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Monica Anna Maria Bellucci ({{#invoke:IPA|main}}; born 30 September 1964) is an Italian actress and model who began her career as a fashion model before working in Italian, American, and French films. She has an eclectic filmography in a range of genres and languages, and her accolades include the David di Donatello, Globo d'oro and Nastro d'Argento awards. In 2018, Forbes Italy included her in their list of the 100 most successful Italian women.
Bellucci was represented by Elite Model Management and modelled for Dolce & Gabbana campaigns. She made her acting debut in the Italian television miniseries {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (1991); she went on to play one of Dracula's brides in the horror film Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) and then enrolled in acting classes. After appearing in Italian productions, she had her breakthrough role in The Apartment (1996), for which she received a César Award nomination for Most Promising Actress. Bellucci came to the attention of American audiences in Under Suspicion (2000) and gained greater international recognition as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} in {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (2000). Bellucci starred in the period horror Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001) and the comedy Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra (2002). She portrayed a rape victim in the controversial thriller {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (2002), and Persephone in the 2003 science-fiction films The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions.
Bellucci was praised for her portrayal of Mary Magdalene in the drama The Passion of the Christ (2004). She played a prostitute in How Much Do You Love Me? (2005) and Shoot 'Em Up (2007), and acted in diverse roles in other films, including The Whistleblower (2010), The Ages of Love (2011), and The Wonders (2014). Her role in Ville-Marie (2015) earned her the Dublin Film Critics' Circle Award for Best Actress. At the age of 50, Bellucci appeared in the James Bond film Spectre (2015), becoming the oldest Bond girl in the history of the franchise. She later appeared in films such as On the Milky Road (2016), The Man Who Sold His Skin (2020), and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024). On television, she has acted in Mozart in the Jungle (2016) and Call My Agent! (2018). She made her stage debut in 2019 as Maria Callas in Letters and Memoirs.
Bellucci starred alongside her second husband Vincent Cassel in on-screen partnerships that spanned ten years. She has remained involved in modelling, and worked as a brand ambassador for luxury brands such as Cartier and Dior. Some media outlets have labelled Bellucci a sex symbol. Bellucci received the knight insignias of the French Order of Arts and Letters in 2006 and of the French Legion of Honour in 2016. She represents Italy as a permanent member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Early lifeEdit
Monica Anna Maria Bellucci was born in {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, Umbria, Italy, on 30 September 1964.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Cbignore<ref name="Express2013-04-11">Template:Cite magazine</ref>Template:Excessive citations inline Her father Pasquale Bellucci owned a trucking company, and her mother Brunella Briganti was a housewife and amateur painter. Bellucci was the only child in her family since her parents did not want another one.<ref name="Williams2017">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Christopher2014">Template:Cite news</ref> Bellucci grew up in {{#invoke:Lang|lang}},<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> in the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (municipality) of San Giustino on the banks of the Tiber River.Template:Efn<ref name="Carnovalini2013">Template:Cite news</ref>
Bellucci received a Catholic education.<ref name="Morgoglione">Template:Cite news</ref> She was an "intelligent child".<ref name="Gaynor2009">Template:Cite news</ref> According to her father, she was discreet and increasingly interested in fashion, and grew up "surrounded by love".<ref name="Christopher2014"/> Bellucci was introduced to modelling at age 13 when she posed for a photographer friend-of-the-family in {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She was distant from other children her age, regularly made detours to get home after school,<ref name="Christopher2014"/> and did not spend time with them in the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}'s public space. Bellucci's father said she complained that everyone stared at her.<ref name="Christopher2014"/><ref name="Hattersley2015">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Her father helped her gain self-confidence.<ref name="Christopher2014"/>
Bellucci developed a taste for cinema, watching films by Vittorio De Sica, Federico Fellini, Roberto Rossellini, Luchino Visconti, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, and Jean-Luc Godard.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bellucci has said her personality largely reflects her upbringing: "Certainly a lot of positivity also depends on the climate in which my parents raised me".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Modeling careerEdit
1980s and 1990sEdit
At age 16, Bellucci was asked to pose for photography sessions by her father's friend, the director of a fashion agency.<ref name="Williams2017"/><ref name="Hélie2018">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Having begun her modelling career, Bellucci periodically travelled to Milan and Paris while continuing her studies at {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> According to Bellucci: "I approached the adult universe very early" because she worked with models ten years older than herself.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bellucci said: "Modelling came to me naturally, and I loved pictures. I loved the world of image".<ref name="Williams2017"/>
While hitchhiking, Bellucci met Piero Montanucci, a hairdresser from {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, who persuaded her to become his model. Bellucci, a student at the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, attracted attention wherever they went due to her striking appearance.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She was considered a local model.<ref name="Hattersley2015"/> Bellucci studied philosophy, literature, Latin and Greek.<ref name="Douin2004">Template:Cite news</ref> In 1983, Bellucci was dressed by {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}-based fashion entrepreneur Pina Alberti and modelled at a fashion show at the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, the city's municipal theatre, as part of an event called Momento Donna, which Maria Giovanna Elmi hosted. Montanucci, her mentor at the time,<ref name="Christopher2014"/> accompanied Bellucci to the event.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> While in high school, Bellucci's father's friend allowed her to debut on the catwalk during a fashion show in Florence and at another in Milan.<ref name="Williams2017"/><ref name="Hélie2018"/>
Bellucci studied law at the University of Perugia, aiming to become a lawyer.<ref name="Gaynor2009"/><ref name="Salisbury2005">Template:Cite news</ref> She financed her studies by working as a model<ref name="Gaynor2009"/> through her father's friend.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> After a friend of Bellucci encouraged her to apply to modelling agencies during her studies,<ref name="Gaynor2009"/> she moved to Milan, one of Europe's fashion centres.<ref name="VF2014-05-26">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="Airoldi2017">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Modelling agent Piero Piazzi saw Bellucci's arrival at the Elite Model Management agency and thought she could have been an actress.<ref name="Airoldi2017"/> Piazzi had been critical in his assessment when he first saw Bellucci in 1987, telling her she was "not ready".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Between 1988 and 1989, Elite signed Bellucci to a contract.<ref name="Hélie2018"/><ref name="VF2014-05-26"/> In 1988, she featured on the cover of {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, photographed by Oliviero Toscani,<ref>(22 February 1988). Elle (in French). No. 2198:
