Marcello Vincenzo Domenico Mastroianni (28 September 1924 – 19 December 1996) was an Italian film actor, regarded as one of his country's most iconic male performers of the 20th century. He played leading roles for many of Italy's top directors in a career spanning 147 films between 1939 and 1997, and garnered many international honors including 2

BAFTA Awards The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cere ...

, 2 Best Actor awards at the

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

and

Cannes Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The ...

film festivals, 2

Golden Globes The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...

, and 3

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

nominations. Born in the

province of Frosinone The Province of Frosinone ( it, Provincia di Frosinone) is a province in the Lazio region of Italy, with 91 '' comuni'' (singular: ''comune''; see Comuni of the Province of Frosinone). Its capital is the city of Frosinone. It has an area o ...

and raised in

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...

and

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, Mastroianni made his film debut in 1939 at the age of 14, but did not seriously pursue acting until the 1950s, when he made his critical and commercial breakthrough in the caper comedy '' Big Deal on Madonna Street'' (1959). He became an international celebrity through his collaborations with director

Federico Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and most ...

, first as a disillusioned tabloid columnist in '' La Dolce Vita'' (1960), then as a creatively-stifled filmmaker in '' 8½'' (1963). Excelling in both dramatic and comedic roles, he formed a notable on-screen duo with actress and

sex symbol A sex symbol or icon is a person or character widely considered sexually attractive. Pam Cook, "The trouble with sex: Diana Dors and the Blonde bombshell phenomenon", In: Bruce Babinigton (ed.), ''British Stars and Stardom: From Alma Taylor t ...

Sophia Loren Sofia Costanza Brigida Villani Scicolone (; born 20 September 1934), known professionally as Sophia Loren ( , ), is an Italian actress. She was named by the American Film Institute as one of the greatest female stars of Classical Hollywood ci ...

, co-starring with her in eight films between 1954 and 1994. Despite international acclaim, Mastroianni largely shunned Hollywood, and remained a quintessentially Italian thespian for the majority of his career. Nonetheless, he was the first actor to receive an

nomination for a non-English language performance, and was nominated for

Best Actor Best Actor is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actors in a film, television series, television film or play. The term most often refers to the ...

three times – '' Divorce Italian Style'' (1961), '' A Special Day'' (1977), and ''Dark Eyes'' (1987). He was one of only three actors, the others being Jack Lemmon and Dean Stockwell, to win the prestigious

Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor The Best Actor Award (french: Prix d'interprétation masculine) is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival since 1946. It is given to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance and chosen by the jury from the films in official co ...

twice. Mastroianni's contributions to Italian art and culture saw him receive multiple civil honours, including the

Order of Merit of the Italian Republic The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic ( it, Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana) is the senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi. The highest-rankin ...

, the highest ranking knighthood of the country.

Early life

Mastroianni was born in Fontana Liri, a small village in the

Apennines The Apennines or Apennine Mountains (; grc-gre, links=no, Ἀπέννινα ὄρη or Ἀπέννινον ὄρος; la, Appenninus or – a singular with plural meaning;''Apenninus'' (Greek or ) has the form of an adjective, which wou ...

within the

Lazio it, Laziale , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

, and grew up in

and

. He was the son of Ida (née Irolle) and Ottone Mastroianni. Both of his parents were from the nearby town of Arpino. His father ran a carpentry shop. Mastroianni was a nephew of sculptor Umberto Mastroianni. During World War II, after the division into Axis and Allied Italy, he was interned in a loosely guarded German prison camp, from which he escaped to hide in Venice. His brother Ruggero Mastroianni was a film editor who worked on some of Marcello's films (''

City of Women ''City of Women'' ( it, La città delle donne) is a 1980 Italian fantasy comedy-drama film co-written (with Bernardino Zapponi and Brunello Rondi) and directed by Federico Fellini. Amid Fellini's characteristic combination of dreamlike, outrageo ...

