Monica Bellucci began her career as a model while studying law at the University of Perugia. In 1990, Dino Risi cast her for the Italian television series "Vita Coi Figli" and her acting career was born. She made her feature film debut in Francesco Laudadios "La Riffa" (1991).

Francis Coppola gave Bellucci a small role in "Bram Stokers Dracula" (1992) with Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins and Keanu Reeves, and she went on to star in numerous European features. In 2000, she appeared with Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman in "Under Suspicion". The following year, she co-starred in the French sensation "Le Pacte des Loupes" (2001).

Bellucci made a major impression when she starred as a raped woman in Gaspar Noés harrowing "Irréversible" (2002) and the actress also hit the radar of mainstream audiences when she appeared opposite Bruce Willis in Antoine Fuquas "Tears of the Sun" (2003). Later that same year, Bellucci entranced blockbuster-craving crowds when she was cast in the highly-anticipated back-to-back sequels "The Matrix Reloaded" and "The Matrix Revolution" playing the beautiful and enigmatic Persephone. In 2004 Belucci had a small role, comported with much modesty, as Mary Magdalene in Mel Gibson's controversial and brutal depiction of the Crucifixtion, "The Passion of the Christ," and she also appeared in director Spike Lee's middling sex comedy "She Hate Me" (2004) as the lesbian daughter of a Mafioso who pays to be impregnated by the film's lead character (Anthony Mackie). The following year she appeared as the icy, evil Mirror Queen in director Terry Gilliam's visually arresting but disappointing fairy tale tweaking "The Brothers Grimm" (2005).