- Template:Cite magazine
- Template:Cite news</ref> and Vogue Spain.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Bellucci's work as a model for Elite required her to travel so she decided to leave university; she later said being a lawyer would not have suited her.<ref name="Salisbury2005"/> She appeared in numerous international advertising campaigns, and Dolce & Gabbana recruited her as their muse.<ref name="Hélie2018"/><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Bellucci's physical attributes aligned with the image the founders of Dolce & Gabbana wanted to portray.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 1989, Bellucci lived in New York and was already a millionaire.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> As a model, Bellucci was represented by Elite,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and she worked in Milan, Paris, and New York.<ref name="Williams2017"/>Template:Sfn
In 1990, the French luxury house Dior used Bellucci's image and name for its {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} line.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She was photographed by Richard Avedon, and became the "protagonist" of Dolce & Gabbana's campaigns, "which elevated her to an icon of Mediterranean beauty".<ref name="VF2014-05-26"/> She also appeared in fashion parades for the luxury fashion house Fendi.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1991, Bellucci was the brand ambassador for the cosmetics company L'Oréal.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The same year, Bellucci appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, which featured photographs of her in the Caribbean.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Bellucci also appeared in advertisements for Givenchy, Nina Ricci, Yves Saint Laurent, Versace and other luxury brands.<ref name="Bréhal1991">Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 1992, Bellucci combined her work as a model with her acting debut.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1993, she first met Giuseppe Tornatore when he directed her in a television advertisement for Dolce & Gabbana perfume.<ref name="Campion2003">Template:Cite newsTemplate:Cbignore</ref>
Bellucci opted to follow her passion for cinema, turned to acting and stopped modelling full-time,<ref name="Campion2003"/> although she remained active in the industry.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Italian luxury company Breil appointed Bellucci its brand ambassador and she starred in advertising campaigns.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the 1990s, Bellucci regularly modelled for calendars, beginning in 1997 at the age of 33 when Avedon photographed her for the Pirelli Calendar.<ref name="Digiuni2022">Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 1997, Bellucci became the brand ambassador and muse of Cartier jewellery.<ref name="Hald2007">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Mabrut2007">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Nina Hald of the Danish newspaper Berlingske said: "Cartier chose for the first time to associate an actress closely with the house".<ref name="Hald2007"/> Cartier accompanied Bellucci throughout her acting career, notably on red carpets, where she wore {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (high jewellery) collections, and she worked as a model for opulent creations.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Italian fashion photographer Fabrizio Ferri<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> photographed Bellucci for the magazine MaxTemplate:'s calendar.<ref name="Digiuni2022"/>
2000sEdit
Bellucci posed for the GQ calendar in 2000 and was photographed by Gian Paolo Barbieri.<ref name="Digiuni2022"/> In 2004, while pregnant with her first child, Bellucci posed nude for the Italian cover of Vanity Fair in a protest against Italian laws that restricted access to in vitro fertilisation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> That same year, Bellucci's status as the only actress who was contractually bound to Cartier was made public.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2006, she was named brand ambassador for Dior and the face of a range of products until 2010.<ref>Dior 2006–2010 campaigns:
- Template:Cite news
- Template:Cite news
- Template:Cite magazine</ref> Cartier designed a collection of luxury diamond jewellery that was inspired by Bellucci and bore her name.<ref name="Hald2007"/><ref name="Mabrut2007"/> It was first presented at a Cartier event in Dubai in 2007.<ref name="Hald2007"/>
2010s and 2020sEdit
Bellucci's appearances in television advertisements include Martini Gold, a collaboration between Martini and Dolce & Gabbana, in 2010.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> She again posed semi-nude whilst pregnant for the cover of the April 2010 issue of Vanity Fair Italy.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Cashmere goods manufacturer {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} appointed Bellucci as its brand ambassador for its winter 2011/2012 advertising campaign.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2012, Bellucci was the face of an eponymous range of Dolce & Gabbana lipstick.<ref name="Lawrenson">Template:Cite magazine</ref> She appeared in other seasonal fashion campaigns for Dolce & Gabbana.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> She was signed to Storm Management in London and D'Management Group in Milan.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="Hodge2021">Template:Cite news</ref>
Bellucci was chosen as the face of German cosmetics manufacturer Nivea for its 2018 and 2019 campaigns.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In June 2018, Bellucci appeared in a fashion parade for Dolce & Gabbana when she opened the second day of Milan Fashion Week.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> According to Stefano Gabbana, Bellucci returned to the catwalk for the house for the first time since 1992.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She also appeared on the catwalk for Dolce & Gabbana at the early 2019 Milan fashion week, along with Helena Christensen, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, and Isabella Rossellini, who joined the influx of 1990s supermodels returning to the fashion spotlight.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Bellucci remained the "muse" and ambassador of the Cartier brand in the 2020s.<ref name="Carrière2022">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Since 2000, Bellucci has appeared on national and international covers of {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, GQ,Template:Efn Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, Maxim,<ref>Template:Unbulleted list citebundle</ref> Paris Match,Template:Efn Schön!, The Sunday Times Style, Vanity Fair, and Vogue, among others.<ref>Template:Unbulleted list citebundle</ref>
Acting careerEdit
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1990–1999: Early roles and breakthroughEdit
In 1990, Italian director Carlo Vanzina noticed a photo of Monica Bellucci in a magazine and recommended her to Dino Risi, who was looking for a "new face" for his television miniseries {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bellucci had never thought of becoming an actress and was surprised to be chosen for a role.Template:Efn<ref name="Bréhal1991"/> Bellucci made her acting debut in Vita coi figli,Template:Sfn a two-part television film that was broadcast in Italy in May 1991, in which she played Elda.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The same year, Bellucci made her film debut in {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, which Francesco Laudadio directed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 1992, Bellucci played one of the three brides of Dracula in the horror film Bram Stoker's Dracula.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Roman Coppola saw a photograph of Bellucci in the Italian magazine Zoom and implored his father Francis Ford to offer her a film role.<ref name="Campion2003"/> Coppola arranged a meeting with Bellucci in Los Angeles while she was in New York for a photography session. After talking with Coppola, Bellucci realised she would embark on an acting career.