Monica Bellucci Biography

Monica Bellucci was born to Brunella Briganti and Pasquale Bellucci in Citta di Castello, Umbria, Italy. She was the only child of the couple.

Coming from a relatively humble background, she spent much of her growing-up years in San Giustino.

Completing her preliminary education, she enrolled at the University of Perugia to study law. Simultaneously, she started her career in modeling to pay for her tuition fees.

Her trysts in front of the camera started early at the age of 13. She posed for a local photo enthusiast. No sooner did she give up a legal profession to pursue modeling as a full-time vocation.

As she started getting more modeling assignments, she gave up the legal profession to pursue modeling as a full-time vocation.

In 1988, she moved to the epicenter of Europe’s fashion, Milan, and signed a contract with Elite Model Management. Within a year, she became a reputed name in the modeling circuit as she modeled in Paris and across the Atlantic in New York City.

During the peak of her career, she modeled for reputed and eminent fashion brands like Dolce & Gabbana, Christian Dior, and French Elle. Furthermore, she appeared on the cover of various magazines including Esquire and Maxim.

Modeling apart, she tried her luck as an actor as well and took up acting classes to polish her artistic skills. In the early 1990s, she began her film career. Initially, she was seen in a couple of minor roles in films such as ‘La Riffa’ and ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula’.

The year 1996 was a significant year in the career graph of this model-turned-actor as she tasted her first major success with the film, ‘The Apartment’. Her portrayal of the role of Lisa in the film earned her a Cesar Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Interestingly, she is fluent in Italian, French, English, and Spanish, and has appeared in films speaking each of these languages, as well as in Aramaic for her part as Mary Magdalene in ‘The Passion of the Christ’.

Over the years, she became popular worldwide for her roles in films like, ‘Malena’, ‘Brotherhood of the Wolf’, ‘Under Suspicion’ and ‘Irreversible’.

Furthermore, she was part of the big banner super successful films like, ‘Tears of the Sun’, ‘The Matrix Reloaded’, ‘The Passion of the Christ’, ‘The Brothers Grimm’, ‘Le Deuxième souffle’, ‘Don't Look Back’ and ‘The Sorcerer's Apprentice’.

She has done voice roles for French and Italian releases of the film ‘Shoot 'Em Up’ and for the video game ‘Prince of Persia: Warrior Within’, and the 2005 animated film ‘Robots’.

From 2006 to 2010 she served as the face of a range of Dior products. While her modeling career in New York City is managed by Elite+, one in Milan is taken care of by D’management group. Storm Model Management takes care of her modeling assignments in London.

In 2012, she became the new face of Dolce & Gabbana.

In 2015, at the age of 50, she became the oldest Bond girl ever, when she portrayed the character of Lucia Sciarra in the James Bond movie 'Spectre'. In 2017, she starred as ‘Nevesta’ in the Emir Kusturica-directed film ‘On the Milky Road.’ The film garnered mixed reviews from critics, earning a 50% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. That same year, she also played the role of ‘Alessandra’ in the comedy-drama television series ‘Mozart in the Jungle.’

In 2018, she portrayed ‘Finnegan’ in the Australian comedy science-fiction horror film ‘Nekrotronic’ directed by Kiah Roache-Turner. The film received a lukewarm response from critics and holds a 39% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. She was next seen in films such as ‘The Best Years of a Life’ (2019), ‘Spider in the Web’ (2019), ‘The Man Who Sold His Skin’ (2020), ‘Les Fantasmes’ (2021), ‘La Befana vien di notte II - Le origini’ (2021), ‘The Girl in the Fountain’ (2021), ‘Memory’ (2022), and ‘Dry’ (2022).

She starred as ‘Altea di Vallenberg’ in the 2022 film ‘Diabolik − Ginko all'attacco!’ directed by Manetti Bros. The film holds a 5.5 out of 10 rating on IMDb. She will be next seen in the upcoming American action comedy film ‘Mafia Mamma’ where she will play the role of ‘Bianca.’

In 1997, she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in Cesar Awards for her role in the film ‘The Apartment’.

In 2001, she received a nomination in the category of Audience Award for Best Actress at the European Film Awards for ‘Malena’.

While Men's Health named her one of the "100 Hottest Women of All-Time", ranking her at No. 21, in 2002, she was ranked No. 1 on AskMen’s Most Desirable Women list.

Her role as ‘Persephone’ in the Matrix series earned her the twenty-fifth spot in the ‘Sexiest 25 Characters in Cinema - The Women’ by the Empire magazine.

In 2003 she won a couple of nominations, beginning with Best Supporting Actress by Saturn Award for ‘Brotherhood for the Wolf’, Best Supporting Actress by David Di Donatello Awards for ‘Ricordati di me’, Best Female for Cinemascope Genre Face of the Future Award for ‘The Matrix Reloaded’ and ‘The Matrix Revolution.’

Furthermore, she was nominated by the Teen Choice Awards for Choice Movie Female Breakout Star for the films, ‘The Matrix Reloaded’ and ‘Tears of the Sun.’

In 2003 she won the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists award for Best Supporting Actress for the film, ‘Ricordati di me’.

In 2005, she became a recipient of the European Golden Globe.

She married her co-star Vincent Cassel in 1999. The two first met while shooting for the film, ‘The Apartment’. The couple has been blessed with two children, Deva and Leonie.

Vincent Cassel allegedly reported having a number of affairs outside the matrimony. It is due to this reason that the two announced their separation in August 2013.

This Italian actress cum model posed without clothes for the Italian Vanity Fair Magazine twice, once in 2004 and later in 2010. Interestingly, she was pregnant on both occasions.