Raoul Bova (; born 14 August 1971) is an Italian actor. Bova's European film breakthrough was in the 1993 film , and he's played romantic male leads in the following years. His American film credits include '' Under the Tuscan Sun'' (2003), '' Alien vs. Predator'' (2004) and '' The Tourist'' (2010).

Life and career

Bova was born in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

to a father from Roccella Ionica in

Calabria Calabria is a Regions of Italy, region in Southern Italy. It is a peninsula bordered by the region Basilicata to the north, the Ionian Sea to the east, the Strait of Messina to the southwest, which separates it from Sicily, and the Tyrrhenian S ...

and mother from Acerra in

Campania Campania is an administrative Regions of Italy, region of Italy located in Southern Italy; most of it is in the south-western portion of the Italian Peninsula (with the Tyrrhenian Sea to its west), but it also includes the small Phlegraean Islan ...

. At the age of 16 Bova became a local champion in the 100 meter backstroke. At the age of 21 he joined the

Italian Army The Italian Army ( []) is the Army, land force branch of the Italian Armed Forces. The army's history dates back to the Italian unification in the 1850s and 1860s. The army fought in colonial engagements in China and Italo-Turkish War, Libya. It ...

and performed his military duty in the Bersaglieri (sharpshooters) corps. He enrolled in the ISEF, the Italian Institute of Physical Education, but dropped out to pursue a career in acting. He studied at the school of Beatrice Bracco in Rome and also studied acting with Michael Margotta. After making his Italian television debut, Bova starred as a hunky watersports instructor in the 1993 romantic comedy film '' Pretty Princess''. The following years, Bova played many leading roles in Italian romantic films. In 2002, he made his American film debut appearing in the crime comedy '' Avenging Angelo''. The following year, Bova played Diane Lane's love interest in the comedy-drama film '' Under the Tuscan Sun''. In 2004, he co-starred opposite Sanaa Lathan in the science fiction film '' Alien vs. Predator''. His other notable American film credits include '' The Tourist'' (2010), and '' All Roads Lead to Rome'' opposite Sarah Jessica Parker. On television, Bova had a recurring role in the ABC comedy-drama '' What About Brian'' from 2006 to 2007, and in 2018 starred as

Pope Sixtus IV Pope Sixtus IV (or Xystus IV, ; born Francesco della Rovere; (21 July 1414 – 12 August 1484) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 August 1471 until his death in 1484. His accomplishments as pope included ...

in the British-Italian period drama '' Medici''. In 2019, he starred opposite Kate del Castillo in the Telemundo/

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

crime drama series '' La Reina del Sur''.

Personal life

In March 2000, he married Chiara Giordano. In 2013, Bova and Giordano separated. That same year he started dating actress Rocío Muñoz Morales, after the two met on the film set of ''Immaturi – Il viaggio'' (2012). They had their first child in December 2015, the same month their film '' All Roads Lead to Rome'' was released. On 15 October 2010, Bova was nominated Goodwill Ambassador of the

Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; . (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security. Its Latin motto, , translates ...

of the United Nations (FAO). Bova is Roman Catholic.

In the Media

Bova is known as one of Italy's handsomest men. He was dubbed "Sexiest Actor Alive" by Glamour Magazine. He was ranked #13 in the "World's Sexiest Men" list in 2008.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

*
Raoul Bova as a Style Icon

FAO Goodwill Ambassador website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bova, Raoul 1971 births People of Campanian descent Italian male television actors Italian male film actors Italian male models Living people Male actors from Rome People of Calabrian descent 20th-century Italian male actors 21st-century Italian male actors FAO goodwill ambassadors Italian Roman Catholics