'', '' Ginger and Fred''), and appeared alongside Marcello in '' Scipione detto anche l'Africano'', a spoof of the once popular Sword and Sandal film genre released in 1971.

Acting career

Mastroianni made his screen debut as an uncredited extra in '' Marionette'' (1939) when he was fourteen, and made intermittent minor film appearances until landing his first big role in '' Atto d'accusa'' (1951). Within a decade he became a major international celebrity, starring in '' Big Deal on Madonna Street'' (1958); and in

's '' La Dolce Vita'' (1960) playing a disillusioned and self-loathing tabloid columnist who spends his days and nights exploring Rome's decadent high society. Mastroianni followed ''La Dolce Vita'' with another signature role, that of a film director who, amidst self-doubt and troubled love affairs, finds himself in a creative block while making a film in Fellini's '' 8½'' (1963). His other prominent films include ''

Days of Love ''Days of Love'' ( it, Giorni d'amore) is a 1954 Italian comedy film directed by Giuseppe De Santis. Cast * Marcello Mastroianni as Pasquale Droppio * Marina Vlady as Angela Cafalla * Giulio Calì as Pietro Cafalla, nonno di Angela * Angelina ...

'' (1954) with

Marina Vlady Marina Vlady (born 10 May 1938) is a French actress. Biography Vlady was born in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine to White Russian immigrant parents. Her father was an opera singer and her mother was a dancer. Her sisters, now all deceased, were the ac ...

; ''

La Notte ''La Notte'' (; en, "The Night") is a 1961 drama film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and starring Marcello Mastroianni, Jeanne Moreau and Monica Vitti (with Umberto Eco appearing in a cameo). Filmed on location in Milan, the film is the ...

'' (1961) with

Jeanne Moreau Jeanne Moreau (; 23 January 1928 – 31 July 2017) was a French actress, singer, screenwriter, director, and socialite. She made her theatrical debut in 1947, and established herself as one of the leading actresses of the Comédie-Française. M ...

; ''

Too Bad She's Bad ''Too Bad She's Bad'' ( it, Peccato che sia una canaglia) is a 1955 Italian comedy directed by Alessandro Blasetti. It stars Sophia Loren and is based on Alberto Moravia's story "Fanatico", from his ''Racconti Romani''. It was shot at the Cinecit ...

'' (1954), '' Lucky to Be a Woman'' (1956), ''

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow ''Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow'' ( it, Ieri, oggi, domani) is a 1963 comedy anthology film by Italian director Vittorio De Sica. It stars Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni. The film consists of three short stories about couples in different ...

'' (1963), ''

Marriage Italian Style ''Marriage Italian Style'' ( it, Matrimonio all'italiana ) is a 1964 romantic comedy-drama film directed by Vittorio De Sica, starring Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni. The film was adapted by Leonardo Benvenuti, Renato Castellani, Piero ...

'' (1964), ''

Sunflower The common sunflower (''Helianthus annuus'') is a large annual forb of the genus ''Helianthus'' grown as a crop for its edible oily seeds. Apart from cooking oil production, it is also used as livestock forage (as a meal or a silage plant), ...

'' (1970), ''

The Priest's Wife ''The Priest's Wife'' ( it, La moglie del prete) is a 1970 Italian-French comedy film directed by Dino Risi. The song "Anyone", sung by Loren, was released as a single. Cast * Sophia Loren as Valeria Billi * Marcello Mastroianni as Don Mario C ...

'' (1971), '' A Special Day'' (1977) and Robert Altman's '' Prêt-à-Porter'' (1994) – all co-starring

; Luchino Visconti's '' White Nights'' (1957);

Pietro Germi Pietro Germi (; 14 September 1914 – 5 December 1974) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor, noted for his development of the neorealist and commedia all'Italiana genres. His 1961 film '' Divorce Italian Style'' earned him a ...

