Roberto Benigni
Roberto Benigni
Roberto Remigio Benigni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRIis an Italian actor, comedian, screenwriter and director. He co-wrote, directed and acted in the 1997 film, Life Is Beautiful, which garnered him the Academy Award for Best Actor and the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. He also portrayed Inspector Clouseau's son in Son of the Pink Pantherand has collaborated with filmmaker Jim Jarmusch in three of his films: Down by Law, Night on Earthand Coffee and Cigarettes...
NationalityItalian
ProfessionMovie Actor
Date of Birth27 October 1952
CountryItaly
I would like to thank my parents in Vergaio, a little village in Italy. They gave me the biggest gift: poverty.
The most important thing is to continue to be yourself. The day after the Oscars, you have to get on with your life. To be honest and true to yourself.
Only comedians can talk about death, life, God and Virgin Mary. If I was a tragic actor, I couldn't allow myself. But with this accent I can do it. I can talk with death in person because I am a clown. Yes. And I am proud to be a clown - very much.
I am like a cartoon strip; I am like Donald Duck; everybody knows me in Italy.
The first movie I saw - and I don't know if it influenced me - was 'Ben Hur'.
When I was a little boy, I was reading Dante and I was saying to myself 'Bravo, Dante, Bravo.' It's so beautiful, the music, the sound, the meaning. I felt like calling him by phone, like a friend.