<ref name="Narbonne2017">Template:Cite magazine</ref> At Coppola's request, Bellucci stayed in Los Angeles during filming; she was apprehensive about the city and believed her English needed improvement. She decided her next acting work would be in Italy.<ref name="Salisbury2005"/> Bellucci's role as a "sensual vampire" was her international film debut.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Following her minor role in Bram Stoker's Dracula, Bellucci returned to Italy and enrolled in acting classes.<ref name="Salisbury2005"/> According to Bellucci: "I craved it ... I needed to act".<ref name="Gaynor2009"/> Bellucci said a time when all of her friends were leaving the faculty was a challenging time.<ref name="Express2013-04-11"/> Bellucci had difficulty overcoming the prejudices related to her modelling and her physical appearance, and had to work to establish her credibility.<ref name="Salisbury2005"/> For the next four years, Bellucci starred in Italian films but was ultimately dissatisfied due to the lack of opportunities, and she aspired to an international acting career.<ref name="Campion2003"/> Bellucci appeared in the Emmy-winning biblical television miniseries Joseph (1995).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In her view, the Italian film industry needed to invest more money to promote films internationally.<ref name="Winters2000">Template:Cite news</ref> Bellucci moved to France to improve her career prospects,<ref name="Campion2003"/> and settled in Paris in 1995.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Bellucci's portrayal of Lisa in The Apartment (1996),<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> a "moody" French film noir, earned her a César Award nomination for Most Promising Actress.<ref name="Williams2017"/> This launched her career in France and strengthened her position as an actress.<ref name="Campion2003"/> It was her first French-language film.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Gavanndra Hodge of The Sunday Times stated that her "break-out role" was in the European arthouse film The Apartment.<ref name="Hodge2021"/> The BBC's Almar Haflidason described the film as "seductive" and "startling", giving it a rating of five stars.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bellucci's second French film was Jan Kounen's Dobermann (1997), in which she portrayed a mute Romani woman and had to learn sign language beforehand to embody her character. Recalling the filming process, she expressed an inclination for {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (stage settings) "that pass more through bodies than through words".<ref name="Narbonne2017"/> At this point in her career, Bellucci made a significant impact on European audiences.<ref name="Winters2000"/> Pierce Brosnan performed a screen test with Bellucci for the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) then requested she be given the role of Paris Carver but the studio stated only an American actress could be cast in the role.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> For her leading role as Giulia Giovannini in the Italian comedy-drama {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (1998),<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Bellucci received a Globo d'oro AwardTemplate:Efn for Best Actress.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Apartment later won a British Academy Film Award (BAFTA) for Best Film not in the English language,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> prompting film director Stephen Hopkins to take a close interest in Bellucci.<ref name="Narbonne2017"/>
2000–2003: American films, Malèna, and IrréversibleEdit
In 2000, Bellucci caught the attention of American audiences with her first English-language lead role in Hopkins' Under Suspicion, in which she starred opposite Morgan Freeman and Gene Hackman.<ref name="Winters2000"/> Hopkins cast Bellucci after watching her performance in The Apartment and retained her ideas to create the character Chantal Hearst.<ref name="Winters2000"/> Garth Pearce, writing in The Times, noted her improved spoken English.<ref name="Times2005-10-30">Template:Cite news</ref> Under Suspicion was selected as one of the 2000 Cannes Film Festival's closing films,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> marking her red-carpet debut at the annual event.<ref name="VanEgmond2017">Template:Cite news</ref> After the film's release, Freeman said: "It's all there in her eyes. She has this quality that reminds me of Jeanne Moreau. There is a sense of having been there, that she's had a life."<ref name="Winters2000"/> Variety listed Bellucci among "the ten young actresses to keep an eye on".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Bellucci returned to Italian cinema, portraying Malèna Scordia, an enigmatic, envied and coveted World War II widow whose life unfolds before a 13-year-old boy in the Tornatore-directed film Malèna (2000), which is set in Sicily.<ref name="Winters2000"/> Los Angeles Times film critic Kevin Thomas said the film emphasises the seductive appeal of the film's protagonist Scordia, to whom Bellucci gave an "heroic" portrayal that was delivered with a few lines of dialogue.<ref name="Thomas2000">Template:Cite news</ref> Writing for The Guardian, Mark Salisbury considered Bellucci's portrayal in the Oscar-nominated film her "breakout performance".<ref name="Salisbury2005"/> Malèna brought Bellucci worldwide attention;<ref name="Times2005-10-30"/><ref name="SCMP2016">Template:Cite news</ref> it was her first international success and caused her to be "besieged by offers" from Hollywood when Miramax secured the film for US distribution.<ref name="Campion2003"/> For the US release, ten minutes of explicit, erotic scenes from the film were censored.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Bellucci starred with Samuel Le Bihan and Vincent Cassel in Christophe Gans' Brotherhood of the Wolf, a 2001 French period drama film that is based on historical events involving the beast of Gévaudan that decimated the population of {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} in 18th-century France.<ref name="Winters2000"/><ref name="Hunter2002">Template:Cite news</ref> The Washington Post film critic Stephen Hunter found the film's stylistic approach too dense, obscuring Bellucci's "fabulous natural asset"; she played an "underused" role as a courtesan–papist spy.<ref name="Hunter2002"/> The film received positive responses from other critics.<ref>Critical response to Brotherhood of the Wolf:
- Template:Cite news
- Template:Cite news
- Template:Cite news</ref> Brotherhood of the Wolf was a box-office success in France, where it attracted five million viewers and grossed Template:US$ million worldwide, including $11 million in the US, against a budget of about Template:€ million.Template:Efn<ref>Box office performance of Brotherhood of the Wolf:
- Template:Cite magazine
- Template:Cite news</ref> The film earned Bellucci a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the 2002 Saturn Awards.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The filming of Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra (2002), in which Bellucci starred with Jamel Debbouze, which, with its light-hearted, comic atmosphere, was one of Bellucci's favourite cinematographic experiences.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She portrayed the "prickly" Cleopatra, the queen of Ancient Egypt, in the comedy film, which was directed by Alain Chabat.<ref name="Reynaud2022">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The Guardian film critic Peter Bradshaw wrote Bellucci was "certainly talented enough ... to merit getting the role of Cleopatra in some serious treatment", but before then, she had to perform in a "funny mainstream commercial" French production.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The film was a success, selling 14 million tickets in France at the time of its release and grossing more than $128 million worldwide.<ref name="Reynaud2022"/><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
