Monica Bellucci

  • PHOTO described her as one of the most beautiful women in the world. Oliviero Toscani, who has photographed her for numerous fashion magazines, feels that she is the sexiest on the planet. Producer Dino Risi has named her "the new Silvana Mangano".

    In France, they see her as the "sublime italienne".

    Monica Bellucci was born in Citt di Castello, near Perugia, in Italy. Monica walked the runway for the first time at the age of 16.

    After studying Law at PERUGIA UNIVERSITY, Monica moved to Milan to pursue a career as a model. She was immediately successful – her Earthy and astonishing beauty was a foil to the predominantly American models working at the time. She was featured on the cover of French ELLE eight times in six months, was photographed by Tyen for the worldwide campaign of DIOR beauty products and, in 1990, Richard Avedon photographed her for REVLON as one of the worlds' 'Most Beautiful Women'. Then together with Isabella Rossellini, Monica was photographed for the DOLCE & GABBANA advertising campaign photographed by Steven Meisel, as well as the advertising campaign for BLUMARINE photographed by Helmut Newton. Both campaigns received unparalleled attention from the world’s press.

    Her passion was always film and in 1991 marks her departure from the photographic to the cinematographic set. Dino Risi, the director of Bellucci's first film, VITA COI FIGLI, hired her after seeing her photo in a fashion magazine; two years later, Francis Ford Coppola did the same when he cast her as one of Dracula's brides in his version of Bram Stoker's tale and her journey as a successful actress had begun. Monica was featured in the now famous television commercial directed by Giuseppe Tornatore for DOLCE & GABBANA fragrance.

    She has appeared in many Italian movies, but sought greater opportunities and so she eventually moved to France. There, filming the 1996 thriller L’APPARTEMENT , by Gilles Mimouni (for which Monica was nominated for the CESAR award), she met actor Vincent Cassel who she married in 1999. They have continued to work together in films like Jan Kounen's DOBERMANN, and in the 2001 release BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLVES by Christophe Gans. Most famous was their collaboration in the controversial movie Irreversible which premiered in Cannes in 2002. Vincent and Monica have a daughter called Deva who was born in 2005.

    Monica starred opposite Gerard Depardieu in ASTERIX E OBELIX: MISSION CLEOPATRA by Alain Chabat, released in January 2002. But, it was MALENA, directed by Giuseppe Tornatore, that helped open the doors to American cinema. In 2000, she starred opposite Morgan Freeman and Gene Hackman, in UNDER SUSPICION. 2003 saw her star opposite Bruce Willis in the hostage drama TEARS OF THE SUN.

    International stardom was secured when she starred opposite Keanu Reeves in MATRIX RELOADED, the first of two sequels of the sci-fi series, directed by brothers Larry and Andy Wachoskj., and her role as Mary Magdalene in Mel Gibson’s critically acclaimed THE PASSION, which was released in 2004.

    In October 2003, Monica began filming in NYC for director Spike Lee's latest project SHE HATE ME. Monica plays the lesbian daughter of the head of the mafia, played by John Turturro. The film also stars Whoopie Goldberg & Woody Harrelson. From there, she lands in Prague where she interprets a beautiful but cruel witch in Terry Gilliam's new film BROTHERS GRIMM, starring Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Heath Ledger and Jonathan Pryce.
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