Known all over the world for his irreverent personality and his strong artistic genius, Roberto Benigni was born in Manciano La Misericordia, a small hamlet of Castiglion Fiorentino (Arezzo), on the 27th October 1952.
Artists are born
His family, of humble peasant origins, soon moved to Prato. It was there that he began to show his comic and artistic aptitude, first leaving the Jesuit seminary and then university, to devote himself to various local theatrical performances. The move to Rome marked the beginning of his acting career: the turning point was the meeting with Giuseppe Bertolucci in the mid-1970s who wrote several exuberant and provocative monologues for him.
The beginning of his career, between TV and cinema
With the satirical program "Onda Libera?" he landed on television, achieving national fame with the interpretation of the criticized and irreverent character "Cioni". Back in 1978 with Renzo Arbore participated in the program "L’altra Domenica" and reached the pinnacle of television success by presenting in 1980 the Festival di Sanremo.
Despite his innate talent, his unusual and modern flair immediately generated numerous criticisms that he was an uncomfortable and rebellious character. His natural attitude leads him to get out of the box, often causing a real reversal of the normal artistic rules.
And it is precisely in cinema that he gives the most vent to his irreverent creativity. It dates back to 1983, with the film "Tu mi turbi", his first experience as a director, which made him meet with the actress Nicoletta Braschi who will become his wife a few years later. "Johnny Stecchino" and "Il Mostro" confirm his innate recording-interpreter skills, with an acclaimed public and critical acclaim.
The Oscar and the passion for Dante
It was in 1998 that he signed his masterpiece: "La vita è bella". The film, which chronicles the deportation of Jews in a completely new way and upside down from the normal dramatic schemes with which the subject has always been addressed, won the 1999 Academy Award for soundtrack, best foreign film and best actor protagonist.
The figure of Roberto Benigni is deeply linked to the figure of Dante and the "Diva Commedia" who for years has been reciting, by heart, between schools, squares and TV with the tour "Tutto Dante".
A multifaceted, brilliant and brazen character that has shaken up the national and international art world.
Image source: repubblica.it