Sophia Loren on Her Life in Hotels

The actress Sophia Loren is a symbol of Italy to generations of moviegoers. Born in Rome on Sept. 20, 1934, as Sofia Villani Scicolone, she was raised outside Naples and suffered intense deprivation during World War II. As Italy entered the postwar “Dolce Vita” era, she became a star of Cinecittá, Rome’s film industry center. She won an Oscar in 1962 for her performance in “La Ciociara,” or “Two Women,” about wartime Italy. Her memoir, “Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow: My Life,” was published late last year by Atria Books. She is the mother of Carlo Jr. and Edoardo, with her husband, the producer Carlo Ponti, who died in 2007. Following are edited excerpts from a conversation with Ms. Loren.

Q. You have just come out with your memoir, “Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow.” Why did you want to write this now?

A. Years go by, you’re 40, 50, and when you reach the beautiful age of 80, you are taken by a great wanting to start all over again, to be reborn with your souvenirs, and in a way, you fall in love with your future. I had so much to say because many things stuck in my mind and the kind of life I led. So, I started to write little things and put it in a box. It grew and when the book was finished, finally, I was very proud of it and I said, “Sophia, you did it again.” It’s a beautiful, beautiful, wonderful story, full of many things, many memories, good, bad, because life sometimes is very hard. Very violent, especially when I was born and during the war. But, of course, the end is a very happy ending.

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