essentials and the ones that never make the lists.
5 Essential Watches Starring Sophia Loren
Two Women (1960)
It’s the movie that gave Sophia Loren her Oscar. Directed by powerhouse Vittorio De Sica (the Italian filmmaker who some might say “discovered” Sophia in the early 1950s – cue 1954’s The Gold of Naples – and who went on to partner with Sophia in a huge handful of films), Two Women is an uncomfortable experience. It’s a simple enough story. Enter a mother in World War II Italy, who valiantly attempts to protect her preteen daughter from the ravages of war. But, Two Women takes this simple plot and brings it next-level. This is thanks to Sophia.
She’s a revelation on the screen, soaking up the vast outdoor Italian countryside, then the indoor dust-filled rubble of a bombing, and she makes these settings truly palpable. Her varying emotions are all visceral flashes of electricity for the audience. Sophia is a gritty tour-de-force, and well-deserving of her Oscar, which made her the first performer to win an Oscar for a foreign language film.
Where to watch: Tubi, YouTube TV, YouTube, Plex, Roku
El Cid (1961)
What would a “Best of” Sophia Loren movie list be without an “epic” genre film? Set in 11th century Spain, and co-starring superstar Charlton Heston, El Cid chronicles Heston’s title character (The Lord) as he admirably seeks to mend the religious fracture of Spain. Then enter his wife Chimene (Sophia Loren) who travels with him on this journey, as she struggles with feelings of love, revenge, and more. (For the revenge piece, El Cid just so happens to have killed her dad in a duel. Gasp!) Striking, colorful, and grand, El Cid is one of the finest examples of large-scale historical “epics” that 1960s Hollywood was churning out. It has all the period piece swagger.
The “epic” film genre was a staple in Sophia’s early films. Cue The Pride and the Passion (1957), The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), Sunflower (1970), and more. Depending on your favorite “epic” flavor, you’re bound to find one in Sophia’s film catalog that hits your sweet spot.
Where to watch: Tubi, Sling TV, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, YouTube TV
Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow (1963)
Here’s a unique Italian comedy that packs a big Cupid-filled, lipstick-stained kiss. It’s Sophia Loren, awesome Marcello Mastroianni, and director Vittorio De Sica. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow is a clever anthology of three Italian couples (played by Sophia and Marcello), that takes us on the wildest of romantic rides. Blush-worthy! For Sophia’s characters, she deftly plays a Neapolitan, a Milanese, and a Roman. A funny film that chooses humor to deliver its weighty message pertaining to Italian s**ual codes of conduct, this satire boasts one of Sophia’s most memorable scenes ever. Enter the lovely high-class sex worker Mara, and her striptease for Augusto. Comedy gold! This film is a must-watch. Taking a hard-pivot from her serious Oscar-winning role in Two Women (1960), and her dramatic role in historical epic El Cid (1961), Sophia shows that she has fierce comedic chops, too. Brava, Sophia!
Where to watch: Tubi, Roku, YouTube, Apple TV, Fandango, Google Play Movies, Plex, Amazon Prime Video
The Black Orchid (1958)
Arguably fit for the second half of this movie list (as The Black Orchid is more on the obscure side of Sophia’s filmography), The Black Orchid is still a must-watch. But why? It’s the movie that earned Sophia her first major acting award; the Coppa Volpi for Best Actress at the 1958 Venice Film Festival. It’s also one of Sophia’s first Hollywood films, as she had only crossed the Atlantic Ocean to glamorously grace Hollywood a year earlier in 1957. Sophia’s acting is strong here, and it shows off-the-charts potential. She plays a mob widow who might find new love in a fellow widower (played by renowned Anthony Quinn). Simultaneously vulnerable, tormented, wise, and hopeful, Sopha is emotionally riveting.
Where to watch: YouTube, Apple TV, Fandango, Google Play Movies
Marriage Italian Style (1964)
If there truly is such a thing as lightning in a bottle, Vittorio De Sica’s film Marriage Italian Style might be it. Arguably Sophia Loren’s most all-time popular film, Marriage Italian Style has top-notch drama and humor. Importantly, it also provides a deep, rich view into modern Italian culture like arguably no other film. Even better still, this film doesn’t seem to care if you like it, or if you understand it. Marriage Italian Style has a messy, raw beauty. Call it a red rose that’s somehow fallen off the branch by a strong wind. But, it’s still in bloom, so it needs to be saved.
Sophia plays the mistress to a jaded, but still lovable Italian businessman (played by favorite co-star Marcello Mastroianni) who doesn’t take their romance seriously until she feigns near-death. Nominated for an Oscar, Sophia Loren might be at her pinnacle acting and beauty quotient here. She’s unforgettable.
