How to get a body like Monica Bellucci at 62: Italian actress reveals her unconventional diet and fitness secrets with lots of pasta, little exercise (and plenty of wine!)

Staying true to her Italian roots, Monica Bellucci's diet is rich in pasta, cake and plenty of wine.

The actress, who turned 62 on Wednesday, continues to look younger than ever while boasting an incredible physique.

But her diet and fitness secrets are far from what you would expect, with the star sticking firmly by her secret rule of five alongside little exercise.

Monica famously shared her advice to staying young back in 2015, telling fans: 'Eat well, drink well, have good sex and laugh a lot!'

'The truth is that I like cakes and pasta, the odd glass of wine and a very occasional cigarette,' she added to The Telegraph. 

To keep her metabolism active, Monica ensures eating five meals a day – breakfast, lunch, dinner as well as two snacks in between.

She follows a Mediterranean diet rich in vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, olive oil, and also eats foods high in healthy fats like nuts and avocado to nourish her skin from within.

Staying true to her Italian roots, Monica Bellucci's diet is rich in pasta, cake and plenty of wine (pictured in February)

Monica famously shared her advice to staying young back in 2015, telling fans: 'Eat well, drink well, have good sex and laugh a lot!' (pictured in 2023)

Monica is a firm believer in portion control, a method that allows her to eat whatever she craves without going overboard.

Her non-restriction approach allows her to indulge in her favourite naughty treats from time to time.

While Monica adopts a non-conventional fitness and diet approach, she enjoys the occasional Pilates session for pleasure and mobility.

She also enjoys swimming a few times a week for 45 minutes rather than a vigorous exercise class. 

'I exercise of course a bit, and I diet a bit when I have to work, but I am not obsessed,' she told The Sunday Times.

'I've always been a curvy woman, never so skinny; that's my nature. And I want to get old in a peaceful way; when you are 50 or 60 you don’t have the same needs as when you are 20. 

'You change; like when your baby comes into the room, you see that the first thing is her. We come in second. This gives us another perspective.'

Monica is no stranger to showcasing her ageless complexion and in an interview for Harper's Bazaar Espana, she said she opposes the idea of ageing being a negative for women. 

Describing the industry as 'artificial,' Monica said she understands it can be difficult for some women to accept the concept of ageing, but said 'there is no other real alternative.'

She added: 'Either you grow old and accept the process with dignity, or you die. Looking at it like this, I prefer to age a thousand times – laughs. 

The actress, who turned 62 on Wednesday, continues to look younger than ever while boasting an incredible physique (pictured in 2002)

But her diet and fitness secrets are far from what you would expect, with the star sticking firmly by her secret rule of five alongside little exercise (pictured in 2006)

'Getting older means that you are fortunate to be alive and have a horizon. In addition, maturity brings with it a wonderful gift: detachment. 

'Sometimes, when you get older, you stop being just an actress and become a spectator of the world, which makes you see everything from another point of view.'

Monica also echoed views that there are now more roles available for older women, adding: 'In the past, it was almost impossible for actresses to have a career after the age of 40. 

'Now I live in France and I see references such as Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert or Fanny Ardant, extraordinary women who have not stopped filming, starring on covers and leading campaigns with indisputable authority. 

'It is understood that a mature woman has fascinating stories to tell and the public demands to see those realities on the big screen.'

Monica also shared what it means to her to 'feel beautiful', and said: 'That goes beyond what people perceive; the important thing is what you feel inside. 

'I think it's about having an enriching inner life, a passion that encourages you, watching your children grow up, contemplating the sea, having friends, a family you love... a full woman's life. 

'You want to stay alive and that makes you perceive things with an intensity that you don't have when you were young, because you take everything for granted: you don't think about physical pain, vulnerability or death. 

'As the years go by, the perspective changes. You wake up in the morning and being healthy or enjoying the aroma of a coffee becomes a reason for gratitude. But that is only understood with time.'

Last year, Monica and Hollywood director Tim Burton announced they had separated in a joint statement.

Last year, Monica and Hollywood director Tim Burton announced they had separated in a joint statement (pictured together in 2024)

Monica and Tim, 68, began dating in October 2023, and he directed her in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice – their first project together.

The couple were last pictured together in June 2025, with Tim lovingly kissing Monica on the cheek on stage at the 71st Taormina Film Festival.

Tim and Monica first met in 2006 but are said to have started dating after seeing one another at the Lumière Film Festival in Lyon in October 2022.

Monica confirmed their relationship in June of the following year as she told Elle France: 'What I can say... I'm glad I met the man, first of all.'

She continued: 'It's one of those encounters that rarely happens in life... I know the man, I love him, and now I'm going to meet the director, another adventure begins.

'I love Tim. And I have great respect for Tim Burton.'

The actress wasn't in the original film, Beetlejuice, made 38 years ago, but Tim has a habit of casting his lovers in his films and she played Delores, the ex-wife of Michael Keaton's Beetlejuice in this film.

Monica's last relationship was with Nicolas Lefebvre, whom she split from in 2019. She was previously married to Vincent Cassel from 1997-2013.

The former model met Vincent in 1996 on the set of Gilles Mimouni's film l'Appartement. 

They have two daughters, Deva, who was born in 2004, and Leonie, who entered the world in 2010.

They married in a quiet ceremony in Monaco, on the French Riviera in 1997.