Elio Germano

Elio Germano
Germano at the Berlinale 2020
Born (1980-09-25) 25 September 1980 (age 43)
Rome, Italy
OccupationActor
Years active1992–present

Elio Germano (born 25 September 1980) is an Italian actor.[1] He is the recipient of many accolades, including a Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor and a Silver Bear for Best Actor.

Life and career[edit]

Born in Rome to a Molisan family from Duronia, Province of Campobasso, Germano debuted aged twelve in Castellano e Pipolo's movie Ci hai rotto papà (1992). During his studies at scientific lyceum, he received acting training at Teatro Azione in Rome. In 1999, he abandoned an opportunity to work in theatre with Giancarlo Cobelli in order to play in Carlo Vanzina's film Il cielo in una stanza, which launched Germano as one of the most popular Italian actors. His big break came in 2007, when he was cast as the lead in the successful movies Fallen Heroes and My Brother is an Only Child by Daniele Luchetti. The following year he first received international recognition by winning the Shooting Stars Award at the 58th Berlin International Film Festival.[2]

Germano worked with numerous directors such as Ettore Scola (Concorrenza sleale), Emanuele Crialese (Respiro), Gianluca Maria Tavarelli (Liberi), Giovanni Veronesi (Che ne sarà di noi), Michele Placido (Romanzo criminale), Gabriele Salvatores (Quo Vadis, Baby?, Come Dio comanda), Paolo Virzì (Napoleon and Me, Tutta la vita davanti), Francesco Patierno (The Early Bird Catches the Worm), Daniele Vicari (Il passato è una terra straniera) and Ferzan Özpetek (Magnifica Presenza).

For his role in the movie My Brother is an Only Child (2007), he won his first David di Donatello as best actor in a leading role. In 2010, he won the Best Actor Award, ex-aequo with Javier Bardem, at the Cannes Film Festival, for his interpretation in La Nostra Vita. Later that year, he played the son of Italian journalist Tiziano Terzani in The End Is My Beginning. For his portrait of 19th century poet Giacomo Leopardi in Mario Martone's film Leopardi, Germano was praised at the 71st Venice International Film Festival.[3]

Personal life[edit]

At an early age Germano liked creating comics and thought about becoming a cartoonist. When he was not accepted into the school of graphic arts, he then opted for acting.[4] In his spare time, Germano makes rap for a music band called Bestierare, which sings about "unemployment, homelessness, precariousness, prisons and Fascist violence".[5]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Director
1992 Ci hai rotto papà Andrea Cecconi Franco Castellano
1999 Il cielo in una stanza Paolo Carlo Vanzina
2001 Unfair Competition Paolo Melchiorri Ettore Scola
2002 Respiro Pier Luigi Emanuele Crialese
2003 Now or Never Doveri Lucio Pellegrini
2003 Break Free Vince Gianluca Maria Tavarelli
2004 What Will Happen to Us Manuel Giovanni Veronesi
2005 Quo Vadis, Baby? Lucio Gabriele Salvatores
2005 Blood - Death Does Not Exist Yuri Libero De Rienzo
2005 Mary Matthew Abel Ferrara
2005 Romanzo Criminale Il Sorcio Michele Placido
2005 Melissa P. Arnaldo Luca Guadagnino
2006 Napoleon and Me Martino Papucci Paolo Virzì
2007 My Brother Is an Only Child Accio Benassi Daniele Luchetti
2007 Fallen Heroes Luca Paolo Franchi
2008 The Early Bird Catches the Worm Marco Francesco Patierno
2008 Your Whole Life Ahead of You Lucio Paolo Virzì
2008 The Past Is a Foreign Land Giorgio Daniele Vicari
2008 As God Commands Quattro Formaggi Gabriele Salvatores
2009 Nine Pierpaolo Rob Marshall
2010 La nostra vita Claudio De Rosa Daniele Luchetti
2010 The End Is My Beginning Folco Terzani Jo Baier
2012 Diaz – Don't Clean Up This Blood Luca Gualtieri Daniele Vicari
2012 Magnifica presenza Pietro Ferzan Özpetek
2012 Padroni di casa Elia Edoardo Gabbriellini
2013 The Fifth Wheel Ernesto Giovanni Veronesi
2014 Leopardi Giacomo Leopardi Mario Martone
2015 The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun The young man with dark eyes Joann Sfar
2015 Suburra Sebastiano Stefano Sollima
2015 Alaska Fausto Claudio Cupellini
2015 Lost and Beautiful Sarchiapone (Voice) Pietro Marcello
2017 Tenderness Fabio Gianni Amelio
2018 Io sono Tempesta Bruno Daniele Luchetti
2018 Lucia's Grace Arturo Gianni Zanasi
2019 The Man Without Gravity Oscar Marco Bonfanti
2020 Hidden Away Antonio Ligabue Giorgio Diritti
Bad Tales Bruno Placido Damiano and Fabio D'Innocenzo
Rose Island Giorgio Rosa Sydney Sibilia
2021 America Latina Massimo Sisti Damiano and Fabio D'Innocenzo
2022 Lord of the Ants Aldo Braibanti Gianni Amelio

