Contents
Roberto Benigni
Writing, directing and starring in Life Is Beautiful.
Down by Law · Johnny Stecchino
- Born
- 27 October 1952
- Birthplace
- Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy
More people
Roberto Benigni
Roberto Benigni is an Italian actor and filmmaker whose physical comedy extends into satire and dramatic storytelling.
Early life
Tuscan origins
He was born into a working family in Tuscany.
Theatre beginnings
He began performing in Prato before joining experimental theatre in Rome.
Career
- 1970s
Comic breakthrough
Stage satire and television built his Italian audience.
- 1983
Directing debut
Tu mi turbi began his feature directing career.
- 1997–1999
Worldwide recognition
Life Is Beautiful became an international success and won three Oscars.
Selected work
Down by Law
He plays an Italian prisoner in Jim Jarmusch’s film.
Johnny Stecchino
A lookalike plot drives a mafia comedy.
Life Is Beautiful
A father tries to protect his son’s understanding of imprisonment in a concentration camp.
Beyond work
Dante performances
His TuttoDante performances bring the Divine Comedy to large public audiences.
Creative partnership
Actor Nicoletta Braschi, his wife, has been a frequent collaborator.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Biographical dates and identifiers ↗Academy Awards 1999 ↗Photo: Harald Krichel. CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