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In 2002, Bellucci co-starred with Cassel in {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}'s "violent" arthouse thriller {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.Template:Efn<ref name="Times2005-10-30"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The revenge film, which was filmed on Super 16 film using hand-held cameras, depicts Bellucci playing Alex, who is graphically raped for nine uninterrupted minutes in an underpass, a scene Bellucci had to film four times.<ref name="Salisbury2005"/> Bellucci's "indelible scene" was filmed on the outskirts of Paris, in an area frequented by prostitutes. Bellucci and Cassel, who at the time were in a relationship, were some of "the country's biggest talents".<ref name="Loayza2023">Template:Cite news</ref> Audiences at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival were outraged during the midnight premiere of Irréversible,Template:Efn with some calling it "unsustainable".<ref name="VF2020-08-26">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="RS2023-02-16">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Lisa Nesselson of Variety said Bellucci showed "responses to peril and joy [that are] particularly memorable".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The film has been studied in film schools.<ref name="VanEgmond2017"/><ref name="Sajip2018">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Noé said he "has never seen an actress so charismatic ... with that much guts ... her performance is incredibly audacious".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> K. Austin Collins of Rolling Stone called Irréversible "one of the most controversial movies ever".<ref name="RS2023-02-16"/>
In 2003, Bellucci played Alessia in the Italian film Remember Me, My Love, which was directed by Gabriele Muccino and earned Bellucci the Nastro d'Argento award for Best Supporting Actress.Template:Sfn<ref name="Jennings2003">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Bellucci co-starred with Bruce Willis in Antoine Fuqua's Tears of the Sun (2003), an action-adventure film that is set during a civil war in Nigeria. Bellucci played Doctor Lena Kendricks, who is working for a humanitarian organisation in a village that is threatened by rebels. Film critic David Denby of The New Yorker said some of Bellucci's scenes were exaggeratedly stylised but praised the film's visual prowess.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan lauded Bellucci's "fierce" portrayal of Kendricks, who also had a "stereotypically fiery temperament".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Tears of the Sun garnered mixed reviews from critics and was a box-office disappointment.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Bellucci successively portrayed the character Persephone in the two 2003 science fiction films The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> She described her character as "dangerous, sensual with some sense of humor", recalling fond memories with Carrie-Anne Moss, Laurence Fishburne, and Keanu Reeves throughout the filming process in Australia.<ref name="Morales2003">Template:Cite news</ref> Film critic Andrew Sarris of The New York Observer gave The Matrix Reloaded a positive review,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> grossing $742.1 million worldwide against a budget of $150 million.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Alongside its release, Bellucci appeared on the cover of Rolling StoneTemplate:'s Spanish edition.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Merovingian (Lambert Wilson) again accompanied Bellucci as her screen husband in The Matrix Revolutions, which received mixed reviews from critics.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It grossed $427 million against a production and marketing budget of $185 million.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2004–2007: The Passion of the Christ and career progressionEdit
In Rome, before filming Tears of the Sun, Bellucci was notified a Mel Gibson film about Jesus was in production and she asked to meet with him about the role of Mary Magdalene.<ref name="Campion2003"/> Bellucci's agent advised her against appearing in this film due to its potential failure because its distribution was undetermined at the time. Bellucci ignored her agent's suggestion and rejected another film offer.<ref name="Salisbury2005"/> Gibson chose Bellucci for the role because they "liked each other".<ref name="Morales2003"/> She wanted to portray the character as "strong and deep" but no-one believed the film would succeed.<ref name="Pickle2005">Template:Cite news</ref> Eventually, Bellucci played an expressive Mary Magdalene in Gibson's Christian drama The Passion of the Christ (2004), which depicts the final hours of the life of Jesus Christ.<ref name="NYT2004-02-25">Template:Cite news</ref> The film includes dialogue in Aramaic and Latin, languages Bellucci had to quickly learn.<ref name="Campion2003"/><ref name="Narbonne2017"/> The New York Times film critic A. O. Scott said Bellucci was the only exception to the "absence of identifiable movie stars".<ref name="NYT2004-02-25"/> Expressing a similar opinion, Le Monde said in the film portraying a fundamentalist view of the Gospel, Bellucci stands out from the cast list the most.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> According to film critic Paul Clinton, Bellucci "is excellent as Mary Magdalene".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Catholics objected to Bellucci playing Magdalene.<ref name="Times2005-10-30"/> Film critic Roger Ebert described The Passion of the Christ as "the most violent film I have ever seen", adding he was "moved by the depth of feeling, by the skill of the actors" and gave a rating of four stars out of four. Overall, critics were divided in their responses to the film.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Passion of the Christ was a major commercial success with a worldwide gross of over $611 million against a budget of $30 million.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On 2 July 2005, Bellucci was awarded the European Golden Globe for cinema at Rome's 45th Globo d'oro ceremony.<ref name="EGG2005">Template:Cite news</ref> She said she appreciated acting in both American and European films.<ref name="Pickle2005"/> In Terry Gilliam's fantasy adventure film The Brothers Grimm (2005), Bellucci played the 500-year-old Mirror Queen, starring opposite Matt Damon and Heath Ledger.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Gilliam later said: "[i]mmediately she comes on-screen, it seems to me the whole film lifts up into another realm, a realm of sex and sensuality and danger".<ref name="Salisbury2005"/> San Francisco Chronicle film critic Mick LaSalle said Bellucci convincingly portrayed her character, whose centuries-old age appeared to him to be discordant with her "allure".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She also voiced Cappy for the French version of the 2005 animated film Robots.<ref name="Robots2005">Template:Cite news</ref> Bellucci had a leading role in Bertrand Blier's French romantic comedy How Much Do You Love Me?, which also starred {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}. Bellucci portrayed Daniela, the most beautiful prostitute in Pigalle, Paris, whom a lottery-winning office worker offers to pay to live with him. A journalist at {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} called the film "a hymn to the beauty of Monica Bellucci", and said it is neither Blier's best film nor his most failed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Nesselson commented Bellucci was optimally used in the film because she stimulates the viewer's senses and intellect.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
