Giancarlo Giannini
Biography
Giancarlo Giannini is an Italian actor born on August 1, 1942, in La Spezia, Liguria, Italy. He began his career on stage, starring in productions of Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Giannini transitioned to film, with his first lead role in Rita the Mosquito in 1965. He collaborated with filmmaker Lina Wertmüller on multiple projects. Giannini's notable performances include his work in Love and Anarchy and Seven Beauties. He has received several awards for his acting, including the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor and the David di Donatello Award for Best Actor on four occasions. Giannini has a long history of acting in film and television, with over 200 known credits.
Career overview
Giancarlo Giannini began his career on stage, starring in productions of Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream. He then transitioned to television, appearing predominantly on screen throughout the early 1960s. Giannini's first lead role in a film was in Rita the Mosquito, which marked the beginning of a long-standing collaboration with filmmaker Lina Wertmüller.
Giannini's early film work led to his rise to international recognition. He went on to appear in numerous films, with a notable performance in Love and Anarchy, for which he won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor. Additionally, his portrayal in Seven Beauties earned him an Academy Award nomination.
Throughout his career, Giannini has accumulated numerous credits, with over 200 known roles. He has also been recognized for his work with the David di Donatello Award, which he has received on multiple occasions. Born on August 1, 1942, in La Spezia, Liguria, Italy, Giannini has established himself as a prominent figure in the acting world.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- Tradita (2026) as Nicandro
- Rise of the Raven (2025) as Pope Eugene IV.
- Baracoa (2025)
- Judas' Gospel (2025) as narrator (voice)
- Un viaggio per incontrare Mimì (2025)
- Tonight in Turin (2025) as Fred Buscaglione
- Albatross (2025) as Vito
- Mauro Corona - La mia vita finché capita (2025) as Sé stesso
- Cabrini (2024) as Pope Leo XIII
- Tonight in Rome (2024) as Ospite
- Book Club: The Next Chapter (2023) as Police Chief
- Tonight in Paris (2023) as commissario Maigret
- Senza malizia (2023)
- Buon Lavoro (2022)
- Tonight in Milan (2022) as Alessandro Manzoni
- The Great Game (2022) as Dino De Gregorio
- Duetto (2022) as Gino
- Franco Zeffirelli: Rebel Conformist (2022) as Self
- Leonardo (2021) as Verrocchio
- Gianni Schicchi (2021) as Buoso Donati
- Stanotte a Napoli (2021) as Carlo (VII) di Napoli
- We Are Cinema (2021) as Self (archive footage)
- I fratelli De Filippo (2021) as Eduardo Scarpetta
- Hugo in Argentina (2021) as Narrator (voice)
- Vitti d'arte, Vitti d'amore (2021) as Sé stesso
- Pupi Avati, la tavola racconta (2021)
- Starman (2020) as Se stesso
- Catch-22 (2019) as Marcello
- Sand and Fire (2019) as Talleyrand
- The Catcher Was a Spy (2018) as Professor Eduardo Amaldi
- Diminuta (2018) as Marco Aurelio
- A Family Tale (2018) as Gian Pietro Liegi
- Stanotte a Pompei (2018) as Plinio Il Giovane
- Magical Nights (2018) as Leandro Saponaro
- Prigioniero della mia libertà (2018) as Ispettore Spaccini
- Sono Gassman! - Vittorio re della commedia (2018) as Self
- The Neighborhood (2017) as Gianluca Moretti
- Stanotte a Venezia (2017) as Carlo Goldoni
- Nobili bugie (2017) as Franco
- Tulipani: Love, Honour and a Bicycle (2017) as Catarella
- Pipi, Pupu & Rosemary: The Mystery of the Stolen Notes (2017) as Narratore (voice)
- The Good Italian III - The Magic of Naples (2017) as Principe
- Love Pret-a-porte (2017) as Giorgio's father
- Stanotte a Firenze (2016) as Giorgio Vasari
- Stanotte a San Pietro (2016) as Gian Lorenzo Bernini
