One of the most loved and popular Italian actors, directors and screenwriters, known and appreciated all over the world. He achieved the first successes in the avant -garde theater with the monologue Cioni Mario di Gaspare was Giulia, written together with Giuseppe Bertolucci. In 1978 he participated in the television show by Renzo Arbore the other Sunday, in the part of an exhilarating film critic. He made his debut on the big screen with one of his theatrical performances, Berlinguer I love you (1977), directed by Giuseppe Bertolucci. The protagonist of I ask for Asilo (1979) by Marco Ferreri and de Il Minestrone (1981) by Sergio Citti, participated in La Luna (1979) by Bernardo Bertolucci and the Pap’occhio (1980) by Renzo Arbore. The debut of the direction took place with Tu carbi (1983), while the following year he directed together with Massimo Troisi the cult film we just have to cry (1984), starting a series of films rewarded by a great public success: among these, the little devil (1988), together with Walter Matthau, the first of his films written with Vincenzo Cerami, was worth the Tuscan actor. In 1990 he starred, together with Paolo Villaggio in La Voce della Luna, Federico Fellini’s film-installation.
With his wife Nicoletta Braschi
Since 1987 he has always worked together with Nicoletta Braschi, female protagonist of all his films with which he then founded, in 1991, the company “Cinematographic Melampo” which produced, from that moment, all their titles: among these, life is Bella (1997), written and direct, the jury Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival and winner of three Oscar® prizes to the best foreign film, to the best Italian actor (the only Italian actor (the only Italian actor. category), and to the best soundtrack, assigned to Nicola Piovani. Thanks to the same film, Benigni also received the Screen Actors Guild Award for best leading actor and Bafta, also winning four David di Donatello and four silver tapes.
Among the titles produced by “Cinematographic Melampo” there are also Johnny Pecchino (1991), awarded with the Special David; The monster (1994); Pinocchio (2002), who obtained two David di Donatello (best scenography and better costumes, both of Danilo Donati) and a silver ribbon for better soundtrack (assigned to Nicola Piovani); The tiger and the snow (2005) who won the silver ribbon for the best subject (to Roberto Benigni and Vincenzo Cerami) and the best photograph (to Fabio Cianchetti).
Benigni also worked with some great US authors. Among these, Jim Jarmusch, who wanted him in Daunbailò (1986), awarded with the silver ribbon for best leading actor, in Coffee and Cigarettes (1986-2003) and in taxi drivers at night (1992). He is also the protagonist of The son of the Pantara Rosa (1993) by Blake Edwards and starred in to Rome with Love by Woody Allen.
In 2008 he received César d’Honneur in Paris, in 2016 he was awarded with the Golden Globe for his career, the following year with the David di Donatello special prize. In 2019 he won the silver ribbon for best assets for the role of Geppetto in Pinocchio by Matteo Garrone, in 2020 with the Prix Lumière to his career and in 2021 he received the golden lion with his career of the 78th Venice International Art Festival.
Benigni has demonstrated extraordinary highly popular qualities by interpreting and commenting on Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy with the L’Adia’s last program (Rai 1, 2002), The fifth of Hell (Rai 1, 2007), all Dante (Rai 1, 2007-2008), subsequently the fundamental principles of the Constitution of the Italian Republic with the program The most beautiful in the world (Rai 1, 2012), 1, 2014). In December 2022 Benigni aired with a program he designed, in which he read and commented on the “Cantico delle Creatures” of San Francesco d’Assisi, Francesco – the Canticle (Paramount+). He also took part in the third evening of the Sanremo 2020 Festival, giving his interpretation of a biblical passage from the “Canticle of Canticles”. In 2022 he introduced “Pope Francis and the story of the Gospels”, on Rai 1 in the early evening on Easter Sunday. He participated following the first evening of the Sanremo 2023 festival, paying homage to the Italian Constitution on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of his entry into force, in the presence of the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella. In 2025 Roberto Benigni participated in the fourth evening of the seventy -five edition of the Sanremo Festival.
With Pope Francis
In 2005 the President of the Republic Carlo Azeglio Ciampi appointed him Knight of the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. Ten Honoris Causes were conferred on him, a Honoris Cause PhD in Fine Arts at the University of Notre Dame in 2024, as well as numerous other prizes and awards in the cultural sphere, including the Men’s Prize for Peace (2002), the gold medal for the merits of culture and art (2003), the extraordinary gold pegaso for culture (2003), the European Cathedral Prize (2007). Galileo International Prize for Culture in Art (2009), Mario Luzi International Prize (Meritorious section of the Republic, 2010), Camogli Festival Communication Prize (2016), Rome for the promotion of Italy’s beauty in the world (2017), Arte, Science and Peace (2018), McKim Medal Gala (2018), Satira Prize (2018), the Farnèse d’Or prize (2024).
On the occasion of the “Dantendì 2021” Benigni recited the XXV Canto del Paradiso, live by the Salone dei Corazzieri at the Quirinale and in the presence of the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella. On May 26, 2024 he concluded the first world day of children with a monologue in the presence of Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square in Rome.