In 2006, Bellucci starred alongside Daniel Auteuil in {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}'s period comedy-drama Napoleon and Me as baroness Emilia, who has a turbulent relationship Martino (Elio Germano). The film depicts Napoleon Bonaparte during his exile to Elba from 1814 to 1815. Author Mark Feeney said Bellucci does not take "things too seriously" in the film.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Bellucci said she declined to play a role in the blockbuster 300 and instead appeared in the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}} film) The Stone Council.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Bellucci was cast after the initial announcement of Sophie Marceau for the lead role in the thriller. The Stone Council was adapted from the eponymous novel by Jean-Christophe Grangé. The film differs by character names; the book's female hero is called Diane Thiberge whereas Bellucci starred as Laura Siprien, a tormented adoptive mother who is confronted by killers who want to steal her child. {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} of {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} wrote that she "delivers one of her best performances on the big screen" with a muted sex appeal.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bellucci's hair was cut short for the film, a preferred style of French cinema hairstylist John Nollet, who also styled Bellucci on the sets of Brotherhood of the Wolf and Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Bellucci starred opposite Paul Giamatti and Clive Owen in Michael Davis' action thriller Shoot 'Em Up, which was released in the US in September 2007. Bellucci portrayed Donna Quintano, who teams up with Owen's character Mr Smith to protect a baby during a bloody fight.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bellucci's character is another prostitute with a different approach than that of her character in How Much Do You Love Me?; Bellucci said she felt empathy for female sex workers, who she believes retain "faith in humanity". She was fond of this sort of paradox and tried to highlight this virtue in her portrayals of characters of all types but noted she could explore the opposite spectrum.<ref name="Lussier2007">Template:Cite news</ref> Richard James Havis of the South China Morning Post wrote: "It's the latest in a slew of extreme roles".<ref name="SCMP2016"/> Bellucci dubbed her own voice for the French and Italian releases of Shoot 'Em Up, saying it was a frequent practice for her to accomplish each film three times.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Cbignore
Bellucci continued to work in French film productions and starred alongside Auteuil in Alain Corneau's The Second Wind, a remake of the critically acclaimed Jean-Pierre Melville's 1966 gangster film of the same title.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Bellucci portrayed Manouche, a tenacious character who has affection for an escaped convicted gangster. Bellucci had the idea of dyeing her hair blonde to adhere to the style of female film noir characters of the 1950s and 1960s.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, a critic for {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, wrote Bellucci was alone in a "fatally virile" context but she got through it "to the point of becoming the spectator's compass and the flesh of a film that sometimes lacks it".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In November 2007, Le Monde reported on the commercial failures of The Second Wind and The Stone Council.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2008–2017: Continued international workEdit
Bellucci felt a "visceral" need to regularly act in Italian films.<ref name="Lussier2007"/> In 2008, she co-starred in Marco Tullio Giordana's Wild Blood with Luca Zingaretti. The historical panorama examines the fate of Luisa Ferida (Bellucci) and Osvaldo Valenti (Zingaretti), leading actors during the Italian fascism period. Author Barry Forshaw called Bellucci "charismatic"<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and author Gino Moliterno praised her performance as "extremely powerful".Template:Sfn Next, Bellucci played Alba in the Italian film The Man Who Loves, where she was enamoured with Pierfrancesco Favino's character Roberto through a cinematic flashback.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
On 5 March 2009, Bellucci received a World Actress Award at the Women's World Award in Vienna.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The same year, Bellucci co-starred with Marceau in the thriller Don't Look Back, a sequel to In My Skin, both of which were directed by Marina de Van. The film depicts Marceau's character seeing changes around her and noticing her body transform into Bellucci's.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> J.B. Morain of Les Inrockuptibles said Bellucci's physical attitude and "attention to others have never been so well filmed". VarietyTemplate:'s Derek Elley said Bellucci "looks elegant and mystified", although both film critics noted the clumsily written dialogue.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Bellucci reunited with Reeves in Rebecca Miller's romantic comedy-drama The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009), which co-stars Winona Ryder and Robin Wright.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bellucci portrayed Gigi Lee, the former wife of a successful publisher Herb (Alan Arkin).<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> She next appeared in a cameo role in Tornatore's autobiographical film Baarìa, a family saga traversing several generations that was filmed in Bagheria, Sicily.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
In 2010, Bellucci portrayed Laura Leviani in Larysa Kondracki's biopic drama thriller The Whistleblower, which was primarily filmed in Romania and depicts a vast human trafficking network that was discovered in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1999.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Hélène Delye of Le Monde described Bellucci's character as a "grizzled, stubborn, insensitive civil servant".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Whistleblower received a mixed critical reception.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bellucci made three films in seven months; these were Giovanni Veronesi's The Ages of Love, Philippe Garrel's A Burning Hot Summer, and Bahman Ghobadi's Rhino Season.<ref name="Genone2011">Template:Cite magazine</ref> In the third segment of the comedy anthology film film The Ages of Love (2011), Bellucci starred opposite Robert De Niro, who played a divorced American art-history professor living in Rome who falls in love with Bellucci's character Viola.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> De Niro was delighted to work with Bellucci, saying she had "worked her magic" on him and that he had accepted the role because he wanted to act alongside her. It was filmed two months after the birth of Bellucci's second child. An improvised scene shows De Niro performing a striptease in front of Bellucci, which echoes in reverse a sequence in the 1963 film Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, in which Sophia Loren stripteased for Marcello Mastroianni.<ref name="Genone2011"/> For her role in Rhino Season (2012), Bellucci learnt to speak Persian.<ref name="Narbonne2017"/><ref name="Sajip2018"/> Journalist Helen Barlow of SBS Australia said Bellucci "brought her natural poise and grace" to the character and "surprises with a stoic minimalist performance".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2014, Bellucci appeared in Alice Rohrwacher's The Wonders as Milly Catena, host of a televised contest.<ref name="Barnard2015">Template:Cite news</ref> In the film, which combines autobiographical aspects with fiction, Bellucci's character is depicted as a Pagan priestess wearing elaborate clothes and surrounded with ancient figures.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The Wonders was critically acclaimed and won the Grand Prix Award at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.<ref name="Barnard2015"/> In 2015, Bellucci starred as Sophie Bernard in the Canadian drama film Ville-Marie, which was directed by Guy Édoin. The film traces the journey of Bernard, a European actress visiting Montreal for a film shoot and trying to reconcile with her son.<ref name="Dunlevy2015">Template:Cite news</ref> Bellucci stated Édoin had offered her "one of the most beautiful roles" of her career and described a stimulating fear of embodying Bernard's character that emotionally affected her.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The film garnered generally positive reviews and Bellucci's performance was unanimously praised.<ref name="Dunlevy2015"/><ref>Critical response to Ville-Marie:
- Template:Cite news
- Template:Cite magazine</ref> For her portrayal of Bernard, Bellucci received the Best Actress Award from the Dublin Film Critics' Circle at Dublin International Film Festival.<ref name="Ramachandran2016">Template:Cite news</ref>