's '' Divorce Italian Style'' (1961); ''

Family Diary ''Family Diary'' ( it, Cronaca familiare) is a 1962 Italian film directed by Valerio Zurlini and based on the novel by Vasco Pratolini. It tells the story of two brothers (played by Marcello Mastroianni and Jacques Perrin) who are brought up apar ...

'' (1962) with Jacques Perrin; '' A Very Private Affair'' (1962) with

Brigitte Bardot Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot ( ; ; born 28 September 1934), often referred to by her initials B.B., is a former French actress, singer and model. Famous for portraying sexually emancipated characters with hedonistic lifestyles, she was one of the ...

; Mario Monicelli's ''

Casanova 70 ''Casanova 70'' is a 1965 Italian comedy film produced by Carlo Ponti, directed by Mario Monicelli and starring Marcello Mastroianni, Virna Lisi, Enrico Maria Salerno and Michèle Mercier. Plot NATO officer Andrea Rossi-Colombotti is a ladies' ...

'' (1965); '' Diamonds for Breakfast'' (1968) with Rita Tushingham; ''

The Pizza Triangle ''The Pizza Triangle'' ( it, Dramma della gelosia (tutti i particolari in cronaca) and also released as ''Drama of Jealousy'') is a 1970 Italian commedia all'italiana film directed by Ettore Scola and written by Scola and the famous screenwriter d ...

'' (1970) with Monica Vitti; '' Massacre in Rome'' (1973) with Richard Burton; '' The Sunday Woman'' (1975) with Jacqueline Bisset; '' Stay As You Are'' (1978) with Nastassja Kinski; Fellini's ''

'' (1980) and '' Ginger and Fred'' (1986); Marco Bellocchio's '' Henry IV'' (1984); ''

Macaroni Macaroni (, Italian: maccheroni) is dry pasta shaped like narrow tubes.Oxford DictionaryMacaroni/ref> Made with durum wheat, macaroni is commonly cut in short lengths; curved macaroni may be referred to as elbow macaroni. Some home machine ...

'' (1985) with Jack Lemmon; Nikita Mikhalkov's '' Dark Eyes'' (1987) with Marthe Keller;

Giuseppe Tornatore Giuseppe Tornatore (born 27 May 1956) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. He is considered one of the directors who brought critical acclaim back to Italian cinema.Katz, Ephraim, "Italy," ''The Film Encyclopedia'' (New York: HarperR ...

's '' Everybody's Fine'' (1990); '' Used People'' (1992) with

Shirley MacLaine Shirley MacLaine (born Shirley MacLean Beaty, April 24, 1934) is an American actress, author, and former dancer. Known for her portrayals of quirky, strong-willed and eccentric women, MacLaine has received numerous accolades over her seven-dec ...

; and Agnès Varda's ''

One Hundred and One Nights ''One Hundred and One Nights'' (french: Les cent et une nuits de Simon Cinéma) is a 1995 French comedy film directed by Agnès Varda. A light-hearted look at 100 years of commercial cinema, it celebrates in vision and sound favourite films fro ...

'' (1995). He was nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Actor The Academy Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year. The ...

three times: for ''Divorce Italian Style'', ''A Special Day'' and ''Dark Eyes''. Mastroianni, Dean Stockwell and Jack Lemmon are the only actors to have been twice awarded the

at the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films ...

. Mastroianni won it in 1970 for ''The Pizza Triangle'' and in 1987 for ''Dark Eyes''. Mastroianni starred alongside his daughter,

Chiara Mastroianni Chiara Charlotte Mastroianni (born 28 May 1972) is a French actress and singer. She is the daughter of Marcello Mastroianni and Catherine Deneuve. Early life Mastroianni was born to French actress Catherine Deneuve and Italian actor Marcello Ma ...

, in Raúl Ruiz's ''

Three Lives and Only One Death ''Three Lives and Only One Death'' (french: Trois vies et une seule mort) is a 1996 French film directed by Chilean filmmaker Raúl Ruiz. It was entered into the 1996 Cannes Film Festival, and was the penultimate film to star Marcello Mastroianni, ...

