She has lived in Italy since 2004, hosting variety shows and appearing in films and television commercials and programs. Considered a
sex symbol of the 2000s and 2010s, Rodríguez posed in Italy for
Playboy and several
nude calendars. The tabloid press in Italy and abroad have closely followed her life and career. The international press Rodríguez appeared with
Claudia Galanti in the
Boyfriend video clip for
Coolio's 2008
Steal Hear album. During 2009, Rodríguez made her vocal debut with "
Dai muovi muovi" by Mario Gardini,
Giovanni Paolo Fontana and
Roberto De Luca (the theme song of
Sarabanda, hosted by the singer on
Canale 5). The following February she sang
Toto Cutugno's "" at the
Teatro Ariston, which she also sang at the
2010 Sanremo Festival with Cutugno. Rodríguez (using the stage name Maria Belén) sang "
Amarti è folle", written and arranged by
Fortunato Zampaglione for the film ''
Non c'è due senza te, at the Sanremo Music Festival 2015. Rodríguez appeared in Se sei così, ti dico sì (directed by Eugenio Cappuccio and released on 15 April 2011) and the episode "Il campo del vasaio" of the Rai 1 television series Il commissario Montalbano, which premiered on 14 March 2011. Rodríguez guest starred in several episodes of the second season of Così fan tutte, an Italia 1 sitcom directed by Gianluca Fumagalli, in 2011–2012. She dubbed her voice in the animated film Gladiatori di Roma, directed by Iginio Straffi and released on 18 October 2012. During 2014 Rodríguez appeared in Non c'è 2 senza te, directed by Massimo Cappelli and released on 5 February 2015. In August 2015 Lux Vide and RAI Fiction announced that she would guest-star in "", episode of the Rai 1 TV series Don Matteo'' which premiered on 7 January 2016.
Business Rodríguez introduced two perfumes in 2011: Belén Rodríguez (Gold) and Belén Rodríguez (Eau de Parfum). In January 2014 that she and Cecilia were founding the Family Factor, a company to oversee their family's Italian business activities.
Arnoldo Mondadori Editore published
Bella Belén, a
photo-book, in early 2014. In June 2015 Rodríguez opened Ricci, a restaurant in
Milan, with three partners. Around that time she opened beauty salons for Cotril, an Italian company in which she is a spokesperson and business partner. In December 2017, Ricci was closed and sold.
Modelling In 2007, Rodríguez appeared with
Elisabetta Canalis and
Christian De Sica in the
Telecom Italia (TIM) commercials as Donna dei Sogni (Dream Woman). Her collaboration with TIM continued until February 2011. In February 2012, Rodríguez posed nude for the cover of the Italian edition of
Vanity Fair. In July 2012 She also posed nude for the cover of the Italian edition of
GQ, photographed by
Douglas Kirkland. In May 2013, Rodríguez and
Gerry Scotti became spokespeople for the "marriage" of
Barilla and
McDonald's. She debuted as a stylist for the Imperfect clothing line with Fabio Castelli. In June 2013, Rodríguez became spokesperson for the Bikini Lovers cruise-wear line created by
fashion blogger Chiara Biasi. In October 2013, she and Cecilia presented the 2013–2014 Imperfect fashion line as models and stylists. In December, Rodríguez was the spokesperson for
Javier Zanetti's Pupi Foundation and (with her husband,
Stefano De Martino) for virtual application software created by
WeChat. As models and designers, in February 2014 Rodríguez and Cecilia presented Imperfect's third fashion line. That year, she posed for the cover of
SportWeek. Rodríguez and Cecilia designed and produced Me Fui, a new beachwear line In January 2015, John Richmond replaced Rodríguez with Venezuelan model Mariana Rodríguez for the Milan fashion shows. In September 2016, she lost the Vanitas line to
Madalina Ghenea. During 2005, Rodríguez first posed In 2006, Rodríguez posed nude for the Fer Calendar 2007. During 2007 and 2008, she posed nude for Maxim Calendars. In 2009, Rodríguez and Cecilia (in her modelling debut) posed nude for the Max Calendar 2010. Between late 2009 and early 2010, Vuemme published Calendar Vuemme 2010 (a reprint of the 2006 one). In 2010, Rodríguez posed for the Maxim and TIM calendars (her last calendars). On 18 February 2009 Rodríguez said in a
Corriere della Sera interview that several years earlier she declined an offer to pose nude for the cover of
Playboy Miami, preferring to remain in Italy for a fashion shoot with an
Emilian company. and
Shanina Shaik became the global spokespeople for
Swarovski in August 2017. During 2015,
Paul Marciano chose Rodríguez as his flagship model and the worldwide spokesperson In 2016 In February 2017, Rodríguez posed for Jadea's spring–summer women's intimate and homewear collections. The following month, she endorsed the Foreyever eyeglass line. In July Rodríguez endorsed McDonald's, and endorsed Alessandro Angelozzi Couture's 2018 line of wedding dresses in October. She modelled at the 2018
Milan Fashion Week, for the Swarovski line (with
Alessandra Ambrosio and Shanina Shaik), for Jadea's new line and (with Cecilia) for Me Fui's spring–summer 2018 line. From May to July 2018, Rodríguez modelled and endorsed for RaNpollo, Hanny Deep, Comme Des Fkdown,
Gaëlle Paris, and Pyrex. She worked again with
Guess? and model Stefano Sala in
Cefalù, Sicily.