At 50, Bellucci became the oldest Bond girl at that time in the James Bond film franchise, playing Lucia Sciarra in Sam Mendes' Spectre (2015). Bellucci was initially skeptical about Mendes' project but he argued casting a mature woman in a James Bond film would be innovative.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bellucci felt gratified to have been the first to portray a role she defined as a "James Bond lady".<ref name="Narbonne2017"/> Spectre was released to mixed reviews from critics though the British press responded more positively.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The film grossed $880 million worldwide against a $250–300 million production budget.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Guy Lodge of Variety called Bellucci "[o]ne of the most restlessly globe-trotting stars in world cinema" who does not want national borders or age brackets to dictate her filmography.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2016, Bellucci had a guest role in the third season of the American comedy-drama streaming television series Mozart in the Jungle, an adaptation of Blair Tindall's memoir Mozart in the Jungle: Sex, Drugs, and Classical Music, portraying Alessandra, an opera singer and latest collaborator of New York symphony orchestra conductor] Rodrigo (Gael García Bernal).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> VarietyTemplate:'s Nick Vivarelli called Bellucci the "Italian actress with international star power".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Bellucci portrayed Nevesta in the film On the Milky Road (2016),<ref name="Bouttier2017">Template:Cite magazine</ref> a romance that is set during the 1990s Bosnian War and whose lead role was played by the film's director Emir Kusturica.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bellucci said: "I decided to be an actress, not a politician, I recount political choices through my artistic choices."<ref name="Bouttier2017"/> Kusturica asked Bellucci to learn her dialogue in the Serbian language.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She had to adapt to challenging production conditions in a "land of beauty and violence"; Kusturica suffered "great [mental] pain" during filming, which spanned four summers.<ref name="Narbonne2017"/> The Hollywood ReporterTemplate:'s Neil Young said the Golden Lion-nominated film's approach lacks nuance while Bellucci performed "admirably well" and kept her "dignity intact" in a physically demanding role.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Her performance in the film earned her the Nastro d'Argento europeo (European Silver Ribbon Award), which was held on 1 July 2017 at the ancient theatre of Taormina in Sicily.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2017, Bellucci appeared in the third season of Mark Frost and David Lynch's television series Twin Peaks.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The same year, Bellucci received the honorary Donostia Award at the San Sebastián International Film Festival.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
2018–present: Recent careerEdit
In 2018, Bellucci had a leading role in the Australian comedy science-fiction horror film Nekrotronic, playing a necromancer and demonic soul-eater. In his appraisal of the film, Stephen Dalton of The Hollywood Reporter said Bellucci portrayed her "diva" character through an "operatic camp-vamp" performance but that her acting style would be best suited to films by Tim Burton and Guillermo del Toro.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Also in 2018, Bellucci appeared in the third season of the France 2 comedy television series {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Ten Percent), playing herself with self-mockery.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The well-received show was initially renamed Call My Agent! after its Netflix purchase.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In Claude Lelouch's film The Best Years of a Life (2019), which is set in Normandy, Bellucci had a cameo role as Elena, the daughter of Jean-Louis Duroc (Jean-Louis Trintignant).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The film garnered positive critical responses.<ref>Critical response to The Best Years of a Life:
Following his documentary film Maria by Callas (2017), writer and director Tom Volf proposed to Bellucci his project based on his book {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, which includes the writings of opera singer Maria Callas.<ref name="Vincentelli2023">Template:Cite news</ref> Following the film, Bellucci made her theatrical debut at the Marigny Theatre in Paris held from 27 November to 6 December 2019 in Maria Callas: Letters and Memoirs, a one-woman show Volf directed. In the show, Bellucci recited letters alone on stage and wore two dresses that had belonged to Callas.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Bellucci has intermittently performed the show over a number of years.<ref name="Vincentelli2023"/> Maria Callas: Letters and Memoirs visited European theatres, including Venice's Teatro Goldoni and Athens's Odeon of Herodes Atticus, with an orchestra that attracted 4,000 people each night.<ref name="Carrière2022"/> In 2020, Bellucci starred as Soraya in the Oscar-nominated film The Man Who Sold His Skin, which Kaouther Ben Hania directed. Time film critic Stephanie Zacharek said Soraya, a "frosty, willowy blond", is acted by "a deviously silky-smooth Monica Bellucci".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
In 2021, at the 66th David di Donatello ceremony, Bellucci received a David Special Award for her career achievements.<ref name="Stampa21-05-06">Template:Cite news</ref> She co-starred as part of an ensemble cast including Liam Neeson and Guy Pearce in Martin Campbell's action thriller Memory (2022), in which she played Davana Sealman, an unscrupulous real-estate magnate.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> She was initially interested in the duality of the antagonist's persona she would play and wanted to avoid typecasting based on her physical appearance, which she had experienced in the past.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> According to Entertainment Weekly critic Leah Greenblatt Memory is "wrapped in leaden dialogue and B-movie cliché" and Bellucci appears "blasé".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2022, Bellucci performed Maria Callas: Letters and Memoirs at Her Majesty's Theatre in London,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Chatelet Theatre in Paris, and at venues in Istanbul and Los Angeles.<ref name="Carrière2022"/>
In January 2023, at 58, Bellucci performed the play at the Beacon Theatre in New York City.<ref name="Vincentelli2023"/> In 2023, recalling Irréversible, Bellucci told The New York Times her "days of acting in transgressive movies are behind her" because she is a mother.<ref name="Loayza2023"/> In 2023, Bellucci entered talks to star in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice as Delores, Betelgeuse's ex-wife and the movie's villain.<ref name="Kit2023">Template:Cite magazine</ref> She won the Nastro d'Argento Award for Protagonist of the Year in Documentaries 2024 for her interpretation of Callas in Letters and Memoirs.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Other activitiesEdit
Film industriesEdit
Bellucci was mistress of ceremonies at the 56th Cannes Film Festival, presiding over the opening and closing ceremonies that were held on the Promenade de la Croisette from 14 to 25 May 2003.<ref name="VanEgmond2017"/><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> From 17 to 28 May 2006, she was a jury member at the 59th Cannes Film Festival.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2009, alongside filmmakers from Europe and the US, and 70 other industry names, Bellucci signed a petition to support film director Roman Polanski, who had been arrested in connection with his 1977 sexual abuse charges while on his way to Zurich Film Festival.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bellucci was also master of ceremonies at the 70th Cannes Film Festival, which took place from 17 to 28 May, where she was in charge of opening and closing one of the major international film events.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2017, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences invited Bellucci to become a permanent member representing Italy, becoming one of the voting jurors who award the annual Academy Awards (Oscars).<ref name="Stampa21-05-06"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> From 26 to 30 September 2018, Bellucci chaired the judging panel of the 29th Dinard British Film Festival.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Bellucci was due to be chairwoman of the 15th Crystal Globe Awards, which was scheduled for 14 March 2020 at the Wagram auditorium in Paris,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> but the ceremony was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Charities and patronagesEdit
