For decades these amazing women have been symbols of beauty, elegance and style. Through space and time their unusual destiny, beauty and talent continue to shake millions today.
Claudia Cardinale
Claudia Cardinale was born in 1938 in Tunisia. Fame came to her after winning a beauty contest and playing in “Il bell Antonio”. When she was a child, she dreamed to become a teacher. It seemed that fate pushed Claudia to fame. She wasn’t going to get an actress, but unexpectedly became. Claudia accidentally won a beauty contest. She has just been selling lottery tickets with her sister. They came closer to the stage, when someone from the jury said: “Here she is, the most beautiful Italian in Tunisia!” A moment later she has been on the stage and understanding nothing accepted congratulations.She has played in many films and her partners were Marcello Mastroianni, Marlon Brando and others. Since 1980s Claudia lives in Paris. She is involved in social activities and is a Goodwill Ambassador in UNESCO.
Marilyn Monroe
She was born in 1926 in Los-Angeles. The most mysterious woman on the planet. Her life was full of joys and sorrows, victories and disappointments. She made a million mistakes at once. Monroe had a terrible childhood. Monroe got married at the age of 16. But a year later, she tried to commit suicide. Monroe had a stammer till 17 years.Marilyn was always late for shooting, quarreled with directors and explained: “I’m always late, to make sure that somebody is waiting for me.” Bad movies and too critical reviews of critics drove Marilyn into a deep depression: she was addicted to sleeping pills, she just went crazy.She was too sincere for Hollywood.“Hollywood is the place, where you pay thousands of dollars for a kiss in the frame and only fifty cents for you soul…” – Marilyn Monroe. No one better could bring to life Hollywood blonde, so selflessly loving jewelry. Behind all her brilliance and beauty, no one could see her misery and loneliness. Everybody saw her as a silly beauty and it was killing her. To the end of her life Monroe was terribly lonely. She died in 1962. There was nobody to collect her body from morgue. And her death remains a mystery even now.
Sophia Loren
She was born in 1934 in Rome. In the first month of her life Sophia had almost died. At her first beauty contest Sophia took the stage in a dress sewn from pink curtains and in shoes painted with white paint. Despite the successes in cinema her life was blighted by infertility. Only after a course of therapy she had a baby. She said: “At birth I was given two great advantages: mind and poverty.”Hailed as “the Italian Marylin Monroe”, Sophia Loren took the world by storm in 1957. Her womanly curves made her a sex symbol. With an Oscar under her belt, she became a screen legend. Nobody can forget the exotic appeal of this Italian beauty. A bishop of Genoa once joked, that though the Vatican doesn’t approve human cloning, it could make an exception for Sophia Loren. In 1971 she was called the most beautiful woman in the world. And it seems that time has no power over her…
Brigitte Bardot
She was born in 1934 in Paris. Her parents made her to go to ballet school. “My parents dreamed to make me boring, but cultured and educated”, - recalls Brigitte. When she was 13 years old, she easily entered The National Academy of Dance.Despite numerous lovers and bohemian lifestyle, Bardot in her heart dreaming of a big family. She firmly believes in marriage, she hates big cities and dreams about life in the countryside.The film “And God created a woman” brought her a wide popularity. She was a great actress and model.Repeatedly acted with Islam criticism, she has been convicted 5 times for inciting ethnic strife. Brigitte starred in many films and recorded over 80 songs. She also loves animals very much. She became a vegetarian and opened a Fund for Animal Welfare in 1986. She was really disappointed in people and she tried to commit suicide three times. She said: “The dog brings you pain only when it die, the man brings you pain daily.”
Vivien Leigh
She was born in 1913 in India. She was raised in a convent school. That’s why her family was very important for her, and the absence of children was a blow for her.She always uses red lipstick. Vivien loved plants very much and she had a wonderful garden. Her friends called it “Vivien’s fad”. Vivien preferred intellectual games, chess, and crosswords. She adored guests and was a wonderful hostess.She used all possible ways to walk toward the goal. The winner of two Oscars. Her most successful role is Scarlet Ohara in “Gone with the wind”. Never having children, and having terrible problems with health, actress fell into a deep depression. Poor health prevented career and in 1967 she died of tuberculosis. Only strong-willed character allowed Vivien many more years to find the strength to smile and joke, to be a good friend and to remain a great actress, continuing to delight fans of the theatre and cinema. Never the less for 70 years Vivien Leigh has been the goddess of the theatre and cinema.“Once in a generation there is a lady, from whom the whole continent can’t take away the eyes”. Orson Welles about Vivien Leigh.
Monica Belucci
Italian actress and model Monica Belucci was born in 1964 in Italy. Monica had hard times at school; her classmates were jealous of her beauty and put up fights. When she was young she worked as a waitress in a small restaurant in Perugia. The whole town was talking about young, devilishly beautiful waitress. All men of the town were in love with Monica and all women hated her. Because of it the owner of the restaurant was forced to dismiss her. “Beauty is power, but only if you know how to use it…” – Monica Belucci.Monica dreamed of becoming a lawyer, but decided to try herself as a model, to save money for studying. Monica says that her desire to become an actress was affected by roles of Sophia Loren and Claudia Cardinale.Her most famous films are “Doberman”, “Apartment” and “Malena”. Beauty Monica has known since childhood what envy and anger means, much of her life is reflected in her films. Her husband is a famous actor Vincent Cassel and she has two daughters. Monica says that she and her husband want to avoid the influence of habit on their relationship, that’s why they often live in different flats, she lives in London, and he lives in France.Monica says that when she become old, she would better bring up her grandchildren, than to watch her movies.
Michelle Mercier
Michelle was born in 1939 in France. She was miserable in love. Doom haunted all lovers of Michelle. They were wildly jealous of her, though she didn’t give the slightest occasion. Her first husband has gone mad. The second nearly killed Michelle, mutilated her face with ring. Her previous face came back only thanks to the efforts of plastic surgeons.Her most famous role was in film “Angelica”. “People always talk about me as Angelica, though I has played a lot of different women”. After the breath-taking success, the actress would not be able to go away from the stereotype of Angelica. Everybody saw her as Angelica and even her husbands and everybody were waiting for a miracle from her. In 2006 she received The Order of Literature and Arts. Now she lives in Cannes. Until now she remains optimistic and gets luxury bunches of flowers and touching letters with declarations of love. She writes memoirs. Often her house is visited by fans and reporters. In their hearts Michelle Mercier remained matchless dazzling Angelica till now.
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn was born in 1929 in Belgium. Stunning good looks along with her actor abilities provide her a spectacular career. Audrey passed to the movies through the ballet. Audrey knew many languages, among them were English, French, Spanish, Italian and Dutch. During the war Audrey for a month lived in the basement, she had only five apples and a half loaf of bread.The most outstanding of her works is “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”. All her spare time Audrey devoted to charity. She died in 1993. In the last moments of her life, she admitted that she is quite happy. There were all men who loved her near a bedside of dying actress: two sons, husbands and Hubert de Givenchy. Today she is recognized as the most beautiful actress of the 20th century. “To live is as to run around the museum. Only after it you begin to realize what you saw, to think about it, to make inquiries in books and to recall – because you cannot take it all at once.” These women have conquered the whole world. They are legends that will never be forgotten.