- Black and White Stripes: The Juventus Story (2016) as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Astrosamantha (2016)
- The Boy from Giudecca (2016) as Giudice Mangrella
- On Air: Storia di Un Successo (2016) as Presidente
- Caruso presents: The Good Italian II - The Prince goes to Milan (2016) as Principe
- Tonight in... (2015) as Se stesso
- Behind the White Glasses (2015) as Self
- Sergio Corbucci: The Smiling Man (2015) as Himself
- The Day of the Two Holy Popes (2015)
- Caruso presents: The Good Italian I - The Farmhouse of Wonders (2015) as Principe
- The First Line (2014) as Petros
- 27 aprile Racconto di un evento (2014) as Voice
- Eurotrapped (2013) as Don Ferracane
- The Gambler Who Wouldn't Die (2013) as Nikita
- The Gambler Who Wouldn't Die (2013) Director
- Un angelo all'inferno (2013) as Pietro Bardelli
- Pipì, Pupù e Rosmarina (2012) as Narratore (voice)
- Omamamia (2012) as Lorenzo
- Michelangelo: The Heart and the Stone (2012)
- First Happiness (2011) as Ettore
- Vittorio racconta Gassman: Una vita da mattatore (2010) as Self
- La bella società (2009) as Dott. Guarrasi
- I Will Return (2009) as Borghi
- Quantum of Solace (2008) as Mathis
- Io non dimentico (2008) as Salvatore Conticello
- Il sangue e la rosa (2008) as Cardinale Eugenio Rospigliosi
- Io non dimentico (2008) as Salvatore Conticello
- Il Maresciallo Rocca e l'amico d'infanzia (2008) as Benedetto Diveri
- Il sangue e la rosa (2008) as Cardinal Rospigliosi
- Il Maresciallo Rocca e l'amico d'infanzia (2008) as Benedetto Diveri
- Bastardi (2008) as Il gatto
- Milan – Palermo: The Return (2007) as Turi Leofonte
- Il generale Dalla Chiesa (2007) as Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa
- Casino Royale (2006) as Mathis
- L'onore e il rispetto (2006) as Don Giuseppe Bastianelli
- A Beautiful Vacation (2006) as Self
- The Maidens' Conspiracy (2006) as The Emperor
- Salvatore. Questa è la vita (2006) as Timpaliscia
- Shadows in the Sun (2005) as Father Moretti
- Vengeance Is Mine: Reinventing 'Man on Fire' (2005) as Self
- Raul - Right to Kill (2005) as Giudice Porfirio
- Elio Petri: Notes About a Filmmaker (2005) as Self
- Man on Fire (2004) as Miguel Manzano
- 13 at a Table (2004) as Giulio
- Le cinque giornate di Milano (2004) as Carlo Cattaneo
- Francesca and Nunziata (2003) as Giordano Montorsi
- Five Moons Plaza (2003) as Branco
- My House in Umbria (2003) as Inspector Girotti
- Incantato (2003) as Cesare Balocchi
- Forever (2003) as Giovanni
- 3 Women (2003) as David
- Dracula (2002) as Dr. Enrico Valenzi
- Amnèsia (2002) as Xavier (voice)
- Darkness (2002) as Albert Rua
- Dracula's Kiss (2002) as Dr. Enrico Valenzi
- Ti voglio bene Eugenio (2002) as Eugenio
- The Bankers Of God: The Calvi Affair (2002) as Flavio Carboni
- On the Set of CQ (2002) as Self
- Joshua (2002) as The Pope
- Il consiglio d'Egitto (2002) as Narrator (voice)
- Ciao America (2002) as Zi' Felice
- CQ (2001) as Enzo
- Hannibal (2001) as Insp. Renaldo Pazzi
- The Whole Shebang (2001) as Pop Bazinni
- Momo (2001) as Presidente (voice)
- Breaking the Silence: The Making of Hannibal (2001) as Self
- A Long Long Long Night of Love (2001) as Marcello
- Frank Herbert's Dune (2000) as Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV
- A Night with Sabrina Love (2000) as Leonardo
- Viper (2000) as Guastamacchia
- Sweet Idleness (1999) as Count Nencini
- The Wasteland (1999) as Macrì
- No Deposit, No Return (1999) as Cesena
- Milonga (1999) as Commissario
- La stanza dello Scirocco (1998) as Marchese di Acquafurata
- The Dinner (1998) as Professore
- Mimic (1997) as Manny
- Vacation in Hell (1997) as Ortega
- Heaven Before I Die (1997) as Thief
- Ultimo bersaglio (1997) as Leo Steiner
- The Marshal Rocca (1996) as Benedetto
- Celluloide (1996) as Sergio Amidei
