Monica Bellucci

Biography of Monica Bellucci

Monica Anna Maria Bellucci was born on September 30, 1964 in Città di Castello, Umbria. She is an Italian film actress and model.

While she was studying law at the University of Perugia for a few semesters, Bellucci earned her living as a model. In 1988 she went to Milan, where she was signed by the Elite agency and advertised for Dolce & Gabbana, among others.

In 1990 she began her film career. Her first American film role was in Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992). With her role in the French thriller Lies of Love (1996) she became a star and was also nominated for the French film award César.

Monica Bellucci received the 2003 Nastro d'Argento for Best Supporting Actress. She received the award for her role as Alessia in the film Ricordati di me.

At the age of 50, she played the role of Lucia Sciarra in James Bond 007: Specter (2015), making her the oldest Bond girl to date. Her work as an actress for film and television includes more than 75 productions.

In 2017 she was selected to present the opening ceremony and the closing awards gala of the 70th Cannes International Film Festival, after having awarded the Palme d'Or as a jury member in 2006. In the same year she was accepted into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which annually awards the Oscars.

Her first marriage was to Italian photographer Claudio Basso from 1990 to 1994. She was married to Vincent Cassel, her co-star in Love Lies, Doberman, The Wolves, Irreversible and Agents Secrets, from 1999 until their separation in 2013. They have two daughters together, Deva and Leonie, who were born on September 12, 2004 and May 21, 2010 in Rome. In March 2010, Bellucci, six months pregnant, posed on the cover of the Italian edition of Vanity Fair magazine.

After living with Cassel mainly in Rio de Janeiro, she settled with her daughters in Lisbon, where she bought a house near the Castelo de São Jorge at the end of 2016.