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Edoardo Cicorini (born 7 August 1967), better known as Edoardo Costa, is an Italian fashion model and actor. His career began in the fashion industry in the early 1990s, when he worked for the modeling agency
Why Not Why Not may refer to: Film and TV * ''Why Not? with Shania Twain'', an American TV show * ''Pourquoi pas!'' (''Why Not!''), a 1977 French film starring Sami Frey * ''Why Not?'', a 2019 short thriller movie directed by Buğra Mert Alkayalar Musi ...
. While working as a model, Costa decided to begin studying acting in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
,
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
, and
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. Following his studies, Costa went on to make various appearances on U.S. television. Some series included ''
Baywatch ''Baywatch'' is an American Drama (film and television), drama television series about lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, and Hawaii, starring David Hasselhoff. It was created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz ...
'', ''
Arliss Arliss may refer to: * Arliss (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname * Arliss (surname), a list of people with the surname * ''Arliss'' (TV series), stylized as ''Arli$$'', a sitcom airing on HBO ...
'', and ''
The Bold and the Beautiful ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' (often referred to as ''B&B'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. It premiered on March 23, 1987, as a sister show to the Bells' other soap opera ''Th ...
''. Following his success on American television, Costa also made a variety of independent American films, which led him to play his debut major role as Thomas Gabriel's henchman, Emerson, in ''
Live Free or Die Hard ''Live Free or Die Hard'' (released as ''Die Hard 4.0'' outside North America) is a 2007 American action thriller film directed by Len Wiseman, the fourth installment in the Die Hard (franchise), ''Die Hard'' film series. It is based on the 199 ...
''. His debut major role in an American film was ''
Down the Shore ''Down the Shore'' is an American sitcom television series created by Alan Kirschenbaum, which aired on Fox from June 21, 1992, to May 27, 1993. Synopsis The series revolves around three childhood friends, Aldo, Zack, and Eddie. In hopes of mee ...
'' in 2011. Costa has made forays into theater by acting in the plays ''Bread Love Fantasy'' and ''Very Old Man''. Costa has worked on numerous Italian soap operas, television series, films, and reality shows throughout his career.


Early life

Costa was born on 7 August 1967 in the town of
Varese Varese ( , ; or ; ; ; archaic ) is a city and ''comune'' in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, north-west of Milan. The population of Varese in 2018 was 80,559. It is the capital of the Province of Varese. The hinterland or exurban part ...
in Northern Italy, around 34 miles north of
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
. His father, Pietro, was a transport business owner, and his mother, Rosangela, worked at the local electric company. He had some sibling, a younger sister, Monica. Costa was educated in Italy and attended
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, colloquially the Catholic University of Milan () or simply the Cattolica, is an Italian private research university founded in 1921. Its main campus is located in Milan, Italy, with satellite campuses in B ...
, which is considered the largest
Catholic University Catholic higher education includes universities, colleges, and other institutions of higher education privately run by the Catholic Church, typically by religious institutes. Those tied to the Holy See are specifically called pontifical univers ...
in the world. He studied Philosophy while at the University. After completing his education, Costa served his military service as a
Carabinieri The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign poli ...
in the mid-1980s. It was during this period in his life when he was discovered by a modelling scout in a local bar in
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
.