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2000 Padre Pio: Miracle Man Young Pio of Pietrelcina TV film
2000 Un medico in famiglia Roberto Palombi Rai 1 series (5 episodes, season 2)
2001 Via Zanardi 33 Ivan Italia 1 series
2002 Fathers Giacomo TV film by Riccardo Donna
2002 Il sequestro Soffiantini Paolo Soffiantini TV film
2003 Ferrari Young Enzo Ferrari TV film
2004 Paolo Borsellino Manfredi Borsellino TV film
2004 Do You Like Hitchcock? Giulio TV film by Dario Argento
2012 Faccia d'angelo Il Toso La7 Miniseries

Music videos[edit]

Year Song Artist Director
2012 Stanotte cosa succederà Teho Teardo feat Elio Germano Dandaddy
2013 Il confine fra me e te Meg Umberto Nicoletti
2013 Ecco che Elisa Giovanni Veronesi

Theatre[edit]

Year Title Role Regia
2000 Hippolytus Hippolytus Ivano De Matteo
1999–2000 Ground & Ground Elio Germano
2002 The Rules of Attraction Sean Luca Guadagnino
2004 I racconti dell'Iliade Narrator Alessandro Baricco
2008 Verona Caput Fasci Elio Germano
2010–2012 Thom Pain (based on nothing) Thom Pain Elio Germano
2011–2016 Journey to the End of the Night Ferdinand Bardamu Elio Germano

Awards[edit]

Year Film Event Award Result
2004 What Will Happen to Us David di Donatello Best Supporting Actor Nominated
2005 Grolla d'oro Best Comedic Actor Nominated
2005 Nastro d'Argento Best Supporting Actor Nominated
2005 Blood - Death Does Not Exist FICE Awards Best New Actor Won
2007 Napoleon and Me Grolla d'oro Best Comedic Actor Won
2007 Guglielmo Braghi Award Best Actor Won
2007 Italian Golden Globes Best Breakthrough Actor Won
2007 My Brother Is an Only Child Italian Golden Globes Best Breakthrough Actor Won
2007 European Film Awards Best Actor Nominated
2007 David di Donatello Best Actor Won
2008 Grolla d'oro Best Comedic Actor Won
2008 Nastro d'Argento Best Actor Nominated
2008 Kineo Awards Best Actor Won
2008 58th Berlin International Film Festival Shooting Stars Award Won
2008 The Early Bird Catches the Worm Kineo Awards Best Actor Nominated
2008 Fallen Heroes Italian Golden Globes Best Actor Nominated
2008 Nastro d'Argento Best Actor Nominated
2008 Your Whole Life Ahead of You Kineo Awards Best Supporting Actor Nominated
2009 Grolla d'oro Best Comedic Actor Nominated
2009 As God Commands Grolla d'oro Best Comedic Actor Nominated
2009 The Past Is a Foreign Land Grolla d'oro Best Comedic Actor Nominated
2010 La nostra vita Primavera del Cinema Italiano Festival Best Actor Won
2010 Nastro d'Argento Best Actor (tied with Christian De Sica) Won
2010 European Film Awards Best Actor Nominated
2010 2010 Cannes Film Festival Best Actor (tied with Javier Bardem) Won
2011 Italian Golden Globes Best Actor Nominated
2011 David di Donatello Best Actor Won
2011 Bari International Film Festival Best Actor Won
2012 Magnifica presenza Italian Golden Globes Best Actor Won
2012 David di Donatello Best Actor Nominated
2012 Nastro d'Argento Best Actor Nominated
2012 Diaz – Don't Clean Up This Blood Kineo Awards Best Actor Nominated
2013 Padroni di casa Grolla d'oro Best Dramatic Actor Nominated
2014 The Fifth Wheel Nastro d'Argento Best Actor Nominated
2014 Leopardi 71st Venice International Film Festival Pasinetti Award (Best Actor) Won
2014 Vittorio Veneto Award (Best Actor) Won
2015 David di Donatello Best Actor Won
2015 Golden Ciak Best Actor Won
2015 Kineo Awards Best Actor Won
2015 Bari International Film Festival Best Actor Won
2016 Alaska Italian Golden Globes Best Actor Won
2016 Nastro d'Argento Best Actor Nominated
2020 Hidden Away Berlin International Film Festival Silver Bear for Best Actor Won

References[edit]

  1. ^ Lyman, Eric (February 12, 2008). "Shooting Star profile: Elio Germano". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  2. ^ Barcaro, Gabriele (February 8, 2008). "Elio Germano: Shooting Star 2008 - Italia". Cineuropa (in Spanish). Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  3. ^ Mc Cafferty, Hugo (September 2, 2014). "Young and Romantic Leopardi conquers Venice". Swide. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  4. ^ Telese, Luca (October 1, 2010). "Elio Germano". lucatelese.it (in Italian). Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  5. ^ Di Simone, Marialuisa (March 21, 2012). "Elio Germano: Benedette Donne". Grazia Italia (in Italian). Archived from the original on January 2, 2015. Retrieved January 2, 2015.

External links[edit]