Sofia Villani Scicolone (born 20 September 1934), known by her stage name Sophia Loren, , is an film actress and singer. Loren began her film career in 1950 at age 16. In 1956 launched her international career. Notable film appearances around this time include , , and . Her talents as an actress were not recognized until her performance as Cesira in 's ; Loren's performance earned her the in 1962 and made her the first actress to win an Oscar for a foreign-language performance. She holds the record for having earned six for Best Actress: Two Women; ; ; ; ; and .