- Born
- Died
- Birth nameCarlo Fortunaro Pietro Ponti
- Carlo Ponti was born on December 11, 1912 in Magenta, Lombardy, Italy. He was a producer and production manager, known for Doctor Zhivago (1965), La Strada (1954) and Marriage Italian Style (1964). He was married to Sophia Loren and Giuliana Fiastri. He died on January 10, 2007 in Geneva, Switzerland.
- SpousesSophia Loren(April 9, 1966 - January 10, 2007) (his death, 2 children)Sophia Loren(September 17, 1957 - 1962) (annulled)Giuliana Fiastri(March 30, 1946 - September 1957) (divorced, 2 children)
- Children
- Was considered for the role of Vito Corleone in The Godfather (1972) despite the fact that he was not an actor.
- Got to know his future wife Sofia Villone Scicolone at the "Miss Rome" competition and gave her the stage name Sophia Loren (1952).
- The controversy surrounding his first marriage to Sophia Loren, was that he was still legally married to his first wife Giuliana Fiastri at that time in the eyes of Cathoilc Italy, even though they had already divorced by 1957. In order to marry Loren he obtained a divorce in Mexico where they also got married by proxy, but this was not recognized back in Italy where Ponti was condemned and told he would be charged with bigamy should he return. Thus Ponti and Loren lived in exile in the States for a while until matters could be resolved. In the end the solution was for all three: Ponti, Loren and his ex-wife Fiastri to adopt French citizenship so that he and Fiastri could be legally divorced, and he and Loren could be legally married.
- After he had divorced from Giuliana Fiastri in Mexico, he married Sophia Loren in 1957. As the divorce was not legalized in Italy, he was accused of bigamy and his marriage to Loren was annulled in 1962. Thus, the couple and Ponti's first wife acquired French citizenship, so that he and Loren could marry again in 1966.
- Father of producer Alex Ponti and of lawyer Guendalina Ponti.
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