A chat with Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni
AUTHORS INTERVIEWING CHARACTERS; A chat with Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni
By Melissa Muldoon, author of “Dreaming Sophia — because dreaming is an art.”
Seated comfortably in an upholstered chair with the name “Sophia Loren” displayed prominently on the back, the Italian diva flipped through the pages of her screenplay. When her co-star Marcello Mastroianni strolled into the studio smoking a cigarette, she looked up and, in a deep sultry voice, called out, “Tesoro! Marcello! Vieni qui! Come over here. I want to go over the lines for our next scene together.
The elegant man, dressed in a dark suit, raised his dark glasses, perched them on top of his head, and exhaled a cloud of blue smoke. He chuckled in amusement when he saw her ruby-red lips set in a seductive pout. As his mischievous grin grew broader, fine lines of merriment crinkled around his eyes. The two had performed in many films, shared rare and precious moments, laughed, cried, kissed, commiserated, and even gotten tipsy together. One time, they had almost been arrested. If you counted all the minutes spent in one another’s company, it would seem that they were married. Almost.
Marcello moved a chair and positioned it closer to Sophia. He settled into it, lazily stretched out his long legs, and crossed them at the ankles. He took another long draw on his cigarette and cocked his head. “I thought you knew your lines by heart, mia cara bellissima diva.”
Sophia looked at him innocently. “I do. But you don’t.” She tossed the manuscript at him, and he caught it before it hit him directly in the stomach.
Caught off guard, Marcello raised an eyebrow and then straightened up. “Ah, Sophia, what would I do without you?”
“Let’s not find out.”
Marcello negligently waved his hand in the air. “My lines… Well, I’ll get by. But if you want to rehearse our passionate embrace in scene three, I wouldn’t mind that a bit.”
Sophia leaned over as if she was going to kiss him, but instead, she gave him an affectionate pat on his handsome cheek. “Marcello, you are such a delicious heartbreaker.”
Marcello smiled seductively, “Who cares what my lines are? You know you are the one who always steals the show when we act together; your enchanting eyes make hearts beat faster. I’m just the lucky fellow who stands by your side.”
Scemo! Flattery will get you almost everywhere with everyone else, mio caro, but not with me. We are too good of friends for my head to be turned by your romantic drivel. But I will admit there were a few times you’ve saved a scene with your impeccable timing and irresistible charisma.”
The actor, well known for his Latin lover image, sighed exasperatedly as he casually flipped through the pages. Then, closing the book with a snap, he leaned back, letting his glasses fall back into place to cover his eyes once again. It seemed he was sleeping, except for the occasional draws he made on his cigarette and the small puffs of blue smoke that encircled and caressed his head.
“Marcello!” Sophia said in a hushed whisper.
“Hmm. What is it, tesoro?”
“Marcello! Look there, by the studio door. Do you see her? There she is again!”
Without a glance or even removing his sunglasses, Marcello smiled slightly. “Are you referring to our dreamer over there?”
“Yes, she’s been on my mind the entire morning.” Sophia sighed. “Or have we been on her mind and in her dreams? What is real, and what is a daydream?”
“Well, cara, you know what you always say….”
Sophia gave him a dazzling smile. “So, you have been listening to me all these years!”
Marcello winked at her and said, “I listen to everything you say to me, Tesoro.”
“Well…?” coaxed Sophia. “What do I always say?”
In a soft voice, Marcello said, “Believe in dreams, dreams become reality.”
“Well, it’s true, Marcello. È vero!”
La Loren looked down at the manuscript she held in her lap. She admired the bejeweled rings on her elegant fingers and the luminous sheen of her satin skirt. As she absently played with the diamond bracelet that encircled her slender wrist, Sophia thought about another version of herself — a girl dressed in a cotton dress, fraying at the hem nick-named Sofia Stuzzicadenti — Sofia the toothpick.
At the end of the war, when she was still a teenager and hadn’t much to eat, everyone thought she was too scrawny and gangly ever to be considered pretty. But eventually, her curves filled out, and she went to Rome to audition for the movies. At first, things weren’t easy. Sophia didn’t think she’d ever succeed in the movie business, given that the first time she stepped in front of a movie camera, they all complained she was impossible to photograph. They criticized her and said her face was too short, her mouth too big, and her nose too long. But La Loren persevered and proved them all wrong. She rose out of the ashes of Naples to become the sexy diva she was today in the glittering world of Cinecittà and Hollywood.
La Loren closed her eyes, remembering the war years again — the bombs, the rubble, the soldiers, the desperation. She had grown up without a father amidst poverty and famine, and at times her life had sometimes seemed almost unbearable. Sophia had nurtured a rich fantasy life deep inside her to cope with her harsh reality. She had learned to dream with her eyes open. Sognare ad occhi aperti. Sophia was a romantic but also practical. She knew that a fairy tale loses its magic without reference to real life. The trick was learning to walk the fine line between fantasy and reality to have a successful, happy life.
