Initially pursuing a career as a lawyer, Monica decided to start modeling in order to help pay for her tuition while at the University of Perugia, but the glamorous lifestyle tempted Monica away from her law studies.
In 1988, Monica moved to one of Europe's fashion centers — Milan, where she signed with Elite Model Management. By 1989, Monica was becoming prominent as a model in Paris and across the Atlantic, in New York City. She posed for Dolce & Gabbana and French ELLE, amongst others. In that year, Monica made the transition to acting and began taking acting classes.
She speaks Italian, French and English fluently and has acted in all these languages as well as Aramaic in The Passion of the Christ. In 2004, she topped AskMen's 100 Most Beautiful Women in the World annual list.
--Wikipedia
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