Monica Bellucci

Monica Bellucci was born on September 30, 1964 ,Città di Castello, Umbria, Italy

Birth name: Monica Anna Maria Bellucci

Education: University of Perugia

Parents: Pasquale Bellucci and Maria Gustinelli

Occupation: Italian actress and fashion model

Nationality: Italian

Ethnicity: Italian

Height: 5' 7" (1.70 m)

Hair color: Brown - Dark

Eye color: Brown - Light

Measurements: (US) 34-24-35 ; (EU) 86.5-61-89

Dress size: (US) 6 ; (EU) 36

Shoe size: (US) 9 ; (EU) 41

Fansites: 1, 2, 3,

Pictures: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,

Wallpapers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,

Magazine Covers:

France: 'Elle' - November 6, 2000; 'Madame Figaro'; 'Elle' - June 18 2001; 'Studio' - July 2003; 'Elle' - 30 October 2006
Germany: 'GQ' - November 2000
Italy: 'DONNA' - November 1991; 'Photo'; 'Vogue Gioiello' - March 2004; 'Diva e Donna' - October 2006; 'Flair' - December 2006
Japan: 'Marie Claire' - May 2001
Mexico: 'Maxim' - June 2003; 'Marie Claire' - April 2004
Russia: 'Elle' - February 2008
Spain: 'Vogue' - October 1995; 'Elle' - March 1998; 'GQ' - December 2000; 'MarieClaire' - April 2004; 'GQ' - March 2005; 'Citizen K' - Spring 2005; 'Vogue' - June 2005; 'DT' - #94; 'GQ' - February 2007; 'Cinemanía' - October 2007; 'Fotogramas' - November 2007;
UK: 'GQ' - February 2002
US: 'Esquire' - February 2001 'Vogue Hommes'; 'DS' - May 2003

Filmography:

Dracula (1992)
Appartement, L' (1996)
Dobermann (1997)
Under Suspicion (2000)
Malèna (2000)
Pacte des loups, Le (2001)
Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre (2002)
Irréversible (2002)
Tears of the Sun (2003)
Ricordati di me (2003)
The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
She Hate Me (2004)
The Brothers Grimm (2005)
Manuale d'amore 2 (Capitoli successivi) (2007)
Shoot 'Em Up (2007)
Ne te retourne pas (2008)
Sangue pazzo (2008)
The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009)
1:30 Train (2008)

Biography:

Monica Bellucci was born on September 30th, 1968, in the village of Citta di Castello, in Umbria, Italy. Initially pursuing a career as a lawyer, Monica decided to start modeling in order to help pay for her tuition while at the University of Perugia. But of course, the glamorous life of a model -- which includes travel and a sweet income -- tempted Monica away from her law studies. In 1988, Monica moved to one of Europe's fashion centers -- Milan. There, she signed with Elite Model Management and found plenty of modeling work. By 1989, Monica was making it big in Paris and across the Atlantic, in New York. But although she had achieved huge success in so little time as a model (posing for Dolce & Gabbana and French Elle), Monica thrived for more. Monica's classic and elegant good looks are matched only by an equally sophisticated and refined fashion sense. She made her film debut in 1990, with roles in Vita coi figli and Briganti (a.k.a Bandits: Love and Liberty). The following year, Monica starred as Francesca in the film La Riffa, and made her American film debut with the role of Dracula's Bride in 1992's Bram Stoker's Dracula, co-starring Gary Oldman and Winona Ryder. Roles began to pour in for the Italian beauty. After a role in Ostinato destino, she appeared in I Mitici (a.k.a. The Heroes) in 1994, and Palla di neve in 1995. She also starred as the Pharaoh's wife in the made-for-TV movie, Joseph. But it was her role in the 1996 film, L'Appartement, that earned Monica her acting accolades. In 1997, Bellucci was cast in Come mi vuoi (a.k.a As You Want Me), Dobermann and Mauvais genre. After roles in more European films such as 1998's L'Ultimo capodanno, A los que aman, and Compromis, she starred in 1999's Comme un poisson hors de l'eau (a.k.a. Like a Fish Out of Water). But it was the critical success of the Italian film Malena (2000), in which Monica starred in the title role, that really catapulted her to fame. In 2001, Bellucci starred in Brotherhood of the Wolf (co-starring her husband Cassel) and as Cleopatra in Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatre. The following year she starred in Tears of the Sun, with Bruce Willis, and of course, as Persephone in the highly anticipated sequels to 1999's The Matrix. In 2004, Monica Bellucci was seen as Magdalene in Mel Gibson's controversial blockbuster, The Passion of the Christ, and returned to French film with Agents secrets. She can also add 2004's The Brothers Grimm (with Matt Damon and Heath Ledger), Spike Lee's She Hate Me, and 2005's Lord of War (with Nicolas Cage) to her filmography. With over 20 movies to her credit she isn't a novice to film, unfortunately her fame comes from Italian cinema. Monica has not benefited from the Hollywood marketing machine that movie studios are capable of. Although the model-turned-actress has reached incredible heights in both streams of her career, she still dreams of working with the legendary Robert De Niro. Critics are quick to compare Monica Bellucci to previous Italian beauties, but she has her own brand of sensual style. With roles as a topless vampire in "Dracula", and her recent role as a sci-fi vixen in the Matrix sequels, Monica has proven to be a bold blend of a seductive actress and a talented star.

