Monica Bellucci

Monica Anna Maria Bellucci (; 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 (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 in (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 (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 life

Monica Anna Maria Bellucci was born in , Umbria, Italy, on 30 September 1964. 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. Bellucci grew up in , in the (municipality) of San Giustino on the banks of the Tiber River.

Bellucci received a Catholic education. She was an "intelligent child". According to her father, she was discreet and increasingly interested in fashion, and grew up "surrounded by love". Bellucci was introduced to modelling at age 13 when she posed for a photographer friend-of-the-family in . She was distant from other children her age, regularly made detours to get home after school, and did not spend time with them in the 's public space. Bellucci's father said she complained that everyone stared at her. Her father helped her gain self-confidence.

Bellucci developed a taste for cinema, watching films by Vittorio De Sica, Federico Fellini, Roberto Rossellini, Luchino Visconti, , and Jean-Luc Godard. 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".

Modeling career

1980s and 1990s

At age 16, Bellucci was asked to pose for photography sessions by her father's friend, the director of a fashion agency. Having begun her modelling career, Bellucci periodically travelled to Milan and Paris while continuing her studies at . According to Bellucci: "I approached the adult universe very early" because she worked with models ten years older than herself. Bellucci said: "Modelling came to me naturally, and I loved pictures. I loved the world of image".

While hitchhiking, Bellucci met Piero Montanucci, a hairdresser from , who persuaded her to become his model. Bellucci, a student at the , attracted attention wherever they went due to her striking appearance. She was considered a local model. Bellucci studied philosophy, literature, Latin and Greek. In 1983, Bellucci was dressed by -based fashion entrepreneur Pina Alberti and modelled at a fashion show at the , the city's municipal theatre, as part of an event called Momento Donna, which Maria Giovanna Elmi hosted. Montanucci, her mentor at the time, accompanied Bellucci to the event. 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.

Bellucci studied law at the University of Perugia, aiming to become a lawyer. She financed her studies by working as a model through her father's friend. After a friend of Bellucci encouraged her to apply to modelling agencies during her studies, she moved to Milan, one of Europe's fashion centres. Modelling agent Piero Piazzi saw Bellucci's arrival at the Elite Model Management agency and thought she could have been an actress. Piazzi had been critical in his assessment when he first saw Bellucci in 1987, telling her she was "not ready". Between 1988 and 1989, Elite signed Bellucci to a contract. In 1988, she featured on the cover of , photographed by Oliviero Toscani, and '' Vogue Spain''.

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. She appeared in numerous international advertising campaigns, and Dolce & Gabbana recruited her as their muse. Bellucci's physical attributes aligned with the image the founders of Dolce & Gabbana wanted to portray. In 1989, Bellucci lived in New York and was already a millionaire. As a model, Bellucci was represented by Elite, and she worked in Milan, Paris, and New York.

In 1990, the French luxury house Dior used Bellucci's image and name for its line. She was photographed by Richard Avedon, and became the "protagonist" of Dolce & Gabbana's campaigns, "which elevated her to an icon of Mediterranean beauty". She also appeared in fashion parades for the luxury fashion house Fendi. In 1991, Bellucci was the brand ambassador for the cosmetics company L'Oréal. The same year, Bellucci appeared in the ''Sports Illustrated'' Swimsuit Issue, which featured photographs of her in the Caribbean. Bellucci also appeared in advertisements for Givenchy, Nina Ricci, Yves Saint Laurent, Versace and other luxury brands. In 1992, Bellucci combined her work as a model with her acting debut. In 1993, she first met Giuseppe Tornatore when he directed her in a television advertisement for Dolce & Gabbana perfume.

Bellucci opted to follow her passion for cinema, turned to acting and stopped modelling full-time, although she remained active in the industry. The Italian luxury company Breil appointed Bellucci its brand ambassador and she starred in advertising campaigns. In the 1990s, Bellucci regularly modelled for calendars, beginning in 1997 at the age of 33 when Avedon photographed her for the Pirelli Calendar. In 1997, Bellucci became the brand ambassador and muse of Cartier jewellery. Nina Hald of the Danish newspaper '' Berlingske'' said: "Cartier chose for the first time to associate an actress closely with the house". Cartier accompanied Bellucci throughout her acting career, notably on red carpets, where she wore (high jewellery) collections, and she worked as a model for opulent creations. Italian fashion photographer Fabrizio Ferri photographed Bellucci for the magazine '' Max'' calendar.