Sophia looked over again at the young girl who gazed back at her through the light and shadows that filtered through the large studio. The girl had golden curly hair that danced around her face and fell to her shoulders. Even from a distance, Sophia could see she held a paintbrush, and her hands and the denim shirt she wore were covered with paint splatters and smears. The actress also recognized the desperation and the tragic look in the girl’s eyes of someone who had suffered a significant loss.
La Loren stood up, smoothed her satin skirt, and adjusted the ruby-red scarf around her neck. She studied the girl again. The actress could distinctly see the girl was a dreamer like herself. Yes, la Loren had much to teach the girl about surviving and learning to love again.
She gave Marcello a playful kick to his shins with the tip of her red stiletto shoes. “Come on, you! Rise and shine. We have work to do. It’s time to turn dreams into reality.”
La Loren walked toward the girl and smiled at her broadly. “Ciao, Sophia. My name is Sophia, too. It is a pleasure to meet you.
Slowly the actress untied the silk scarf she was wearing and gently draped it around the young woman’s shoulders. Then she kissed her on both cheeks and gave her a warm embrace. When Marcello joined them, the three walked into the shadows of the studio, and La Loren’s voice could be heard drifting through the air.
“Sogna Sophia! Sogna. Never stop dreaming. I believe in dreams… they become reality.”
—
La Loren and Marcello Mastroianni are just two of the muses that guide the protagonist of “Dreaming Sophia” to Italy and Florence and help her discover her joy and how to learn to love again. Discover what Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Eleonora de’ Medici, Lucrezia Borgia, Brunelleschi, Dante, Simonetta Vespucci, Casanova, Garibaldi, and ultimately Prince Lorenzo de’ Medici have to say to Sophia in the novel “Dreaming Sophia,” by Melissa Muldoon.
“Dreaming Sophia – because dreaming is an art” by Melissa Muldoon won the 2018 Reader Views Choice First Place Gold Award in historical fiction.
Amazon Link:
https://www.amazon.com/Dreaming-Sophia-Because-dreaming-art-ebook/dp/B01LMVR10W/
Back Cover Description:
Dreaming Sophia is a magical look into Italy, language, art, and culture, as seen through the eyes of a young American artist. When tragedy strikes, Sophia finds herself alone in the world, without direction and fearful of loving again. At first, with only her vivid imagination to guide her, she starts a journey that will take her from the grape fields in Sonoma, California, to a grad school in Philadelphia and, eventually, to Italy: Florence, Lucca, Rome, Verona, Venice, and Val d’Orcia.
Through dream-like encounters, Sophia meets Italian personalities—princes, poets, duchesses, artists, and film stars—who give her advice to help put her life back together. On a journey that takes her from grief to joy, she discovers the source of her creativity and learns to love again, turning her dreams into reality.
What readers are saying.
Dreaming Sophia by Melissa Muldoon is a love song written to Italy. The novel incorporates magical realism, romance, travel, and art history; all blended into a story of devastating loss and the human capacity to overcome tragedy. — Kat Kennedy
What stands out in Dreaming Sophia, actually in all of Muldoon’s books, is the setting. Italy becomes a character itself as the various people and places are lovingly detailed. They show Italy as a place of beauty and passion. For the protagonists in the books, Italy is a home. — Julie Porter
In Dreaming Sophia, Melissa Muldoon weaves many strands of Italian culture into a delightful blend of fantasy, romance, art, and history. With an artist’s keen eye and deft touch, she brings to life the titans of Italian culture in a touching tale of a young woman reeling from loss who discovers that “Italy is the answer.” The many Italophiles who share her belief will revel in the adventures of this kindred spirit. Brava, Melissa! — Dianne Hales
Melissa Muldoon Author Website
Melissa Muldoon & Sophia Loren
Author Bio
Melissa Muldoon is the author of four novels set in Italy: Dreaming Sophia, Waking Isabella, Eternally Artemisia, and The Secret Life of Sofonisba Anguissola. All four books tell the stories of women and their journeys of self-discovery to find love, uncover hidden truths, and follow their destinies to shape a better future for themselves. Melissa is also the author of the StudentessaMatta.com website, where she promotes the study of the Italian language and culture through her dual-language blog written in Italian and English (studentessamatta.com). Melissa has a B.A. in fine arts, art history and European history from Knox College, a liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois, and a master’s degree in art history from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. She has also studied painting and art history in Florence.
She is an artist, designer, and illustrated the cover art for her books. Melissa is also the managing director of Matta Press. With the help of a team of Italian teaching professionals, she translated her second novel Waking Isabella, into Italian, Il risveglio di Isabella into Italian, and it is available in print. She also curates the Art of Loving Italy website and Pinterest site, where you will find companion pictures and visual references for all four of her books. Visit MelissaMuldoon.com for more information about Melissa’s books and StudentessaMatta.com for tips to learn and practice Italian at home and in Italy with Melissa.
Category: On Writing
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