Trivia:

Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#35). [2007].
Ranked #5 on E! Entertainment Networks list of 101 Sexiest Celebrity Bodies list of 2006.
Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 2006
Ranked as #89 in FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005 special supplement. (2005)
Decided to strip in Vanity Fair magazine as a protest against the new Italian law which allows only married couples to use in-vitro fertilization and prohibits the use of donor sperm. (August 7, 2004)
Pierce Brosnan would like to see Bellucci or Keira Knightley in the role of the next Bond girl. (March 23, 2004)
Her costume for her portrayal of Cleopatra has been stolen from a French hotel by a waiter who wanted to impress girls -- The exquisite outfit the actress wore in the 2002 French film ASTERIX AND OBELIX: MISSION CLEOPATRA is worth $180,000 since it is spun from gold thread. (May 30, 2003)
A skydiver hired for stunt work on the Navy Seals' drama starring Bellucci and Bruce Willis, is presumed dead Thursday after disappearing in the Pacific Ocean. (November 1, 2002)
Was nominated for a César Award in the Most Promising Young Actress category in L' APPARTEMENT. (1997)
Bellucci and her husband Cassel are separating just months after making the sexually explicit IRREVERSIBLE together. They've been married three years.
Has slammed childish-looking American actresses for being so skinny, accusing them of being scared to be real women – The actress loves the fact she is naturally curvy, and describes herself as old-fashioned in the way she likes to be treated like a lady by men, but she believes this attitude is far better than her supposedly 'liberated' American counterparts. (June 14, 2003)
Has been busy snapping photos so that fans can bid for a glimpse of life through her eyes in a fund-raising auction next week -- Under its second Star Photos auction, the Paris-based press watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF), will put more than 60 disposable cameras up for auction, each containing undeveloped mystery snaps she took. (June 14, 2003)
Nickname: Monique
Was a model.
Made her American film debut in BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA (1992).
Appeared in a black & white TV commercial for Dolce & Gabbana. The director was Giuseppe Tornatore, who also directed her in the movie MALENA.
Fluent in Italian, English, French and Spanish.
Hair color: Black
Eye color: Dark brown
Studied jurisprudence for a little time.
Bellucci is a name that derives from the latin Bellutus, who seem to has given name to loads of noble Italian families (Belluccio, Belluzzi,etc...), and is a typical name from the center of Italy, in fact she is from Umbria.
Made a nude calendar for the Italian magazine Max in 1998 and another one for the Italian magazine GQ in 2000.
Was originally cast as Mina Harker in THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN (2003) but had to drop out due to a scheduling conflict. The part then went to Peta Wilson.
Was elected the most beautiful woman in the world by French people in a tv schow La plus belle femme du monde the 8st november 2004.
Doesn't always live with her husband Vincent Cassel, for avoiding routine the two live in separate apartments; she lives most of the time in London and he lives in Paris.
Her role as Chantal in Under suspicion was held by Romy Schneider in the original film: GARDE A VUE.
Favorite movie is UNA GIORNATA PARTICOLARE (1977) by Ettore Scola.
She ranked #6 in Maxim's '50 Sexiest Women' (1999).
She ranked #9 in Maxim's '100 Sexiest Women' (2002).
She ranked #1 in Askmen's 'Most Desirable Woman' (2002).
Has her look-alike puppet in the French show Les Guignols de l'info (1988).
Favorite poem is A Silvia by Giacomo Leopardi.
Wears a size 10 shoe.
Shares birthday with Marion Cotillard, Deborah Kerr and Angie Dickinson.
Said in an interview that Sophia Loren and Claudia Cardinale have inspired her acting career.
Good friends with Guillaume Canet.
Has a wax statue in the Grevin Museum in Paris.
Supports the Italian football team.
Nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture at Golden Globe Awards for THE COOLER. (2004)
Nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role at Screen Actors Guild Awards for THE COOLER. (2004)