View source for Roberto Benigni

{{Short description|Italian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film director (born 1952)}}
{{Refimprove-BLP|date=March 2025}}
{{Expand Italian|topic=bio|Roberto Benigni|date=May 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Roberto Benigni 
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|post-noms=[[Order of Merit of the Italian Republic|Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI]]}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.quirinale.it/onorificenze/DettaglioDecorato.asp?idprogressivo=158641&iddecorato=158134|title=Cavaliere di Gran Croce Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana|language=it|access-date=2008-12-26|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081226194636/http://www.quirinale.it/onorificenze/DettaglioDecorato.asp?idprogressivo=158641&iddecorato=158134|archive-date=December 26, 2008|website=quirinale.it}}</ref>
| image = Roberto Benigni-5274.jpg
| caption = Benigni at the [[70th Berlin International Film Festival]] in 2020
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1952|10|27|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Castiglion Fiorentino]], [[Tuscany]], Italy
| birth_name = Roberto Remigio Benigni
| occupation = {{flatlist|
*Actor
*comedian
*screenwriter
*film director
}}
| education    = [[École Philippe Gaulier]]
| years_active = 1970–present
|style         = {{flatlist|
*[[Comedy film]]
*[[comedy drama]]
*[[tragicomedy]]
}}
| spouse = {{marriage|[[Nicoletta Braschi]]|1991}}
| awards = 
}}

'''Roberto Remigio Benigni''' ({{IPAc-en|b|ə|ˈ|n|iː|n|j|iː}} {{respell|bə|NEE|nyee}}, {{IPA|it|roˈbɛrto beˈniɲɲi|lang}}; born 27 October 1952) is an Italian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film director. He gained international recognition for writing, directing, and starring in [[the Holocaust]] [[comedy drama]] film ''[[Life Is Beautiful]]'' (1997), for which he received the [[Academy Awards]] for [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] and [[Academy Award for Best International Feature Film|Best International Feature Film]]. Benigni was the first actor to win the Best Actor Academy Award for a non-English language performance.

Benigni made his acting debut in 1977's ''[[Berlinguer, I Love You]]'', which he also wrote, and which was directed by [[Giuseppe Bertolucci]]. Benigni's directorial debut was the 1983 [[anthology film]] ''[[Tu mi turbi]]'', which was also the acting debut of his wife, [[Nicoletta Braschi]]. He continued directing and also starring in the comedic films ''[[Nothing Left to Do But Cry]]'' (1984), ''[[The Little Devil]]'' (1988), ''[[Johnny Stecchino]]'' (1991), ''[[The Monster (1994 film)|The Monster]]'' (1994), the award-winning film ''Life Is Beautiful'' (1997), ''[[Pinocchio (2002 film)|Pinocchio]]'' (2002, as [[Pinocchio|the title character]]), and ''[[The Tiger and the Snow]]'' (2005).

Benigni acted in the [[Jim Jarmusch]] films ''[[Down by Law (film)|Down by Law]]'' (1986), ''[[Night on Earth]]'' (1991), and ''[[Coffee and Cigarettes]]'' (2003). He also acted in [[Federico Fellini]]’s ''[[ The Voice of the Moon]]'' (1990), [[Blake Edwards]]' ''[[Son of the Pink Panther]]'' (1993), [[Woody Allen]]'s ''[[To Rome with Love (film)|To Rome with Love]]'' (2012), and [[Matteo Garrone]]'s ''[[Pinocchio (2019 film)|Pinocchio]]'' (2019, as [[Geppetto]]).

