BENIGNI, ROBERTO

(1952-)

Actor and director. One of the most prominent of the new generation of actor-directors who emerged in the 1980s, Benigni had already begun to make his mark in the mid-1970s as a cabaret performer. Following the success of his lively comic monologues on national television, he made his first appearance on the big screen inGiuseppe Bertolucci'sBerlinguer, ti voglio bene(Berlinguer, I Love You, 1977), which attempted to bring to the screen the character Cioni Mario that had been so popular on stage and on television. A tepid reception to the film prompted a retreat back to television, where he gained a following as the zany film critic on Renzo Arbore'sL'altra domenica(The Other Sunday).He returned to the cinema in 1979, taking small parts in Costa-Gavras'sClair de femme(Womanlight, 1979) andBernardo Bertolucci'sLa luna(Luna, 1979) before finding his mark as the lovable nursery school teacher inMarco Ferreri'sChiedo asilo(Seeking Asylum, 1980). He subsequently appeared in major roles in Sergio Citti'sIl minestrone(1981), Jim Jarmusch'sDown by Law(1986) andNight on Earth(1991),Federico Fellini'sLa voce della luna(The Voice of the Moon, 1990), and Blake Edwards'sThe Son of the Pink Panther(1993). By this time he was directing himself in his own films, beginning withTu mi turbi(You Disturb Me, 1982), a four-episode film that toyed gently with religious themes, before teaming up with fellow comic actor and directorMassimo Troisi, inNon ci resta che piangere(Nothing Left to Do but Cry, 1984). WithIl piccolo diavolo(The Little Devil, 1988), Benigni initiated a fruitful long-term part-nership with screenwriterVincenzo Cerami, who has collaborated on all of Benigni's subsequent films, includingJohnny Stecchino(Johnny Toothpick, 1991) andIl mostro(The Monster, 1994).

Already something of a national hero, Benigni achieved international fame with hisLa vita e bella(Life Is Beautiful, 1998), which broke box office records and received a plethora of awards, including three Oscars, nineDavid di Donatello, and the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes.Pinocchio(Roberto Benigni's Pinocchio, 2002) was less successful, both with critics and with audiences, but the more recentLa tigre e la neve(The Tiger and the Snow, 2005), a romantic comedy set in war-torn Baghdad, has been better received, winning aNastro d'argentofor Best Original Story and David di Donatello nominations for Best Music and Best Special Effects.