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Roberto Benigni

Roberto Benigni-5274.jpg
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
Occupation
  • Actor
  • film director
  • screenwriter
  • comedian
Years active 1970–present
Style
Spouse(s)
Nicoletta Braschi
(m. 1991)

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

For Life Is Beautiful, Roberto Benigni won two Academy Awards (also known as Oscars). He won for Best Actor and Best International Feature Film. He was the first actor ever to win the Best Actor Oscar for a movie not in English.

Benigni started acting in films in 1977 with Berlinguer, I Love You, which he also wrote. His first time directing a movie was Tu mi turbi in 1983. He has directed and starred in many other funny movies like Nothing Left to Do But Cry (1984), The Little Devil (1988), Johnny Stecchino (1991), and The Monster (1994). He also directed and acted in Pinocchio (2002) and The Tiger and the Snow (2005).

He has also acted in films by American directors. These include Down by Law (1986), Night on Earth (1991), and Coffee and Cigarettes (2003) by Jim Jarmusch. He also appeared in Son of the Pink Panther (1993) by Blake Edwards, To Rome with Love (2012) by Woody Allen, and a different Pinocchio (2019) directed by Matteo Garrone.

Early Life and Beginnings

Roberto Benigni was born on October 27, 1952, in a small town called Manciano La Misericordia in Italy. His mother, Isolina Papini, made fabrics, and his father, Luigi Benigni, was a bricklayer, carpenter, 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, even directing some shows himself. In 1975, he had his first big success in theater with a play called Cioni Mario di Gaspare fu Giulia.

In the 1970s, Benigni became well-known in Italy because of a TV show called Onda Libera. He performed a funny and shocking piece that caused a lot of talk and even led to the show being stopped for a while. His first movie, Berlinguer, I Love You, came out in 1977.

He also gained popularity on another TV show, L'altra domenica, where he played a lazy movie critic. Famous director Bernardo Bertolucci then gave him a small role in his film La Luna.

Career Highlights

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

In 1983, Benigni directed his first film, Tu mi turbi (meaning You Upset Me). This was also the first movie he made with Nicoletta Braschi.

A year later, in 1984, he acted in Non ci resta che piangere with another funny actor, Massimo Troisi. In this story, the characters suddenly travel back in time to the 15th century. They try to find Christopher Columbus to stop him from discovering America, but they can't reach him.

Hollywood Films

Benigni3
Benigni with Giorgio Gaber in 1990

Starting in 1986, Benigni appeared in three movies by American director Jim Jarmusch. In Down By Law (1986), he played Bob, a cheerful Italian man wrongly accused of a crime in the United States. His positive attitude helps him escape and find love. He also appeared in Night on Earth (1991) and 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, a famous detective. The movie was popular in Italy, even though it didn't do as well in the U.S.

Benigni also had a serious role in La voce della luna (1989), which was the last film by the legendary director Federico Fellini. He also worked with writer Vincenzo Cerami on several successful Italian films, including Il piccolo diavolo and Johnny Stecchino.

=Life Is Beautiful

Roberto Benigni Nicoletta Braschi
Benigni and wife Nicoletta Braschi at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival

Roberto Benigni is most famous for his 1997 film Life Is Beautiful (La vita è bella). He co-wrote this movie with Vincenzo Cerami. The film is about an Italian Jewish man named Guido who tries to protect his young son during their time in a Nazi concentration camp. To shield his son from the horrors, Guido pretends that their time in the camp is a big game, and they must follow rules to win a prize.

The idea for Life Is Beautiful came partly from Benigni's own father, who spent three years in a concentration camp. He was also inspired by the story of a Holocaust survivor named Rubino Romeo Salmonì.

The film was discussed with Jewish groups during its making to ensure it was respectful. However, some critics felt it didn't show enough of the suffering of the Holocaust, while others thought a comedy about such a serious topic was not right. Many others praised Benigni's courage and skill in making a sensitive and moving film about the Holocaust. They compared his bravery to Charlie Chaplin's, who made The Great Dictator without knowing the full horrors of the time.

In 1998, Life Is Beautiful was nominated for seven Academy Awards. At the 1999 Oscars ceremony, the film won three awards: Best Foreign Language Film, Best Original Dramatic Score, and Benigni himself won Best Actor.

When Life Is Beautiful was announced as the Best Foreign Language Film, Benigni was so excited that he climbed over the seats in front of him to get to the stage! When he won his Best Actor Oscar later, he famously said, "This is a terrible mistake because I used up all my English!" He ended his speech by quoting a famous Italian poet, Dante Alighieri.

After Life Is Beautiful

Benigni
Benigni receiving a prize in Terni, February 2006

Benigni played a main character named Detritus in the film Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar. Detritus is a bad Roman governor who wants to harm Julius Caesar.

In 2003, Roberto Benigni received a special award for his work in entertainment from the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF).

His movie The Tiger and the Snow (2005) is a love story that takes place during the start of the Iraq War.

Benigni is also known for speaking his mind. In 2005, he appeared on a TV news show and jokingly announced that the Prime Minister had resigned. He often spoke out against the government's decisions, especially about cuts to arts funding.