==Early life==
Benigni was born on 27 October 1952 in Manciano La Misericordia (a ''[[frazione]]'' of [[Castiglion Fiorentino]]), Tuscany, the son of Isolina Papini (1919–2004), a fabric maker, and Luigi Benigni (1919–2004), a bricklayer, carpenter, and farmer.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Waxman |first=Sharon |date=1998-11-01 |title=EMBRACING 'LIFE' IN DEATH CAMPS |language=en-US |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/1998/11/01/embracing-life-in-death-camps/668c73c3-4480-4045-9f87-5d4438d9d1e6/ |access-date=2023-05-13 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=28 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828023550/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/1998/11/01/embracing-life-in-death-camps/668c73c3-4480-4045-9f87-5d4438d9d1e6/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He has three sisters: Bruna (born 1945), Albertina (born 1947) and Anna (born 1948). He was raised [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] and served as an [[Altar server|altar boy]];<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Lipman|first=Steve|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-22134181.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104101101/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-22134181.html|archive-date=2012-11-04|title=When Tragedy, Comedy Meet: Italian actor-director Roberto Benigni|magazine=The Jewish Week|date=1998-10-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-22133891.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104101109/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-22133891.html|archive-date=2012-11-04|title=Is There Humor in the Holocaust? Roberto Benigni's bittersweet answer|location=New York|magazine=Jewish Exponent|date=1998-11-05}}</ref> later in his life he became an atheist,<ref>{{cite book|editor-last=Bullaro|editor-first=Grace Russo|title=Beyond "Life is Beautiful": Comedy and Tragedy in the Cinema of Roberto Benigni|location=Leicester|publisher=Troubador Publishing|date=1 January 2005|page=27|isbn=1-904744-83-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MOdyAeuPqjUC&q=atheist&pg=PA27|access-date=29 May 2022|archive-date=29 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220529155745/https://books.google.com/books?id=MOdyAeuPqjUC&pg=PA27&q=atheist|url-status=live}}</ref> but then resumed his interest in religious topics, such as the [[Ten Commandments]] and the [[Song of Songs]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mares |first=Courtney |title='Life is Beautiful' actor Roberto Benigni meets the pope |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253008/photos-life-is-beautiful-actor-roberto-benigni-meets-the-pope |date=December 7, 2022 |access-date=2022-12-08 |website=Catholic News Agency |language=en |archive-date=8 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208193903/https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253008/photos-life-is-beautiful-actor-roberto-benigni-meets-the-pope |url-status=live }}</ref>

His first experiences as a theatre actor took place in 1971, in [[Prato]]. During that autumn he moved to Rome where he took part in some experimental theatre shows, some of which he also directed. In 1975, Benigni had his first theatrical success with ''Cioni Mario di Gaspare fu Giulia'', written by [[Giuseppe Bertolucci]]. Benigni studied clown under [[Philippe Gaulier]] at [[École Philippe Gaulier]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cavendish |first1=Domenic |title=Before Borat: Meet the Anti-PC Clown who Taught Sacha Baron Cohen to be Funny |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/what-to-see/borat-meet-anti-pc-french-clown-taught-sacha-baron-cohen-funny/ |website=www.telegraog.co.uk |publisher=The Telegraph |access-date=1 June 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Logan |first1=Brian |title=The Man who made James Corden funny |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/theatreblog/2011/jun/08/celebrate-comic-theatre-unsung-heroes |website=www.theguardian.com |publisher=The Guardian |access-date=1 June 2025}}</ref>

Benigni became widely known in Italy in the 1970s for a television series called ''Onda Libera'', on [[Rai 2]], produced by [[Renzo Arbore]], in which he interpreted the satirical piece ''The Hymn of the Body Purged'' (''L'inno del corpo sciolto'', a [[scatology|scatological]] song about the joys of [[defecation]]).<ref>{{cite book|last=Celli|first=Carlo|title=The Divine Comic: The Cinema of Roberto Benigni|location=Lanham, MD|publisher=Scarecrow Press |year=2001|page=[https://archive.org/details/divinecomiccinem00cell/page/9 9]|isbn=0-8108-4000-6|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/divinecomiccinem00cell/page/9}}</ref> A great scandal for the time, the series was suspended due to [[censorship]].<ref>{{cite web |title=La storia della foto di Benigni e Berlinguer|language=it|trans-title=The story of Benigni and Berlinguer's photo|date=25 May 2012|url=https://www.ilpost.it/2012/05/25/la-storia-della-foto-di-benigni-e-berlinguer/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190622175746/https://www.ilpost.it/2012/05/25/la-storia-della-foto-di-benigni-e-berlinguer/ |website=Il Post|archive-date=22 June 2019}}</ref> His first film was 1977's ''[[Berlinguer, I Love You]]'' (''Berlinguer ti voglio bene''), also by Bertolucci.

His popularity increased with ''[[L'altra domenica]]'' (1976–1979), another TV show of Arbore's in which Benigni portrayed a lazy film critic who never watches the films he's asked to review. [[Bernardo Bertolucci]] then cast him in a small speechless role as a window upholsterer in the film ''[[La Luna (1979 film)|La Luna]]'' which had limited American distribution due to its subject matter.

==Career==

===Early roles===
In 1980 he met [[Cesena]]te actress [[Nicoletta Braschi]], who became his wife on 26 December 1991 and who has starred in most of the films he has directed.

In June 1983 he appeared during a public political demonstration by the [[Italian Communist Party]], with which he was a sympathiser, and on this occasion, he lifted and cradled the party's national leader [[Enrico Berlinguer]]. It was an unprecedented act, given that until that moment Italian politicians were proverbially serious and formal. Benigni was censored again in the 1980s for calling [[Pope John Paul II]] something impolite during an important live TV show (''Wojtylaccio'', meaning 'Bad Wojtyla' in Italian, but with a somewhat friendly meaning in Tuscan dialect).