- Palermo – Milan One Way (1996) as Turi Leofonte
- Elective Affinities (1996) as Narrator (voice)
- Más allá del jardín (1996) as Bernardo
- La lupa (1996) as Padre Angiolino
- New York Crossing (1996) as Enzo
- La frontiera (1996) as Von Zirkenitz
- Fried Crumbed Brains (1996)
- A Walk in the Clouds (1995) as Alberto Aragón
- Like Two Crocodiles (1995) as Pietro Fraschini
- Jacob (1994) as Laban
- Black as the Heart (1994) as Valentino Bruio
- Colpo di coda (1993) as Professeur
- Giovanni Falcone (1993) as Paolo Borsellino
- Toys (1992) Prop Designer
- Once Upon a Crime (1992) as Inspector Bonnard
- Life with the Kids (1991) as Adriano Setti
- Anthony Quinn: An Original (1990) as Self
- The Amusements of Private Life (1990) as Charles Renard
- Life with the Kids (1990) as Adriano Setti
- In The Rose Garden (1990) as Tramontano
- Dark Illness (1990) as Giuseppe Marchi
- Brown Bread Sandwiches (1989) as Alberto
- New York Stories (1989) as Claudio
- Time to Kill (1989) as Il Maggiore
- Blood Red (1989) as Sebastian Collogero
- The Sleazy Uncle (1989) as Riccardo
- 'o Re (1989) as Francis II of the Two Sicilies
- Snack Bar Budapest (1988) as Avvocato
- I picari (1987) as Guzmán de Alfarache
- Ternosecco (1987) as Domenico
- Ternosecco (1987) Director
- Sins (1986) as Marcello D'itri
- Saving Grace (1986) as Abalardi
- Fever Pitch (1985) as Charley
- Bellissimo: Images of the Italian Cinema (1985) as Self
- American Dreamer (1984) as Victor Marchand
- Where's Picone? (1984) as Salvatore Cannavacciuolo
- My Darling, My Dearest (1982) as Gennarino Laganà
- My Darling, My Dearest (1982) Writer
- Lili Marleen (1981) as Robert
- Lovers and Liars (1979) as Guido Massacesi
- Good News (1979) as L'Innominato
- Good News (1979) Producer
- Life Is Beautiful (1979) as Antonio Murillo
- Blood Feud (1978) as Nicola Sanmichele detto 'Nick'
- A Night Full of Rain (1978) as Paolo
- The Innocent (1976) as Tullio Hermil
- Seven Beauties (1975) as Pasqualino Frafuso aka Settebellezze
- Seven Beauties (1975) Producer
- Midnight Pleasures (1975) as Gino Benacio
- Swept Away (1974) as Gennarino Carunchio
- The Murri Affair (1974) as Tullio Murri
- The Beast (1974) as Nino Patrovita
- Love and Anarchy (1973) as Antonio Soffiantini 'Tunin'
- How Funny Can Sex Be? (1973) as Domenico ('Signora sono le 8') / Cesaretto ('Due cuori e una baracca') / Enrico ('Non è mai troppo tardi') / Lello ('Viaggio di nozze') / Giansiro ('Torna piccina mia') / The Donor ('Lavoratore italiano all'estero') / Michele Maccò ('La vendetta') / Saturnino ('Un amore difficile') / Dottor Bianchi ('L'ospite')
- The Sensual Man (1973) as Paolo Castorini
- It Was I (1973) as Biagio Solise
- Indian Summer (1972) as Giorgio Mosca aka 'Spider'
- The Seduction of Mimi (1972) as Carmelo Mardocheo / Mimí
- Don Camillo and the Contestants (1972) as fratello di "Veleno"
- Hector the Mighty (1972) as Ulisse, il drittone
- Mazzabubù... quante corna stanno quaggiù? (1971) as Il neoammogliato
- The Black Belly of the Tarantula (1971) as Inspector Tellini
- My Father Monsignor (1971) as Oreste
- One Way Ticket (1971) as Weber
- A Prostitute Serving the Public and in Compliance with the Laws of the State (1971) as Walter Merighi
- The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1970) as Fabio
- A Drama of Jealousy (and other things) (1970) as Nello
- Una macchia rosa (1970) as Giancarlo
- La promessa (1970) as Leonidik
- The Betrayal (1969) as Hans Ruppert
- The Sisters (1969) as Dario
- Anzio (1968) as Pvt. Cellini
- Arabella (1967) as Saverio
- The Criminals of the Metropolis (1967) as Gerard Lemaire
- Tonight I'll Throw Me (1967) as Carlo Timidoni
- Don't Sting the Mosquito (1967) as Paolo Randi
- Rita the Mosquito (1966) as Paolo Randi
- Libido (1965) as Christian
- David Copperfield (1965) as David Copperfield