2000s

Bellucci posed for the '' GQ'' calendar in 2000 and was photographed by Gian Paolo Barbieri. 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. That same year, Bellucci's status as the only actress who was contractually bound to Cartier was made public. In 2006, she was named brand ambassador for Dior and the face of a range of products until 2010. Cartier designed a collection of luxury diamond jewellery that was inspired by Bellucci and bore her name. It was first presented at a Cartier event in Dubai in 2007.

2010s and 2020s

Bellucci's appearances in television advertisements include Martini Gold, a collaboration between Martini and Dolce & Gabbana, in 2010. She again posed semi-nude whilst pregnant for the cover of the April 2010 issue of ''Vanity Fair Italy''. Cashmere goods manufacturer appointed Bellucci as its brand ambassador for its winter 2011/2012 advertising campaign. In 2012, Bellucci was the face of an eponymous range of Dolce & Gabbana lipstick. She appeared in other seasonal fashion campaigns for Dolce & Gabbana. She was signed to Storm Management in London and D'Management Group in Milan.

Bellucci was chosen as the face of German cosmetics manufacturer Nivea for its 2018 and 2019 campaigns. In June 2018, Bellucci appeared in a fashion parade for Dolce & Gabbana when she opened the second day of Milan Fashion Week. According to Stefano Gabbana, Bellucci returned to the catwalk for the house for the first time since 1992. She also appeared on the catwalk for Dolce & Gabbana at the early 2019 Milan fashion week, along with Helena Christensen, , and Isabella Rossellini, who joined the influx of 1990s supermodels returning to the fashion spotlight.

Bellucci remained the "muse" and ambassador of the Cartier brand in the 2020s. Since 2000, Bellucci has appeared on national and international covers of , ''GQ'', ''Harper's Bazaar'', '' Marie Claire'', ''Maxim'', '' Paris Match'', '' Schön!'', '' The Sunday Times Style'', ''Vanity Fair'', and ''Vogue'', among others.

Acting career

1990–1999: Early roles and breakthrough

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 . Bellucci had never thought of becoming an actress and was surprised to be chosen for a role. Bellucci made her acting debut in ''Vita coi figli'', a two-part television film that was broadcast in Italy in May 1991, in which she played Elda. The same year, Bellucci made her film debut in , which Francesco Laudadio directed.

In 1992, Bellucci played one of the three brides of Dracula in the horror film '' Bram Stoker's Dracula''. Roman Coppola saw a photograph of Bellucci in the Italian magazine ''Zoom'' and implored his father Francis Ford to offer her a film role. 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. 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. Bellucci's role as a "sensual vampire" was her international film debut.

Following her minor role in ''Bram Stoker's Dracula'', Bellucci returned to Italy and enrolled in acting classes. According to Bellucci: "I craved it ... I needed to act". Bellucci said a time when all of her friends were leaving the faculty was a challenging time. Bellucci had difficulty overcoming the prejudices related to her modelling and her physical appearance, and had to work to establish her credibility. 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. Bellucci appeared in the Emmy-winning biblical television miniseries '' Joseph'' (1995). In her view, the Italian film industry needed to invest more money to promote films internationally. Bellucci moved to France to improve her career prospects, and settled in Paris in 1995.

Bellucci's portrayal of Lisa in '' The Apartment'' (1996), a "moody" French film noir, earned her a César Award nomination for Most Promising Actress. This launched her career in France and strengthened her position as an actress. It was her first French-language film. Gavanndra Hodge of ''The Sunday Times'' stated that her "break-out role" was in the European arthouse film ''The Apartment''. The BBC's Almar Haflidason described the film as "seductive" and "startling", giving it a rating of five stars. Bellucci's second French film was Jan Kounen's ''Dobermann

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