When Marlon Brando got too handsy on the set of 1967's A Countess From Hong Kong, Sophia Loren put him in his place.

"I turned in all tranquility and blew in his face, like a cat stroked the wrong way, and said, 'Don't you ever dare to do that again. Never again,'" she recalled.

Breaking Celebrity News can reveal she was unafraid to stand up for herself, even against one of Hollywood's biggest stars. "He never did it again, but it was very difficult working with him after that."

The Italian actress arrived in Hollywood in 1957 and soon found herself working opposite a who's who of stars. "For me, Hollywood was a fairy tale," she said.

She liked Clark Gable, who shared the screen with her in 1960's It Started in Naples, but Loren was perplexed when he left the set promptly at 5 o'clock every day – even if they were in the middle of a scene.

"We were flabbergasted," said Loren, "but it was in his contract."

She was charmed by Gregory Peck, her costar in 1966's Arabesque.

"People don't know how very funny he was," she gushed.

Loren also felt grateful to John Wayne.

"My English was not great. The crew would sometimes make fun of me, but John Wayne always would stick up for me," she said of her Legend of the Lost costar.