Life Lessons from Sophia Loren

Welcome to Life Lessons. This week, in honor of her 87th birthday, we revisit some of the captivating Italian legend Sophia Loren’s most memorable quotes, from Interview’s November 1977 and October 1993 issues. So sit back and take in the screen legend’s wisdom—you just might learn a thing or two.

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“If you think you’ve done well in something, I think you can look at it with a kind of, can I say deep nostalgia?—an acute yearning for the splendor of youth.”

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“When I talk about nostalgia it’s not in the sense of physical beauty, of getting old. It’s not about all the time that goes by; it’s a sense that sometimes you would like to go back to that time but you can’t. It’s more psychological than physical.”

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“I think that without having spent a part of my life in Los Angeles I would have only my familiar experiences to draw on. It was a wonderful school for me because I worked with the most important actors who were… it’s very bad to say “on the market,” but you know what I mean. I did many things, and my English got much better.”

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“She was Sophia Loren, my mother. As a matter of fact, when she dies, a great part of me died with her, because she made me feel strong. When your mother dies, something important goes away and you can never replace it.”

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“I have been very lucky, because I never thought I was going to reach the heights I’ve reached. I was just dreaming of a little money and a little career and a marriage. That’s all you dream of when you live in a little town. I don’t know if I deserve it, but I had more, more, more, more, more, more than that.”

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“[Y]ou have to be well prepared, and you have to be psychologically strong, to be able to face whatever comes in your path. That’s why many actresses are not ready for success when they achieve it, and finish badly sometimes.”

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“I think I put into acting whatever are the experiences of my life. If you want to become a good actress, you have to experience many things and become very mature and understanding—you are to analyze feelings, whatever you feel inside. Then, when you’re ready for it, you have to be able to deliver a page of life.”

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“I don’t like to work just for the pleasure of working because it’s not a pleasure to work if you just do anything. It’s a pleasure to work if you’re doing something that appeals to you.”

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“The movie business is so hard. It’s terrible. There’s so much tension going around and so many problems. It’s physical work, too.”

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“When I won my Oscar I was in Rome. I said, ‘If I win, I’m going to faint,’ so I stayed at home.”