Monica Bellucci
Monica Bellucci at the Women's World Award 2009
Born	Monica Anna Maria Bellucci (1964-09-30) 30 September 1964 (age 47) Città di Castello, Umbria, Italy
Nationality	Italian
Occupation	Actress and fashion model
Years active	1990–present
Spouse	Vincent Cassel (1999–present)
Children	2

Monica Anna Maria Bellucci (Italian pronunciation: [ˈmɔnika belˈluttʃi]; born 30 September 1964)^[1] is an Italian actress and fashion model.

Early life[link]

Bellucci was born in Città di Castello, Umbria, Italy^[2][3] as the only child of Luigi Bellucci.^[4]

Career[link]

Modeling[link]

Monica Bellucci began modeling at age 13 by posing for a local photo enthusiast.^[5]

Monica Bellucci at Cannes Film Festival in 2002.

In 1988,Bellucci moved to one of Europe's fashion centers, Milan, where she signed with Elite Model Management. 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.^[6] Men's Health also named her one of the "100 Hottest Women of All-Time", ranking her at No. 21.^[7] AskMen named her the number one most desirable woman in 2002.^[8] Bellucci's modelling career is managed by Elite+ in New York City. She is considered an Italian sex symbol.^[9][10][11] From 2006 to 2010 she was the face of a range of Dior products.^[12] Bellucci is signed to D'management group in Milan and also to Storm Model Management in London.^[13]

In 2004, while pregnant with her daughter Deva, Bellucci posed nude for the Italian Vanity Fair Magazine in protest against Italian laws that prevent the use of donor sperm.^[14] She posed pregnant and semi-nude again for the magazine's April 2010 issue.^[15]

In 2012 she became the Dolce & Gabbana face.^[16]

Acting[link]

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 L'Appartement^[17] and strengthened her position as an actress. She became known and popular with worldwide audiences, following her roles in Malèna (2000), Brotherhood of the Wolf, 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), Don't Look Back (2009), and The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010).

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.^[18]

Bellucci dubbed her own voice for the French and Italian releases of the film Shoot 'Em Up (2007).^[19] 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 is for Empire, for her role of "Persephone" in Matrix, one of "The Sexiest 25 Characters In Cinema".^[20]

Personal life[link]

Bellucci is married to French actor Vincent Cassel, with whom she has appeared in several films. They have two daughters, Deva (born 2004) and Léonie (born 2010).^[21][22]

In the documentary movie The Big Question, about the film The Passion of the Christ, she 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."^[23]

Awards and nominations[link]

Wins[link]

• 2003 – Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists: Silver Ribbon for Best Supporting Actress (Ricordati di me)
• 2005 – Golden Globes, Italy: European Golden Globe

Nominations[link]

• 1997 – César Awards for Best Promising Actress (L'appartement)
• 2001 – European Film Awards: Audience Award for Best Actress (Malèna)
• 2002 – Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films: Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress (Brotherhood of the Wolf)
• 2003 – Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films: Cinescape Genre Face of the Future Award for Best Female (The Matrix Reloaded) and (The Matrix Revolutions)
• 2003 – David di Donatello Awards for Best Supporting Actress (Ricordati di me)
• 2003 – Teen Choice Awards for Choice Movie Female Breakout Star (The Matrix Reloaded) & (Tears of the Sun)
• 2004 – MTV Movie Awards for Best Kiss (The Matrix Reloaded)
• 2005 – Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists: Silver Ribbon for Best Supporting Actress (The Passion of the Christ)
• 2007 – Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists: Silver Ribbon for Best Supporting Actress (N (Io e Napoleone))

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Film portal

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Monica Bellucci

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Monica Bellucci

• Monica Bellucci at the Internet Movie Database
• Monica Bellucci at BFI Film & TV Database
• Monica Bellucci at the Fashion Model Directory
• Monica Bellucci at AllRovi
• Monica Bellucci at Yahoo! Movies
• Corliss, Richard (10 March 2003). "It's Monica Mania". TIME. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1004378,00.html. Retrieved 26 May 2007.