For Sophia Loren, the road to motherhood was far from easy. The actress – whose “desire to have children had become an obsession” by the time she was 29 – experienced two miscarriages before welcoming her sons. 

“My life as a star felt like nothing compared with the happiness of the new mothers I’d glimpsed at the hospital,” Sophia penned in her memoir, Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow. 

After tying the knot with Italian film producer Carlo Ponti in 1966, Sophia and her husband were overjoyed when their oldest son, Carlo Jr., was delivered safely in 1968, followed by their youngest, Edoardo, in 1973. Here, we explore the A-lister’s unbreakable bond with her two boys…

Carlo Ponti Jr. 

On the day of Carlo’s arrival, Sophia was nervous about undergoing a C-section. “I hadn’t slept a wink the night before; the truth is that I didn’t want my pregnancy to end,” she penned in 2014. 

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“And I was scared. I didn’t want to share this child that was all mine with anyone else. A few hours later, Carlo Jr. was born — the greatest, sweetest, most indescribable joy I had ever experienced. I was completely overcome by emotion when I held him in my arms.

“Afraid that I might wake up from my marvellous dream, I proceeded to shut myself off from the world,” she recalled. “It was warm in my hospital room, and I felt safe, me and Carlo Jr, alone together, in a soft cocoon of endless gazes and caresses.”

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As Carlo grew up, Sophia told PEOPLE that he was “a little bit like me” and “shy, [he] keeps things inside, laughs”. Meanwhile, it took a while for Carlo to realise that his mother was an international star.

“I think I might’ve gradually realized it as I grew older because we did have some famous actor guests come in the house,” he recalled to Turner Classic Movies.  

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Now aged 56, Carlo has become an esteemed composer and has released recordings of his music. In an interview with PEOPLE, she noted that her son “does very well,” and on a personal note, Carlo has since found love with violinist Andrea Meszaros Ponti and welcomed a son, Vittorio Leone and a daughter, Beatrice Lara. 

“I have two beautiful children, and they gave me grandchildren, so I’m surrounded by great love every day,” Sophia told the Financial Times in 2020.

Edoardo Ponti

When it comes to her youngest, Sophia has compared her son Edoardo to her sister, Anna Maria Villani Scicolone, telling PEOPLE that he’s “outgoing” and “sings very well.” The actress also mentioned his aspirations of becoming a director, which is exactly what he did. 

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Edoardo even directed his mother in the Italian drama film The Life Ahead (2020). Raving about Sophia in an interview with CBS, the 52-year-old said: “My mother is more than a great actress, she is a great artist. 

“When you are 86 years old and you have the sort of career Sophia Loren has had, you can stop because you can rest on the laurels of your legacy, of everything that you have done.

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“But when you are an artist, you can’t stop, because there’s that desire to create that keeps you up at night, that makes you wake up in the morning, wanting to walk into something, wanting to challenge yourself, wanting to push the envelope and to broaden your creative challenges,” he continued. 

“And what I love about her is that at her age she risked everything to play a role – in this film – that was extremely challenging. I can only hope that at 86, I will have the same drive and courage.”

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When he’s not busy working as a producer and a director, Edoardo relishes time with his family. Since 2007, the filmmaker has been married to NCIS actress Sasha Alexander, with whom he shares two kids – Lucia Sofia Ponti and Leonardo Fortunato Ponti.