He has received several special degrees from universities around the world, called "Honorary Doctorates." These include degrees from universities in Belgium, Malta, and Canada.

In 2012, he acted in the Woody Allen film, To Rome with Love. In 2019, he played Geppetto in Matteo Garrone's movie version of Pinocchio.

=TuttoDante

Roberto Benigni in TuttoDante a Padova
Benigni on the stage of TuttoDante in Padua, June 2008

Roberto Benigni is also a talented poet who can create poems on the spot. He is very good at explaining and reciting parts of Dante's famous poem, Divine Comedy.

From 2006 to 2007, Benigni had a very successful "one-man show" called TuttoDante (meaning 'Everything About Dante'). In this show, he combines funny stories about his life and current events with passionate readings from the Divine Comedy.

TuttoDante was performed in many big places across Italy, reaching about one million people. Over 10 million more watched a TV special of his show. Benigni even brought TuttoDante to the United States, Canada, and Argentina, performing for English-speaking audiences.

Other Work and Honors

Benigni is also a singer and songwriter. He has recorded his own versions of songs by other artists.

In 1999, he received a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars in California.

He has received many honorary degrees from universities, recognizing his achievements. These include degrees in Philosophy, Letters, and Communication Arts from universities in Israel, Italy, Belgium, Malta, Greece, and Canada.

Influence

Roberto Benigni's film Life Is Beautiful is considered one of the most important films in European culture. A big survey called "The Europe List" found that it was the top film, followed by The Lives of Others and Amélie.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1977 Berlinguer, I Love You Mario Cioni Also writer
1979 Tigers in Lipstick Principal Segment: Una mamma
Womanlight Barman at Clapsy's
La Luna Upholsterer
I giorni cantati Professor
Seeking Asylum Roberto
1980 In the Pope's Eye Himself
1981 Il minestrone The Maestro
1983 Tu mi turbi Benigno Also director and writer
"FF.SS." – Cioè: "...che mi hai portato a fare sopra a Posillipo se non mi vuoi più bene?" Beige Sheikh
1984 Nothing Left to Do But Cry Saverio Also director and writer
1986 Down by Law Roberto English speaking film debut
Coffee and Cigarettes Short film
1988 The Little Devil Giuditta Also director and writer
1990 The Voice of the Moon Ivo Salvini
1991 Night on Earth Cab Driver Segment: Rome
Johnny Stecchino Dante Ceccarini / Johnny Stecchino Also director and writer
1993 Son of the Pink Panther Jacques Gambrelli
1994 The Monster Loris Also director, writer and producer
1997 Life Is Beautiful Guido Orefice Also director and writer
1999 Asterix & Obelix Take On Caesar Lucius Detritus
2002 Pinocchio Pinocchio Also director and writer
2003 Caterina in the Big City Himself
Coffee and Cigarettes Roberto
2005 The Tiger and the Snow Attilio de Giovanni Also director and writer
2010 La commedia di Amos Poe Narrator Voice
2011 Pistachio - The Little Boy That Woodn't Head of Italy
2012 To Rome with Love Leopoldo Pisanello
2019 Pinocchio Geppetto

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1972 Sorelle Materassi [it] Youth Episode: "Episodio 1"
1976–1977 Onda libera [it] Mario Cioni 4 episodes
Also writer
1979 Ma che cos'è questo amore [it] The Thinker 2 episodes
1982 Morto Troisi, viva Troisi! [it] Himself / Anonymous Childhood Friend Television film

Awards and Nominations

Year Award Category Project Result
1983 David di Donatello Best New Director Tu mi turbi Nominated
Nastro d'Argento Nominated
1986 Best Actor Down by Law Won
Independent Spirit Award Best Male Lead Nominated
1988 David di Donatello Best Actor The Little Devil Won
Nastro d'Argento Best Director Nominated
Best Actor Nominated
Johnny Stecchino Won
Best Screenplay Nominated
1993 Razzie Award Worst New Star Son of the Pink Panther Nominated
1998 Academy Award Best Actor Life Is Beautiful Won
Best Director Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Nominated
British Academy Film Award Best Actor in a Leading Role Won
Best Original Screenplay Nominated
Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or Nominated
Grand Prix – Cannes Film Festival Won
Critics' Choice Movie Awards Best Leading Actor Won
Chicago Film Critics Association Best Actor Nominated
Boston Society of Film Critics Best Director Nominated
David di Donatello Won
Best Actor Won
Best Screenplay Won
Directors Guild of America Award Outstanding Directing - Feature Film Nominated
European Film Award Best Actor Won
Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role Won
Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated
Nastro d'Argento Best Director Won
Best Actor Won
Best Screenplay Won
2002 David di Donatello Best Actor Pinocchio Nominated
Razzie Award Worst Actor Won
Worst Director Nominated
Worst Screen Couple Nominated
Worst Screenplay Nominated
2005 Nastro d'Argento Best Actor The Tiger and the Snow Nominated
2019 Best Supporting Actor Pinocchio Won
David di Donatello Nominated

See also

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