Who is Monica Bellucci? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Italian Celebrities Born In September

Also Known As: Monica Anna Maria Bellucci

Age: 58 Years, 58 Year Old Females

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Claudio Carlos Basso (m. 1990–1994), Vincent Cassel (m. 1999–2013)

father: Pasquale Bellucci

mother: Brunella Bellucci

children: Deva Cassel, Léonie Cassel

Born Country: Italy

Models Actresses

Height: 5'7" (170 cm), 5'7" Females

Notable Alumni: University Of Perugia

More Facts

education: University Of Perugia

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Childhood & Early Life

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 modelling to pay for her tuition fees.

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Career

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

As she started getting more modelling assignments, she No sooner she gave up legal profession to pursue modelling as a full time vocation.

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

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

Modelling career 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 for films such as ‘La Riffa’ and ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula’.

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 Deuxieme souffle’, ‘Don't Look Back’ and ‘The Sorcerer's Apprentice’.

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Acting apart, she has even 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 for the 2005 animated film ‘Robots’.

From 2006 to 2010 she served as the face of a range of Dior products. While her modelling 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 modelling 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'.

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Awards & Achievements

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

In 2001, she recived 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 Woman list.

Her role of ‘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 Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists award for Best Supporting Actress for the film, ‘Ricordati di me’.

In 2005, she won the Golden Globe Award European Golden Globe

Personal Life & Legacy

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 to have a number of affairs outside the matrimony. It is due to this reason that the two have announced their separation in August 2013.

Trivia

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

Monica Bellucci Biography