The Italian screen goddess is a broad among broads. In an interview, she didn't hold back on aging in Hollywood and how good she still looks at 81.
- March 14, 2016 3:59 PM | by Stephanie Eckardt
Sophia Loren is 81 years old, but she's quick to note that she doesn't seem like it: "I look very well, by the way. I look fantastic," she said between laughs on the phone from Geneva, her home for the last 10 years. (The actress, Oscar winner, and Italian bombshell may be tied to Naples, but she left her native Italy after an only recently cleared tax evasion case that took decades to resolve - and a 17-day stint in prison.) Next week, though, Loren's returning home, in a Hollywood sort of way: on the 26th, she's headed to the Venetian, an Italian-themed luxury hotel and casino in Las Vegas, for a look back on her storied life and career. From meeting her future husband Carlo Ponti (22 years her senior) to turning down Cary Grant (30 years her senior, and already married), Loren definitely has plenty to cover. One thing she wants to make clear: she's not done with acting just yet.
You used to be so concerned about privacy that you'd burn your diaries. What made you decide to do this event and look back at your life and career in public?
Well, I was at the Venetian a long time ago when it opened, and I like to come back to Las Vegas because it's a long time since I've been there. I'm not going to gamble, because I don't like gambling, but I hope to enjoy every moment of it.
Are you nervous about what might come up in the Q&A portion?
Yes, of course I am nervous! I am always nervous when I start to do something new, though it doesn't - I hope - last very long. For instance, at first on the stage I may be a little bit… not afraid, but with a sense of insecurity. But then when you see how it happens and how it goes on and you relax and you are yourself, and when you are yourself everything becomes very easy. If you are a good person, you always know how to answer well. If you are a bad person, then maybe you should worry about yourself and what you answer. I am a very good person, so I think I can do not a very good job, but answer nicely and how I feel. I always respect my character and I trust myself. And there's nothing I have to hide, you know? [Laughs.] I'm asking you questions now.