Career


1980s–2007: Early work

After being spotted by a modelling scout, Costa began to work for the modelling agency,
Why Not Why Not may refer to: Film and TV * ''Why Not? with Shania Twain'', an American TV show * ''Pourquoi pas!'' (''Why Not!''), a 1977 French film starring Sami Frey * ''Why Not?'', a 2019 short thriller movie directed by Buğra Mert Alkayalar Musi ...
. The modelling agency was founded in 1976 and has managed many famous models, including
Naomi Campbell Naomi Elaine Campbell (born 22 May 1970) is a British supermodel. Beginning her career at the age of eight, Campbell was one of six models of her generation declared supermodels by the fashion industry and the international press. She was th ...
. Following his modelling career, Costa's first acting appearance came in 1988, when he featured in the film,
Human Error Human error is an action that has been done but that was "not intended by the actor; not desired by a set of rules or an external observer; or that led the task or system outside its acceptable limits".Senders, J.W. and Moray, N.P. (1991) Human Er ...
. After appearing in Human Error, Costa was featured in a number of US TV shows, including ''
Baywatch ''Baywatch'' is an American Drama (film and television), drama television series about lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, and Hawaii, starring David Hasselhoff. It was created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz ...
'', ''
Arliss Arliss may refer to: * Arliss (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname * Arliss (surname), a list of people with the surname * ''Arliss'' (TV series), stylized as ''Arli$$'', a sitcom airing on HBO ...
'', and ''
The Bold and the Beautiful ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' (often referred to as ''B&B'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. It premiered on March 23, 1987, as a sister show to the Bells' other soap opera ''Th ...
''. His appearances on American television coincided with various roles in Italian television series. This began in 1996, when he played the role of Lorenzo Macchia on the show Un posto al sole. Over the next decade, he spent a number of years working on various Italian TV shows. His first role in a major film came in 2007, when he played the villain's
henchman A henchman is a loyal employee, supporter, or aide to some powerful figure engaged in nefarious or criminal enterprises. Henchmen are typically relatively unimportant in the organisation: minions whose value lies primarily in their unquestioning ...
in ''
Live Free or Die Hard ''Live Free or Die Hard'' (released as ''Die Hard 4.0'' outside North America) is a 2007 American action thriller film directed by Len Wiseman, the fourth installment in the Die Hard (franchise), ''Die Hard'' film series. It is based on the 199 ...
''. In 2007, Costa took control of Beatrice International Models, which is considered within the fashion industry as a similar agency to
Ford Models Ford Models, originally the Ford Modeling Agency, is an American international modeling agency based in New York City. It was established in 1946 by Eileen Ford and her husband Gerard W. Ford. History 20th century Eileen and Jerry began the bu ...
,
Elite In political and sociological theory, the elite (, from , to select or to sort out) are a small group of powerful or wealthy people who hold a disproportionate amount of wealth, privilege, political power, or skill in a group. Defined by the ...
and
Next NeXT, Inc. (later NeXT Computer, Inc. and NeXT Software, Inc.) was an American technology company headquartered in Redwood City, California that specialized in computer workstations for higher education and business markets, and later develope ...
with former models including
Iman Iman, Imann, Imaan, Eman, Eiman, Imane, Emaan, or Imman may refer to: Places * Iman, Iran, a village in Kalashi District, Kermanshah Province * The Iman River, the former name of the Bolshaya Ussurka River, a tributary of the Ussuri River in ...
and
Stephanie Seymour Stephanie Michelle Seymour (born July 23, 1968) is an American model and actress. During the 1980s and 1990s, she was one of the most popular supermodels, being featured in the ''Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue'' and the cover of ''Vogue'', a ...
. The venture catapulted Costa into the international spotlight. The modeling agency also began a formal dialogue with the
National Eating Disorders Association The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) is an American non-profit organization devoted to preventing eating disorders, providing treatment referrals, and increasing the education and understanding of eating disorders. History In 2001, E ...
and its CEO, Dr. Lynne Grefe. The effort made it the first international modeling agency to work together with the association to spread awareness and positive prevention about the diseases that have plagued the industry for decades. In 2007, Costa also opened The Actor's Academy Milano. Inspired by his experience studying acting in America, Costa began one of the first schools in Europe to exclusively recruit Lifetime Members of the Actor's Studio—as well as teachers from other prestigious American acting schools including the
Stella Adler Studio of Acting The Stella Adler Studio of Acting (formerly Stella Adler Conservatory) is a prestigious acting school that was founded by actress and teacher Stella Adler.
, the
Beverly Hills Playhouse The Beverly Hills Playhouse is an acting school with theaters and training facilities in Beverly Hills, California, and also in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City. It is one of the oldest acting schools and theatres in the Los Angeles ...
and the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, all of whom specialized in method acting using the system created by
Konstantin Stanislavski Konstantin Sergeyevich Stanislavski ( rus, Константин Сергеевич Станиславский, p=kənstɐnʲˈtʲin sʲɪrˈɡʲejɪvʲɪtɕ stənʲɪˈslafskʲɪj, links=yes; ; 7 August 1938) was a seminal Russian and Sovie ...
. The Actor's Academy Milano has hosted acclaimed actors such as
Martin Landau Martin James Landau (; June 20, 1928 – July 15, 2017) was an American actor. His career began in the 1950s, with early film appearances including a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's '' North by Northwest'' (1959). His career breakthrough c ...
and
Mickey Rourke Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke Jr. ( ; born September 16, 1952) is an American actor and former professional Boxing, boxer who has appeared primarily as a leading actor, leading man in drama, action, and thriller films. In a Mickey Rourke filmogra ...
.


2008–present

In 2008 and 2009,
Striscia la notizia ''Striscia la notizia'' (, "the news slithers") is an Italian satirical television program on the Mediaset-controlled Canale 5. Launched in 1988, it is meant to be a parody of the daily news, which airs right before the program, but ''Striscia'' ...
, a news program in Italy, raised concerns about the alleged embezzlement of funds of a non-profit organization founded by Costa for the benefit of children in Kenya and the inhabitants of the
favelas Favela () is an hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella name for several types of impoverished neighborhoods in Brazil. The term, which means slum or ghetto, was first used in the Morro da Providência, Slum of Providência in the center of Rio de J ...
of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. On 24 May 2011 Costa was charged with
fraud In law, fraud is intent (law), intentional deception to deprive a victim of a legal right or to gain from a victim unlawfully or unfairly. Fraud can violate Civil law (common law), civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrato ...
by prosecutors in Milan, Italy. On 12 July 2012 Costa was sentenced to three years of prison, a fine of 2,000 Euros and 7,000 Euros. Costa denied the charges and later appealed against the original verdict. In 2010, Costa had a major role as Colonel Tanelli in
The Black Tulip ''The Black Tulip'' is a historical novel and a work of Romantic poetry written by Alexandre Dumas, père, and first published in 1850. Story The story begins in 1672, with a historic event: the lynching of the Dutch Grand Pensionary Johan de ...
. In the film he played the role of Colonel Tanelli. The film revolves around the Mansouri family, who open a restaurant in Kabul, Afghanistan. The film was selected for screening as Afghanistan's entry for the
Best Foreign Language Film The following is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various films, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Bes ...
at the
83rd Academy Awards The 83rd Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2010 in the United States and took place on February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, be ...
. In 2013, he appeared in the film ''Non-Stop'' with
Liam Neeson William John Neeson (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Liam Neeson, several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, BAFT ...
. In the film he played the role of Herve Philbert.


Filmography


References


External links

*
Photo Gallery

Striscia la Notizia interroga Edoardo Costa sui soldi non donati
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Costa, Edoardo 1967 births Italian male film actors Italian male models Living people Participants in Italian reality television series Carabinieri personnel Italian Buddhists 20th-century Italian male actors 21st-century Italian male actors Male actors from Lombardy Actors from Varese