Television Rodríguez debuted on television in November 2006 on Tele Boario 1,
Val Camonica's local television station. After signing with Paola Benegas, her first Italian agent in Italy, she debuted on Italian national television as co-host (with singer Taiyo Yamanouchi) of
Rai 3's late-night comedy show
La tintoria in 2007. That year, Rodríguez co-hosted the prime-time variety
Circo Massimo Show with
Fabrizio Frizzi. She appeared on 4 April 2008 episode (introducing 18-year-old Cecilia in her Italian television debut) In 2008 Belén, after modelling for
Max magazine several months earlier, Rodríguez appeared in the sixth season of ''
L'isola dei famosi'' (a Rai 2 reality show hosted by
Simona Ventura) In December 2008, she joined Lucio Presta's Arcobaleno Tre agency. She guest starred on 23 November episode of the 10th season of
Italian Big Brother, a
Canale 5 reality show hosted by
Alessia Marcuzzi. In 2010, Rodríguez and Cecelia appeared on
Italia 1's late-night
Chiambretti Night variety show. She appeared on 18 February 2010
Sanremo Music Festival with singer
Toto Cutugno. That year, she co-hosted Rai 1's
Ciak ... si canta! with
Francesco Facchinetti. Rodríguez appeared on
Canale 5's variety show
La notte degli chef, hosted by
Alfonso Signorini. In 2011, she co-hosted the
Italia 1 comedy show ''
with Paolo Ruffini, Digei Angelo and Chiara Francini. Substituting for Ivana Mrázová, Rodríguez co-presented (with Elisabetta Canalis) during the first two evenings of the February Sanremo Music Festival 2012. She co-hosted Colorado'' with
Paolo Ruffini, Digei Angelo, Elena Morali and
Jiang Wei. The following year, Rodríguez and Stefano de Martino appeared on
Canale 5's prime-time
Studio 5. In February 2014, during the Sanremo Music Festival, she appeared on
RTL 102.5's
Password and guest-starred on Rai 1's
Domenica In – Speciale Sanremo. That year, Rodríguez hosted
Italia 1's afternoon ''
(the Italian version of Plain Jane) and guest-starred on Colorado''. In May and June she danced on Italia 1's '''', a
late-night talk show and hosted by
Piero Chiambretti. Rodríguez co-hosted the of Canale 5's '
with Francesco Sole. On 8 February 2015, she co-hosted the Canale 5 quiz show ' with
Gerry Scotti. In 2015, Rodríguez and Francesco Sole hosted the of ''''. That year, she hosted the of the Canale 5 prime-time children's talent show ''''. During the 2016–2017 season Rodríguez appeared on '
, ', '
, ' and the '
. In May and June 2017 Rodríguez appeared in the second season of ', hosted by
Simona Ventura. She co-hosted the of
Tú sí que vales; her co-host, Simone Rugiati, was replaced by
Martin Castrogiovanni and
Alessio Sakara. In October, Rodríguez guest-starred in the
second season of
Grande Fratello VIP and the fifth season of ''''. She guest-starred on the
17th season of the talent show
Amici di Maria De Filippi with
Maradona in April 2018, and with
Michelle Hunziker in May. During the
2018 FIFA World Cup, Rodríguez appeared on the sports talk show ''
. She hosted the of Tú sí que vales''. == Awards ==