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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteSophia Loren missed the 34th Academy Awards because, by her later account, she thought she might faint if she won—and decided she might as well faint at home. She did win Best Actress for Two Women, becoming the first performer to win an acting Oscar for a foreign-language film.
What happened at the 1962 Oscars?
The 34th Academy Awards took place on April 9, 1962, at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. The ceremony honored films released in 1961. The Academy’s official record lists Loren as the Best Actress winner for Two Women; the other nominees were Audrey Hepburn for Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Piper Laurie for The Hustler, Geraldine Page for Summer and Smoke, and Natalie Wood for Splendor in the Grass. The Academy’s 34th Awards record confirms the date and result.
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Loren’s absence was striking because the win was a milestone: the Academy identifies her as the first performer nominated for an Oscar for a performance in a foreign-language film, and she won for Two Women. The Academy’s 34th Oscars highlights include a clip entry titled “Sophia Loren Wins Best Actress.”
Why did Sophia Loren stay away?
Loren later explained that she was afraid she would faint if she won. Vanity Fair Italia quotes her recollection in Italian: «Non ero andata perché mi ero detta: se vinco svengo, e allora tanto vale svenire a casa». In English: “I hadn’t gone because I told myself: if I win, I’ll faint, so I might as well faint at home.” The English here is a translation of her Italian words. Vanity Fair Italia’s account presents this as her later recollection.
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A contemporary account supports the broad idea of nerves, though it is not the same evidence as Loren’s later explanation. In its April 20, 1962, report, TIME described her absence as “unvarnished nervousness.” That report also quoted Loren saying America had made “a big, big gesture” by giving the award to an Italian actress. TIME’s coverage was published less than two weeks after the ceremony. These accounts tell us how Loren later explained her decision and how a contemporary reporter characterized it; they do not establish every private circumstance behind her absence.
How did Loren learn she had won?
RAI Cultura reports that Loren was at home in Rome with her husband, producer Carlo Ponti, when she learned the result by telephone. Journalists and photographers had gathered there. The same account says Greer Garson accepted the award for Loren at the ceremony. RAI Cultura’s account recounts the evening from Loren’s home in Rome as well as the award presentation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Was there a celebration after the ceremony?
Vanity Fair Italia reports that a celebration in Loren’s honor was organized in 1962 by then-Academy vice president Geoffrey Scurlock and producer Joseph E. Levine. It was a separate event, not the Academy Awards ceremony she missed. The distinction matters: the reported celebration did not change the fact that Loren was absent when her Oscar was announced and accepted onstage.
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