ACCORSI, STEFANO

(1971-)

Actor. One of the most charismatic of the new generation of actors who emerged in the Italian cinema of the 1990s, Accorsi landed a supporting role inPupi Avati'sFratelli e sorelle(Brothers and Sisters, 1991) soon after graduating from high school. He then moved to Bologna and joined the Teatro Stabile dell'Arena del Sole. While working in the theater he came to national prominence through a television advertisement for a well-known brand of ice cream, directed by the youngDaniele Luchetti. His reputation was enhanced by a subsequent appearance in Enza Negroni's popular generational filmJack Frusciante e uscito dal gruppo(Jack Frusciante Left the Band, 1995).

After more work on the stage, Accorsi returned to the cinema in a very moving interpretation of a youngResistancefighter's coming of age in Luchetti'sPiccoli maestri(Little Teachers, 1998).This was followed by the lead role in Luciano Ligabue'sRadiofreccia(Radio Arrow, 1998), which earned him aDavid di Donatelloand the Premio Amidei. Following his appearance in the enormously popular television miniseriesCome quando fuori piove(Hens, Ducks, Chicken and Swine, 2000), directed byMario Monicelli, he played the young homosexual lover inFerzan Ozpetek'sLe fate ignoranti(The Ignorant Fairies, 2001), a demanding role that was recognized with aNastro d'argento. A year later he was awarded the Volpi Cup at Venice for his interpretation of the poet Dino Campana inMichele Placido'sUn viaggio chiamato amore(A Journey Called Love, 2002). After a two-year break he returned to the big screen inCarlo Mazzacurati's sentimental love storyL'amore ritrovato(An Italian Romance, 2004) and more recently has taken the lead in Placido's romantic crime drama,Romanzo criminale(Crime Novel, 2005).