Roberto Benigni
Actor
Biography
Roberto Benigni, (born October 27, 1952, Misericordia, Arezzo, Italy), Italian actor and director known for his comedic work, most notably La vita è bella (1997; Life Is Beautiful), for which he won an Academy Award for best actor.
Benigni was the son of a poor tenant farmer who had worked in a German forced-labour camp during World War II. The elder Benigni used humour in retelling his experiences, which helped shape his son’s comedic skill. Benigni briefly attended a Jesuit seminary in Florence, and, after a stint as a magician’s assistant, he joined an underground theatre group in the late 1960s.
Filmography
Life Is Beautiful
as Guido 1997
To Rome with Love
as Leopoldo 2012
Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar
as Lucius Detritus 1999
Pinocchio
as Mister Geppetto 2019
Nothing Left to Do But Cry
as Saverio 1984
Johnny Stecchino
as Dante Ceccarini / Johnny Stecchino 1991
Coffee and Cigarettes
as Roberto (segment "Strange to Meet You") 2004
Night on Earth
as Cab Driver Rome 1991
Down by Law
as Roberto 1986
Pinocchio
as Pinocchio 2002
The Monster
as Loris 1994
The Tiger and the Snow
as Attilio de Giovanni 2005
The Little Devil
as Giuditta 1988
Caterina in the Big City
as Self 2003
Son of the Pink Panther
as Gendarme Jacques Gambrelli 1993
The Voice of the Moon
as Ivo Salvini 1990
Coffee and Cigarettes
as Roberto 1986