'' in 1996. For this performance he won the Silver Wave Award at the Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival. His final film, ''

Voyage to the Beginning of the World ''Voyage to the Beginning of the World'' ( pt, Viagem ao Princípio do Mundo, french: Voyage au début du monde) is a 1997 Portuguese-French drama film directed by Manoel de Oliveira and starring Marcello Mastroianni. The film was selected as th ...

'' (1997), was released posthumously.

Personal life

Mastroianni married

Flora Carabella Flora Carabella (15 February 1926 – 19 April 1999) was an Italian film, television and stage actress. Life and career Born in Rome, the daughter of the composer Ezio, Carabella studied acting at the Silvio d’Amico Academy of Dramatic Arts ...

(1926–1999) on 12 August 1950. They had one daughter together, Barbara (1951–2018), but eventually separated because of his affairs with younger women. Mastroianni's first serious relationship after the separation was with Faye Dunaway, his co-star in '' A Place for Lovers'' (1968). Dunaway wanted to marry and have children, but Mastroianni, a Catholic, refused to divorce Carabella. In 1970, after more than two years of waiting for Mastroianni to change his mind, Dunaway left him. Mastroianni told a reporter for ''

People A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...

'' magazine in 1987 that he never got over his relationship with Dunaway. "She was the woman I loved the most", he said. "I'll always be sorry to have lost her. I was whole with her for the first time in my life." Mastroianni had a daughter,

(born 28 May 1972), with French actress Catherine Deneuve, who was nearly 20 years his junior and lived with him for four years in the 1970s. During that time, the couple made four films together: ''

It Only Happens to Others ''It Only Happens to Others'' (french: Ça n'arrive qu'aux autres) is a 1971 drama film written and directed by Nadine Trintignant. The film was made in the wake of the death of Nadine and Jean-Louis Trintignant's daughter Pauline in 1969. Cast ...

'' (1971), '' La cagna'' (1972), '' A Slightly Pregnant Man'' (1973) and ''

Don't Touch the White Woman! ''Don't Touch the White Woman!'' (french: Touche pas à la femme blanche !) is a 1974 Western comedy film co-written and directed by Marco Ferreri. Plot A fictionalized version of Custer's Last Stand, set at a real building site in Paris, France ...

'' (1974). After Mastroianni and Deneuve broke up, Carabella reportedly offered to adopt Chiara because her parents' work kept them away so often. Deneuve would have none of it. Mastroianni's other lovers reportedly included actresses

Anouk Aimée Nicole Françoise Florence Dreyfus (born 27 April 1932), known professionally as Anouk Aimée () or Anouk, is a French film actress, who has appeared in 70 films since 1947, having begun her film career at age 14. In her early years, she studi ...

Ursula Andress Ursula Andress (born 19 March 1936) is a Swiss-German actress, former model and sex symbol who has appeared in American, British and Italian films. Her breakthrough role was as Bond girl Honey Ryder in the first James Bond film, '' Dr. No'' (1962 ...

, Claudia Cardinale,

Carole Mallory Carole Mallory is an American author, actress, former model, teacher and critic who appeared in the films '' Looking for Mr. Goodbar'' and ''The Stepford Wives''. She was the nine-year companion of writer Norman Mailer and kept notes and her writ ...

and Lauren Hutton. Around 1976, he became involved with

Anna Maria Tatò Anna Maria Tatò (19 April 1940 – 3 June 2022) was an Italian film director. She directed six films between 1978 and 1997. Her film '' Marcello Mastroianni: mi ricordo, sì, io mi ricordo'' was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the ...

, an author and filmmaker. They remained together until his death. He was made a Knight Grand Cross of the

in 1994.

