Roberto Benigni facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Roberto Benigni Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI
Benigni at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival in 2020
Born	Roberto Remigio Benigni (1952-10-27) 27 October 1952 (age 72) Castiglion Fiorentino, Tuscany, Italy
Education	École Philippe Gaulier
Occupation	Actor comedian screenwriter film director
Years active	1970–present
Style	Comedy film comedy drama tragicomedy
Spouse(s)	Nicoletta Braschi ​ (m. 1991)​

Roberto Remigio Benigni (born 27 October 1952) is a famous Italian actor, comedian, writer, and film director. He became known around the world for his movie Life Is Beautiful (1997). This film was a comedy-drama about the the Holocaust.

For Life Is Beautiful, Roberto Benigni won two Academy Awards. He won for Best Actor and Best International Feature Film. He was the first actor to win Best Actor for a movie not in English.

Benigni started acting in 1977 in a film called Berlinguer, I Love You. He also wrote this movie. His first time directing a film was in 1983 with Tu mi turbi. His wife, Nicoletta Braschi, also acted in this movie for the first time. He has directed and starred in many other comedies like Nothing Left to Do But Cry (1984) and The Little Devil (1988). He also played Pinocchio in his 2002 film Pinocchio.

Roberto Benigni has also acted in movies by American directors. He worked with Jim Jarmusch in films like Down by Law (1986). He also appeared in Woody Allen's To Rome with Love (2012). In 2019, he played Geppetto in a new movie version of Pinocchio.

Early Life and Beginnings

Roberto Benigni was born on October 27, 1952, in a small town in Tuscany, Italy. His mother, Isolina Papini, made fabrics, and his father, Luigi Benigni, was a builder and farmer. He grew up with three older sisters.

He started acting in plays in 1971. Later, he moved to Rome and joined experimental theater groups. In 1975, he had his first big success in theater with a play he wrote. Benigni also studied how to be a clown with a famous teacher named Philippe Gaulier.

In the 1970s, Benigni became very popular in Italy because of a TV show called Onda Libera. He performed funny and sometimes shocking acts. His first movie, Berlinguer, I Love You, came out in 1977. He also became known for playing a lazy film critic on another TV show, L'altra domenica.

Film Career Highlights

In 1980, Roberto Benigni met actress Nicoletta Braschi. They got married in 1991. Nicoletta has acted in most of the movies he has directed.

Benigni's first movie as a director was Tu mi turbi in 1983. This was also his first time working with Nicoletta. In 1984, he starred in Nothing Left to Do But Cry with another comedian, Massimo Troisi. In this funny story, they travel back in time to the 15th century.

Working in Hollywood

Benigni with Giorgio Gaber in 1990

Starting in 1986, Benigni worked with American director Jim Jarmusch on three films. In Down By Law (1986), he played Bob, a cheerful foreigner who escapes from jail. He also appeared in Night on Earth (1991) as a taxi driver. Later, he was in one of Jarmusch's short films, Coffee and Cigarettes (2003).

In 1993, he starred in Son of the Pink Panther, directed by Blake Edwards. Benigni played the son of Inspector Clouseau. This movie was very popular in Italy. Benigni also had a serious role in Federico Fellini's last film, The Voice of the Moon (1990).

Life Is Beautiful Success

Benigni and wife Nicoletta Braschi at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival

Benigni is most famous for his 1997 movie Life Is Beautiful (La vita è bella). He filmed it in Arezzo, Italy. The movie is about a Jewish father who tries to protect his son during the the Holocaust. He tells his son that their time in a concentration camp is just a big game.

Benigni's own father had been in a concentration camp. This experience helped inspire the movie. Some people debated if a comedy about such a serious topic was right. But many praised Benigni for making a sensitive and artistic film.

In 1998, Life Is Beautiful was nominated for seven Academy Awards. At the 1999 ceremony, the film won three Oscars. It won for Best International Feature Film and Best Original Dramatic Score. Benigni himself won the Best Actor award. He was the first male actor to win this award for a role not in English.

When he won Best Foreign Language Film, Benigni famously climbed over seats to reach the stage. When he won Best Actor, he joked, "This is a terrible mistake because I used up all my English!" He ended his speech by quoting Dante's Divine Comedy.

After Life Is Beautiful

Benigni receiving a prize in Terni, February 2006

Benigni played a main character named Detritus in Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar. He also gave an interview for a film about director Federico Fellini called Fellini: I'm a Born Liar (2002).

Benigni at the Sanremo Music Festival 2011

In 2003, the National Italian American Foundation honored Benigni for his work in entertainment. His 2005 film, The Tiger and the Snow, is a love story that takes place during the Iraq War.

Benigni at the Berlin International Film Festival 2020

In 2012, he appeared in the Woody Allen movie To Rome with Love. In 2019, he played Geppetto in a new movie version of Pinocchio.

TuttoDante Performances

Benigni on the stage of TuttoDante in Padua, June 2008

Roberto Benigni is also known for his amazing ability to recite poetry from memory. He is especially good at explaining and performing parts of Dante's famous poem, Divine Comedy.

From 2006 to 2007, Benigni toured Italy with his show called TuttoDante ('Everything About Dante'). In this show, he combines funny stories about his life with passionate readings from Dante's poem.

TuttoDante was performed in many large spaces across Italy. Millions of people watched the TV show version of his performance. Benigni also brought TuttoDante to the United States, Canada, and Argentina between 2008 and 2009. He even learned English to share Dante's work with English speakers.

Other Work and Honors

Benigni is also a singer and songwriter. He has recorded his own versions of songs by other artists. In 2002, he released a music album called Quanto t'ho amato.

In 1999, he received a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars in California. He has also received many special degrees from universities around the world. These are called "Honorary Doctorates." They recognize his great achievements in arts and culture.

Influence in Film

A large survey on European culture called The Europe List found that Life Is Beautiful is one of the top three most important films in European culture. This shows how much his work has impacted people.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Roberto Benigni para niños