She participated in beauty pageants and became known as a sex symbol with the nickname “La lollo”.
Lollobrigida was offered a film contract via the mogul Howard Hughes in the 1950s, without first having had any film career in Italy except in minor roles. She refused and preferred to stay in Europe where she was awarded a Bafta for the film “Pane, amore e fantasia” in 1953.
She cut back on acting and worked as a photographer during the 1970s and, among other things, got an exclusive interview with Cuba’s Fidel Castro.
Her last film role was in the 1997 French comedy ‘XXL’.