It’s challenging to identify the earliest instance of side-eye in recorded history, but many attribute it to a famous 1957 photo of Sophia Loren and Jayne Mansfield. Loren, a rising star who had gained significant fame in Europe, became the most photographed performer at the 1955 Cannes Film Festival. In 1957, a Beverly Hills party was held to officially welcome her to Hollywood. However, Jayne Mansfield unexpectedly stole the spotlight from Loren at the event. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Loren confirmed that her expression in the photo reflected exactly what people have long speculated.

Paramount had organized a party for me. All of cinema was there; it was incredible. And then Jayne Mansfield came in, the last to arrive. That’s when things got interesting. She headed straight for my table, fully aware that all eyes were on her. She sat down, and her presence was… unforgettable.Look at the picture. Where are my eyes? I’m staring at her chest because I’m worried her dress won’t contain her. You can see the fear on my face. I was genuinely concerned that everything in her dress would burst out—BOOM!—and spill all over the table.

Loren explained that despite being seen smiling or enjoying herself with Mansfield later that evening, her thoughts were fixated on that dress. “No, no. Well, there may be other photos, but this is the picture. This is the one that shows how it was. This is the only picture.”

However, the veteran actress, with over 90 film credits to her name, mentioned that despite her thoughts at the moment, she dislikes being associated with the photo that became infamous for the side-eye.

Actually, many, many times I am given this photo to autograph. And I never do.

I don’t want to have anything to do with that. Also, out of respect for Jayne Mansfield, because she’s not with us anymore.

In 2012, two-time Academy Award winner Sophia Loren told Vanity Fair she was reluctant to give interviews. “My life is not a fairy tale,” she said, “and it’s painful still to speak about it.” However, Loren seems to have had a change of heart. She has written a memoir titled Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: My Life, which was published this month. After irresistible phrases like, “Everything in her dress is going to blow,” who wouldn’t want to read more about Loren’s reign during the golden age of Hollywood?

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