Hollywood paid tribute to a timeless, beautiful actress: Sophia Loren. Hollywood stars came out to honor her 50 years after she became the first person to win an acting Oscar for a foreign-language role with the Italian movie Two Women. On Wednesday, Loren told a crowd of approximately 800 actors, directors, friends and family that she never dreamed an Italian in an Italian-language film would earn the movie industry's highest honor. Loren did not attend that 1961 Academy Awards ceremony in which she won the Oscar. The Academy Award changed my life completely, she said. It helped me believe in myself and encouraged me to push my own artistic boundaries. There are no words to describe my emotions right now. It is hard to imagine that 50 years have passed since I welcomed my Oscar to my home. Sophia Loren has appeared in more than 80 films and in 1991 received a Lifetime Achievement Oscar. She's been called one of world cinema's greatest treasures. Below are a number of photos from the ceremony.

Fan Gang, director of Chinas National Institute of Economic Research, listens during an interview in Hong Kong
Fan Gang, director of China`s National Institute of Economic Research, listens during an interview in Hong Kong October 25, 2007. REUTERS
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