Sophia Loren, the Oscar-winning Italian film legend and beloved national icon of the 20th century, has undergone surgery after a fall at her residence in Geneva, according to her spokesperson on Monday.
The spokesperson stated that the surgery for the 89-year-old actress “went smoothly, and now she requires some rest for a full recovery,” in an email statement to Reuters. While not providing specific details, the spokesperson confirmed the accuracy of Italian media reports, which indicated that she suffered a hip fracture due to an accidental fall at her Geneva home on Sunday.
Sophia Loren boasts two Oscar wins in her illustrious career. Her first Academy Award came in 1961 for her compelling portrayal of a wartime mother in Vittorio De Sica’s renowned neo-realistic masterpiece, “La Ciociara” (Two Women). Her second Oscar, received in 1991, was a career achievement award.
Many of her unforgettable and successful films were crafted alongside fellow Italian star Marcello Mastroianni, who passed away in 1996. Loren’s cinematic journey also featured collaborations with the likes of Cary Grant, Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, and Paul Newman, showcasing her enduring presence in the 20th-century film landscape.
Her most recent leading role was in “La Vita Davanti a Se” (The Life Ahead) in 2020. In this film, she portrayed a former prostitute and Holocaust survivor who cares for the children of working prostitutes in the southern Italian city of Bari and extends a helping hand to an orphaned Senegalese migrant boy who had once robbed her. The movie was directed by her son, Edoardo Ponti.
The news of her fall and subsequent hospitalization initially surfaced on the Facebook page of the Sophia Loren Restaurant chain, which bears her name. The page also revealed her intention to open a new restaurant, the fourth in Italy, in Bari on Tuesday.
