On September 30, Monica Bellucci turns 62 - an age that finds her not in retrospect, but in motion between festival screenings, new roles and meetings with directors from different generations. The Italian actress, born in 1964 in Citta di Castello, continues to work in cinema and in 2026 received recognition for one of her most unusual incarnations.
In Giovanni Tortorici's “Ketiche“ Bellucci plays a mother from a wealthy Palermo family, whose life is marked by dissatisfaction and inability to communicate with her son. The film was presented at the Locarno Film Festival, and for her role, the actress received the “Pardo“ for best actress. She previously described the role as completely different from her previous roles.
“I have never done anything like this. I was on the set in pajamas and slippers, with a knife in my hand. This woman has abandoned her femininity“, Bellucci told Variety.From the catwalks to “Malena“
Bellochi started out as a model while studying law at the University of Perugia. Modeling was initially a way to pay for her education, but it gradually took her to Milan, Paris and New York. Her acting debut came in the early 1990s, and her international breakthrough – with &ldash; Dracula“ by Francis Ford Coppola.
However, her real popularity came with Giuseppe Tornatore's “Malena“ in 2000. In the film, she played a woman who is transformed from a small Sicilian town into an object of desire, envy and rumors. The image established her as an actress capable of simultaneously carrying sensuality, drama and silence.
This was followed by roles in “The Matrix: Reloaded“ and “The Matrix Revolutions“, “The Passion of the Christ“, “Brotherhood of the Wolf“ and “Spectre“. As Lucia Sarra in the James Bond series, Bellucci appeared at the age of 51 – a decision that breaks the long-standing notion of the age of women in this type of role.
New images and a different rhythm
In 2026, Bellucci also starred in “Stories of the Night“ by Lea Misius, presented in the competition program of the Cannes Film Festival. She plays an Italian artist living alone on a remote farm, around which a dark story of family secrets, fear and violence unfolds.
In interviews throughout the year, the actress spoke about the change in her body and the roles that age makes possible. “Today, we actresses are happy that we can continue to work as mature women. "In the past, it was impossible to have a career after 40," she says.
Bellochi remains involved in fashion, but her career today is increasingly built on abandoning the easily recognizable image of an Italian beauty. "I love what I do and I'm very grateful that I still have the opportunity to do interesting things. But life is more important. Life is stronger than art," the actress says.
Sources: Variety, Reuters