In 2008, Bellucci supported a fundraising campaign for a centre for children with cancer located in Prima Porta, Italy. The campaign was initiated by the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (AGOP) (Association of Parents in Pediatric Oncology).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2010, Bellucci became patron of {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Words of Women), an apolitical, secular French association promoting equality between men and women in society. In March 2010, she organised the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Women's Night), an assemblage of female politicians, researchers, doctors, lawyers, writers, painters, and business leaders, to assess the progression of women's rights in France. The funds raised went towards the building of centres of accommodation, reintegration and support for single mothers in precarious situations.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2010, Rizzoli and {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} published a book prefaced by Tornatore that described Bellucci's modelling and acting careers through photographs taken by Peter Lindbergh and Helmut Newton. All proceeds from the book's sales were donated to AGOP and Words of Women.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She donated €10,000 to the City of Cannes to fund a solidarity campaign to support recovery efforts following the deadly floods of October 2015 in the Alpes-Maritimes region.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bellucci is also a patron of the association SOS Autism France.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Foreign relations of ItalyEdit
According to Corriere della SeraTemplate:'s Stefano Montefiori, Bellucci is regarded as a sort of ambassador of Italy to the French population.<ref name="Montefiori2022">Template:Cite news</ref> She has been involved in state dinners chaired by the President of France and organised as part of visits by foreign heads of state. On 21 November 2012, Bellucci attended a state dinner French President François Hollande hosted at the Elysée Palace in Paris during the visit of President of Italy Giorgio Napolitano and his ministers.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 5 July 2021, Bellucci was invited to a state dinner hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysée Palace in honour of Italian President Sergio Mattarella and his daughter Laura.Template:Efn<ref name="Cabot2021">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="Elle2021-07-07">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Public imageEdit
On 23 November 2004, Bellucci pressed the button triggering the Christmas illuminations on the Champs-Élysées avenue that consisted of Template:Cvt of electric garlands descending from the Place de l'Étoile towards Place de la Concorde, in the presence of the First Deputy Mayor Anne Hidalgo. Bellucci was the first-ever foreign public figure invited by the City of Paris and the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} CommitteeTemplate:Efn to inaugurate this annual celebration.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In April 2005, the Grévin Museum in Paris unveiled a wax statue of Bellucci.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> According to Blier, Bellucci is "completely relaxed with her image and with her own sense of modesty as well";<ref name="Salisbury2005" /> Blier compared her to Ava Gardner and "the stars of yesteryear".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> On 9 May 2008, L'Obs reported on a survey of 1,003 people conducted by the Superior Audiovisual Council as part of Europe Day, where Bellucci was the second-most-popular European personality (excluding France) of the French.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Christophe Narbonne of Première magazine wrote: "Behind the advertising muse, the image of the (re)incarnated Italian diva and the globalised sexual icon, we sometimes forget Monica Bellucci the out-of-norm actress, collector of a pile of international cult auteurs".<ref name="Narbonne2017"/> De Morgen wrote: "most roles fit Bellucci like a glove",<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> while Christophe Carrière of L'Express said others of "variable geometry" compose her filmography.Template:Clarify<ref name="Carrière2017">Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2018, Bellucci was included in Forbes ItalyTemplate:'s list of "Successful women: the 100 winning Italian women".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The press call Bellucci a style icon.<ref name="Elle2021-07-07" /><ref>"style icon":
- Template:Cite magazine
- Template:Cite news</ref> Bellucci is associated with the wearing of high-value jewellery and an "unwavering commitment" to Cartier, Boucheron and Chopard; Naomi Pike of British Vogue referred to her as "A Modern Day Liz Taylor", and said when dressed in diamonds, "few contemporary Hollywood stars can rival Italian actor Monica Bellucci".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
On 10 April 2016, the agency Karin Models, which represented Bellucci, opened an official Instagram account for her.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Instagram censored a photograph Fred Meylan imaged in 2016 showing Bellucci swimming on her back in a pool, and body parts were hidden in yellow pixels.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite news</ref>
AppearanceEdit
Bellucci is widely regarded as "the most beautiful woman in the world" and has been cited as a sex symbol. In 2001, Bellucci was pictured nude with caviar on her breasts on the cover of EsquireTemplate:'s Desire issue.Template:Efn<ref name="Rose2001">Template:Cite news</ref> In their reviews of Malèna (2000), Thomas wrote in Los Angeles Times Bellucci "has the impact of the great Italian stars",<ref name="Thomas2000" /> and Paul Tatara of CNN International called her a "world-class bombshell".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2002, AskMen named her number one on the "Top 99 Most Desirable Women".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Alexander2014">Template:Cite news</ref> Bellucci was included in EmpireTemplate:'s list of "Sexiest Women".<ref name="Alexander2014" /> In 2003, Chris Campion of The Daily Telegraph stated: Template:" 'La Bellucci' is Italy's national sweetheart and an icon of European cinema".<ref name="Campion2003" /> Bellucci was named the "Most Beautiful Woman in the World"<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> in 2004 and 2007 in an Ipsos survey of 1,002 people in France that was commissioned by TF1.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2011, Bellucci was ranked fourth in Los Angeles Times MagazineTemplate:'s list of the "50 most beautiful women in film".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She was voted number one on NRJ 12's list of "100 sexiest stars of 2011", which was based on a nationwide survey conducted in France that included American and French actresses, models, singers, female athletes and television presenters.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2012, Bellucci said she had never undergone cosmetic procedures, saying: "I don't like the idea of having my face retouched and, frankly, I think it's quite dangerous for an actress. ... Compared to a plastic face, I prefer wrinkles."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
In The Times, Pearce called Bellucci "arguably the world's most beautiful actress", saying she has the propensity to specialise in playing "[u]gly scenes", which is exemplified by the rape scene in Irréversible (2002).<ref name="Times2005-10-30" /> In 2005, Salisbury wrote in The Guardian Bellucci represents an "international object of desire" and said: "[i]n person, as on screen, Bellucci radiates a rare, otherworldly beauty".<ref name="Salisbury2005" /> Based on Bellucci's projected image and her work for Cartier, Kommersant described her as the "type of diva whose fame depends little on her roles".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bellucci's physical characteristics have led her inclusion in lists of all-time beauties and sex symbols compiled by magazines such as Esquire Japan and Men's Health in the US and Australia.<ref>Esquire Japan, Men's Health USA and Australia:
Federico Roberto Antonelli, director of the Italian Cultural Institute in China, said: "everyone dreams of MalènaTemplate:'s Monica Bellucci".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2021, Vogue France ranked Bellucci fourth in its list of the "most beautiful Italian actresses of all time".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Media consider Bellucci an Italian sex symbol.<ref name="Salisbury2005" /><ref>"sex symbol":
- Template:Cite news
- Template:Cite magazine
- Template:Cite news</ref> Rolling Stone Italy included Bellucci in its list of "10 greatest sex symbols of the 1990s".<ref name="Digiuni2022" /> She takes a "peaceful" attitude towards ageing and mainly believes in pasta, wine, and a little pilates for her "beauty regime", and is not addicted to exercise and dieting.<ref name="Hodge2021" /> In 2023, Bellucci said having been "objectified" during her film career did not bother her and that she was aware she had made the most of her body for specific roles.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Elisabeth Vincentelli wrote for The New York Times in 2023 that Bellucci has achieved a "reputation as a symbol of European glamour and sophistication" that is "firmly established".<ref name="Vincentelli2023" />
Personal lifeEdit
Bellucci's first marriage was with Italian photographer Claudio Carlos Basso.<ref name="Williams2017"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In a 2006 interview, Bellucci said she met Basso in 1987, when he recruited her for a photography session; she was 23 and he was five years older.<ref name="TgCom24-2006">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Bellucci and Basso married in Monte-Carlo on 3 January 1990.<ref name="Hattersley2015"/><ref name="TgCom24-2006"/><ref name="Boschi2009">Template:Cite magazine</ref> They divorced a year later.<ref name="Express2013-04-11"/><ref name="TgCom24-2006"/><ref name="Boschi2009"/>
Bellucci was in a relationship with Italian actor Template:Ill for several years.<ref name="Ascione2019">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Farron said they met in 1990 on the set of {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.<ref name="Ascione2019"/><ref name="DiPiù2012">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Farron said he felt "an overwhelming passion" for Bellucci.<ref name="DiPiù2012"/> Their relationship became unstable because other men increasingly lusted after Bellucci<ref name="Ascione2019"/><ref name="DiPiù2012"/> and the couple separated in 1995.<ref name="Ascione2019"/><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Cbignore
Bellucci and French actor Vincent Cassel met in 1995 on the set of their film The Apartment.<ref name="Solomons2009">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> They married in Monaco at the beginning of August 1999.<ref name="Lévy-Frébault2013">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bellucci and Cassel have two daughters, Deva (born 12 September 2004) and Léonie (born 21 May 2010), both of whom were born in Rome.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Film critic Jason Solomons wrote Bellucci and Cassel were "the golden couple of European cinema".Template:Efn<ref name="Solomons2009"/> The couple acted together in nine films between 1996 and 2006.<ref name="Solomons2009"/><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>Template:Cbignore In March 2013, Bellucci reflected on the evolution of their marriage when she and Cassel often lived separately in Italy, France, Brazil and England.<ref name="Lévy-Frébault2013"/> The couple's separation by "mutual agreement" was announced on 26 August 2013Template:Efn<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and they later divorced.Template:Efn<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In October 2013, Bellucci said she had almost always been in a relationship since the one with her first boyfriend at the age of fourteen.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
In 2019, Bellucci was in a relationship with the French sculptor and former model Nicolas Lefebvre.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> They had been dating since 2017.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Lefebvre, who was then aged 36, and Bellucci made their relationship "official" in early March 2019 during a Chanel show at the Grand Palais in Paris.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Bellucci told Italian magazine F about the end of their relationship, which was reported by other media in early July 2019.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In February 2023, Paris Match reported Bellucci and American filmmaker Tim Burton were in a relationship that began in October 2022.Template:Efn<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In June 2023, Bellucci confirmed she was in a relationship with Burton.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> They made their first public appearance at the Rome Film Festival in October 2023.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Besides her native Italian, Bellucci is fluent in French and English,<ref name="Alexander2014"/> and is proficient in Portuguese and Spanish.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> After her divorce from Cassel, Bellucci lived with her daughters in England, France, and Italy. By 2015, she had decided to live in France. Bellucci said: "I am entirely Italian. Everything about me is Italian", and that "Paris is part of my history".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Bellucci said she votes in Italy, not in France,<ref name="Sajip2018"/> and she does not have French nationality.<ref name="Montefiori2022"/> She owns houses in Rome and Lisbon,<ref name="Williams2017"/> and in 2023, she purchased a villa on the Greek island of Paros.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
According to Bellucci, she has moved away from her religious roots saying "I come from a Catholic religion, but I'm not Catholic".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She has called herself an agnostic.Template:Efn<ref name="Morgoglione"/>
In 2018, French tax authorities investigated Bellucci for non-declaration of a safe and bank accounts in Switzerland that were linked to an offshore company in the British Virgin Islands (BVI).<ref name="Zantonelli2018">Template:Cite news</ref> The French authorities tried to recover French taxes for the tax years 2011 to 2013 because they suspected tax evasion; Bellucci's lawyer stated she lived in the UK and not Paris.<ref name="Zantonelli2018"/> In September 2021, Bellucci said being "up to date with my tax obligations both in France and abroad".Template:Clarify The results of the investigation into her Swiss bank accounts remain undisclosed.<ref name="Espresso2021">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Following the investigation, Bellucci was named in the Pandora Papers, a massive data leak from offshore entities of high-profile figures, that was published in October 2021.Template:Efn<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
In 2018, Forbes valued Bellucci's wealth at $45 million, ranking her as the third-richest Italian actor.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Acting credits and accoladesEdit
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Bellucci has developed her acting career by alternating low-budget arthouse and {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} films with big-budget films in the Italian, French and American industries.<ref name="SCMP2016"/><ref name="Carrière2017"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Bellucci has received honours from the French and Italian governments. In 2006, French Minister of the Interior Nicolas Sarkozy conferred her with the knight insignia of the Order of Arts and Letters.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2016, French President François Hollande presented her with the knight insignia in the National Order of the Legion of Honour at the Elysée Palace.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2020, Mayor Dario Nardella awarded Bellucci the Key to the City of Florence.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
NotesEdit
ReferencesEdit
SourcesEdit
External linksEdit
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