Where to watch: Roku, Fandango, YouTube, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Prime Video
5 Sophia Loren Films That Never Make the Lists
Between Strangers (2002)
Here’s indie film finesse. Both a Venice and Toronto Film Festival pick, Between Strangers is an enticingly quiet film. It’s contemplative, and rich with emotion. Directed by her son, Edoardo Ponti, Sophia shines as a sad, regretful older woman who’s hiding a decades-long secret. She forms one part of an intricate, ultimately intersecting, tapestry of three women who must come to terms with the male relationships in their life, whether they be a husband or a father. Shot on the streets of a breezy, warm Toronto, it’s a movie that flows through you. Sophia does, too. Known for conveying so much visually, without the requirement of speaking lines, Sophia’s acting skills feel at home here. The result? At the film’s conclusion, we are crying right alongside her. It’s poetic tears of pain, but also joy.
Where to Watch: Tubi
Grumpier Old Men (1995)
Blink and you might’ve missed this movie when it was released back in the mid-1990s. But Grumpier Old Men is definitely worth a 2026 watch. Rom-com sequels tend to inspire less fanfare than science fiction or horror sequels, but Grumpier Old Men is a charmer. It’s heartwarming, belly laugh-inducing, and it has an all-star cast. Think not just Sophia Loren, but powerhouses Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, and Ann-Margret. Better still, these double-daters are laughing it up in shivery, ice-fishing Minnesota. (All hail Catfish Hunter!) But the cold is no match for the sunny, sexy Sophia Loren. She and her on-screen “Italian mama” are hilarious. There’s also adorable banter between Sophia’s character and Walter’s. Look out for the “piccolo fish” chat these two superstars engage in while they’re out on the water. Blush-worthy!
Where to watch: Paramount +, Roku, Sling TV, YouTube Tv, Apple TV, YouTube, Fubo TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies, Fandango
Arabesque (1966)
In the same vein as 1963’s hugely popular spy thriller flick Charade starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant, Arabesque is Sophia Loren and Gregory Peck’s version. The 1960s proved to be an exciting decade for the “spy” film genre, no doubt due in part to the James Bond/007 franchise bursting into theaters in 1962. Arabesque is a lovely addition to the bunch. This movie keeps you guessing right up until the end. Just when you think you’ve all Sherlock Holmes-ed and solved it, Sophia’s character throws a curve ball. Sophia and Gregory are good together, and seeing them romp around the UK, shrouded in dangerous political intrigue, is a treat. They’re two sophisticated, gorgeous actors playing two sophisticated, gorgeous characters.
Where to watch: YouTube, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies, Fandango
Operation Crossbow (1965)
Another spy flick, this time set in World War II, Operation Crossbow stars a bevy of powerhouse British actors like Trevor Howard, John Mills, and Tom Courtenay. Then enter Sophia Loren and American actor George Peppard (of 1961’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s fame). It’s easy to go down the rabbit hole with this movie. About mid-way through you might start to feel like you’re a mechanical engineer and “Wait, the beautiful Sophia Loren? I want to learn more about that V-1 flying bomb, and the V-2 rocket. Surely the ignition thruster will malfunction if not properly oiled to facilitate the midnight launch when the ground air temps will be too low.” Wait, excuse me? That’s a testament to the filmmakers.
You get engrossed in all the thrilling mechanics, making Sophia Loren somewhat of a footnote. But Sophia is actually quite interesting in Operation Crossbow. There’s a quiet, mysterious beauty to her character that she successfully conveys. As always, it’s exciting to watch Sophia master nuance and look.
Where to watch: YouTube TV, YouTube, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Sling TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango
A Special Day (1977)
This film is an Italian masterpiece, making the coveted list of “100 Italian Films To Be Saved,” which was compiled in 2008, and focuses on Italian films made between 1942 and 1978. While A Special Day might be well-known in Italy (because of its quality filmmaking and its “dynamic duo” co-stars of Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni), it’s likely a hidden treasure for many outside of Italy. Quiet. Poetic. Dramatic. Intriguing. This film feels like an arthouse gem. The beautiful cinematography capturing the Italian tenement building, and the interaction between Sophia’s downtrodden housewife character and Marcello’s radio broadcaster character, add up to a positively riveting movie-watching experience. More dramatic still, this story all unfolds in the course of just one day in Rome circa 1938 – the day German dictator Adolf Hitler comes to visit Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. Gulp.
Where to watch: YouTube, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies, Fandango
All told, if looking to start your Sophia Loren movie-watching adventure, start with Marriage Italian Style (1964), then Two Women (1960), and finish with, believe it or not, Grumpier Old Men (1995). Marriage Italian Style will give you that beloved “dynamic duo” chemistry of Sophia/Marcello. Two Women brings A+ heart-wrenching drama. Then, Grumpier Old Men shows an older, lighter, wiser, and still radiantly beautiful Sophia Loren that can still make us laugh.
The honorary Oscar came in 1991, for a body of work that had already been accumulating for forty years. Loren’s footprint on the movies is not one that time has worn down. Like Robert Redford, like Dolly Parton, she belongs to that small category of performer whose career outgrew the thing it was built on. Her legacy ultimately, and admirably, isn’t just about the art. It’s what the career made available to people who came after her.Loren positively changed the color palette of cinema, and she’s still at it.
Catch all the stories from The Toast series here.
