Meet Sophia Loren's family as she turns 90 — including NCIS actress daughter-in-law

Acclaimed European actress Sophia Loren turns 90 on September 20, and the Oscar-winning superstar has lived a life worthy of Hollywood.

Born in Italy, the 90-year-old began performing in pageants as a teen and by the age of 16 in 1950 she had kicked off her film career. It was that same year that she is believed to have met Carlo Ponti, who was 22 years older than her at 37.

He had long been separated from his wife but was not legally divorced  because it was illegal in Italy, and the pair struck up a romance.

During those first few years Sophia also had a tumultuous affair with co-star Cary Grant but in 1957 at the age of 23 she and Carlo wed by proxy – because he was still not divorced – with two male attorneys taking their place in Mexico.

They lived in Hollywood for three years under the threat of being charged with bigamy if they returned to Italy. However, despite the threats, they moved back to Italy to produce and star in Two Women, which would go on to see her win an Academy Award.

In 1962 the pair chose to annul their marriage, and moved to France, along with Carlo's estranged wife Giuliana Fiastri, with whom he had two children, so that Carlo and Giuliana could legally divorce.

In 1966 Sophia and Carlo then married and in 1968 welcomed their first son Carlo Ponti Jr and five years later a second son Edoardo Ponti.

Carlo Ponti Jr

Carlo (pictured left above) was born in Geneva, Switzerland, where Sophia and Carlo put down roots after their wedding.

Now 55, he is an acclaimed conductor, having worked at the Conductor's Institute in Connecticut, under the direction of Harold Farberman from 1994–96, in Los Angeles from 1997-99, before returning to Europe to work for the Russian National Orchestra from 2000 to 2018.

He has also served as music director and principal conductor of the San Bernardino Symphony from 2001 to 2013, and in 2013 founded the Los Angeles Virtuosi Orchestra which is currently performing its ninth season.

He wed Andrea Meszaros, a Hungarian violinist, in 2004.

They married at the Basilica in Budapest, with Andrea wearing a gorgeous silk strapless gown with lace overlay with a long veil.

Guests included designer Giorgio Armani who designed the dress.

They welcomed their son, Sophia's first grandson, Vittorio in 2007, and in 2012 welcomed a daughter, Beatrice; pictured above with Sophia in 2022.

Edoardo Ponti

Edoardo was also born in Geneva and moved to Los Angeles in 1990 to study at the University of Southern California before going to study for a Master of Fine Arts degree in Film Directing & Production from the University of Southern California School of Cinema and Television.

He is now a producer and director; his first film, Between Strangers , also starred his mother Sophia Loren as well as Mira Sorvino, Gérard Depardieu, Pete Postlethwaite, and Malcolm McDowell, and premiered at Venice Film Festival.

On 12 August 2007, Ponti married actress Sasha Alexander, in Geneva. They had first crossed paths at USC but years later, when Sasha was working in TV they reunited.

"I'd worked an all-nighter on NCIS and I was sitting in a restaurant eating breakfast with a hat on. And he walked up to my table and said, 'Sasha, do you remember me?'" she once said.

Sasha Alexander

Sasha is most well known to audiences for her work as Caitlin Todd for the first two seasons of NCIS (2003–2005) and later as Maura Isles in the TNT series Rizzoli & Isles.

Sasha was part of the NCIS cast from the pilot episode, but was killed off at the end of season two when a terrorist shoots her in the head.

An official statement said that Sasha "asked to be let out of her contract to pursue other opportunities," but she later shared that she felt the workload was too physically demanding for her.

She has also appeared in Shameless .

Sasha and Edoardo have two children, a daughter Lucia, born in 2006, and a son Leonardo, born in 2010; Grey's Anatomy star Jessica Capshaw is godmother to Lucia.

They married in 2007.

Lucia recently began her freshman year at Brown University, with Sasha sharing a beautiful reel of her memories with Lucia and the new dorm room.

"Well this happened. As a parent you are never ready for this moment. It was emotional and beautiful and tough. May this new journey be filled with light, learning and memories. We are so proud of you L," she wrote, adding: "Ps- we can also discuss the fun we had planning her cozy dorm room. "