Death

Mastroianni died of

pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a mass. These cancerous cells have the ability to invade other parts of the body. A number of types of pancr ...

on 19 December 1996 at the age of 72. Both of his daughters, as well as Deneuve and Tatò, were at his bedside. The Trevi Fountain in Rome, associated with his role in Fellini's ''La Dolce Vita'', was symbolically turned off and draped in black as a tribute. At the

1997 Venice Film Festival The 54th annual Venice International Film Festival was held between 27 August to 6 September 1997. Jury The following people comprised the 1997 jury: * Jane Campion (New Zealand) (head of jury) * Ronald Bass (USA) * Véra Belmont (France) * ...

, Chiara, Carabella and Deneuve tried to block the screening of Tatò's four-hour documentary, '' Marcello Mastroianni: I Remember''. The festival refused and the film was shown. The three women reportedly tried to do the same thing at Cannes. Tatò said Mastroianni had willed her all rights to his image.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

Wins

David di Donatello The David di Donatello Awards, named after Donatello's ''David'', a symbolic statue of the Italian Renaissance, are film awards given out each year by the ''Accademia del Cinema Italiano'' (The Academy of Italian Cinema). There are 26 award cat ...

***1964 ''

'' ***1965 ''

'' ***1986 '' Ginger and Fred'' ***1988 '' Dark Eyes'' ***1995 ''

Sostiene Pereira ''Sostiene Pereira'' (''Pereira prétend'' in French, ''Afirma Pereira'' in Portugal and ''Páginas da revolução'' in Brazil) is a 1995 Italian drama film directed by Roberto Faenza. It is based on Antonio Tabucchi's novel '' Sostiene Pereir ...

'' **1983 ''Carrer David'' **1995 Special David **1997 ''Carrer David'' (posthumous) *

Nastro d'Argento The Nastro d'Argento, also known by its translated name Silver Ribbon, is an Italian film award awarded each year since 1946 by the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists (Italian: ''Sindacato Nazionale Giornalisti Cinematografici Italian ...

***1955 ''

'' ***1958 '' White Nights'' ***1961 '' La Dolce Vita'' ***1962 '' Divorce Italian Style'' ***1986 '' Ginger and Fred'' ***1988 '' Dark Eyes'' ***1991 '' Towards Evening'' **1997 Special Nastro d'Argento (posthumous) *

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...

Golden Lion The Golden Lion ( it, Leone d'oro) is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most prestigious and distinguis ...

***1990 ''Honorary Award'' **

***1989 '' What Time Is It?'' ** Best Supporting Actor ***1993 ''

1, 2, 3, Sun ''1, 2, 3, Sun'' (french: Un, deux, trois, soleil) is a 1993 French surrealist black comedy film directed by Bertrand Blier. The title of the film corresponds to the French name for the "Statues" children's game. Plot In an impoverished distri ...

'' *

***1970 ''

'' *** 1988 '' Dark Eyes'' * BAFTA Award ** Best Foreign Actor ***1963 '' Divorce Italian Style'' ***1964 ''

'' *

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...

** Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy ***1962 '' Divorce Italian Style'' * César Award **1993 Honorary César

Nominations

***1962 '' Divorce Italian Style'' ***1977 '' A Special Day'' ***1987 '' Dark Eyes''

Notes

References

Works cited

* * * * * * *

External links

* * * * ''

Encyclopædia Britannica The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various t ...

''
Marcello Mastroianni
* Chris Fujiwara

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mastroianni, Marcello 1924 births 1996 deaths 20th-century Italian male actors People of Lazian descent European Film Awards winners (people) Best Foreign Actor BAFTA Award winners Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (film) winners César Honorary Award recipients Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor winners Deaths from cancer in France Deaths from pancreatic cancer Italian Roman Catholics Italian male film actors People from the Province of Frosinone David di Donatello winners Nastro d'Argento winners Ciak d'oro winners Volpi Cup for Best Actor winners World War II civilian prisoners Italian prisoners of war in World War II World War II prisoners of war held by Germany Italian escapees Escapees from German detention