Benigni's first film as director was ''[[Tu mi turbi]]'' (''You Upset Me'') in 1983. This film was also his first collaboration with Braschi.

In 1984, he played in ''[[Nothing Left to Do But Cry|Non ci resta che piangere]]'' ('Nothing Left to Do but Cry') with comic actor [[Massimo Troisi]]. The story was a fable in which the protagonists are suddenly thrown back in time to the 15th century, just a little before 1492. They start looking for [[Christopher Columbus]] in order to stop him from discovering the Americas (for very personal reasons), but are not able to reach him.

===Hollywood roles===
[[File:Benigni3.jpg|thumb|250px|Benigni with [[Giorgio Gaber]] in 1990]]

Beginning in 1986, Benigni starred in three films by American director [[Jim Jarmusch]]. In ''[[Down by Law (film)|Down By Law]]'' (1986) (which in Italy had its title spelt "Daunbailò", in Italian phonetics<ref>{{cite web | last=Jarmusch | first=Jim | title=Film card | website=Torino Film Fest | date=28 October 2019 | url=https://www.torinofilmfest.org/en/4-festival-internazionale-cinema-giovani/film/down-by-law/4349/ | access-date=18 January 2024}}</ref>) he played Bob, an innocent foreigner living in the United States, convicted of manslaughter, whose irrepressible good humour and optimism help him to escape and find love (the film also starred Braschi as his beloved). In ''[[Night on Earth]]'' (1991) he played a cabbie in Rome, who causes his passenger, a priest, great discomfort and a heart attack by confessing his bizarre sexual experiences.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Night on Earth |url=https://reverseshot.org/symposiums/entry/683/night_earth |access-date=2025-07-14 |website=Reverse Shot |language=en}}</ref> Later, he also starred in the first of Jarmusch's series of short films, ''[[Coffee and Cigarettes]]'' (2003).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Edelstein |first=David |date=2004-05-14 |title=Smokes and Mirrors |url=https://slate.com/culture/2004/05/coffee-and-cigarettes-is-smoked-out.html |access-date=2025-07-14 |work=Slate |language=en-US |issn=1091-2339}}</ref>

In 1990, he was a member of the Jury at the [[40th Berlin International Film Festival]].<ref name="Berlinale">{{cite web |url=http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1990/04_jury_1990/04_Jury_1990.html |title=Berlinale: 1990 Juries |access-date=2011-03-14 |work=berlinale.de |archive-date=31 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331175001/https://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1990/04_jury_1990/04_Jury_1990.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1993, he starred in ''[[Son of the Pink Panther]]'', directed by veteran [[Blake Edwards]]. Benigni played [[Peter Sellers]]' Inspector Clouseau's illegitimate son who is assigned to save the Princess of Lugash. The film bombed in the US, but was a hit in his homeland.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=Brooke |date=2017-01-14 |title=What Happened to Roberto Benigni |url=https://gazettereview.com/2017/01/happened-roberto-benigni-news-updates/ |access-date=2025-07-14 |website=Gazette Review |language=en-US}}</ref>

Benigni had a rare serious role in [[Federico Fellini]]'s last film, ''[[The Voice of the Moon|La voce della luna]]'' ('The Voice of the Moon') (1990).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-04-15 |title=Mostra del Cinema di Venezia: assegnato a Roberto Benigni il Leone d'oro alla carriera |url=https://arte.sky.it/archivio/2021/04/roberto-benigni-leone-oro-carriera-mostra-cinema-venezia |access-date=2025-07-14 |website=Sky Arte - Sky |language=it-IT}}</ref> In earlier years Benigni had started a long-lasting collaboration with screenwriter [[Vincenzo Cerami]], for a series of films which scored great success in Italy: ''[[The Little Devil|Il piccolo diavolo]]'' ('The Little Devil') with [[Walter Matthau]], ''[[Johnny Stecchino]]'' ('Johnny Toothpick'), and ''[[The Monster (1994 film)|Il mostro]]'' ('The Monster').<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-02-16 |title=Roberto Benigni |url=https://magazinedelledonne.it/faq/47058-roberto-benigni |access-date=2025-07-14 |website=Magazine Delle Donne |language=it}}</ref>

===''Life Is Beautiful''===
[[File:Roberto Benigni Nicoletta Braschi.jpg|thumb|Benigni and wife [[Nicoletta Braschi]] at the [[1998 Cannes Film Festival]]]]
Benigni is widely known outside Italy for his 1997 [[tragicomedy]] ''[[Life Is Beautiful]]'' (''La vita è bella''), filmed in [[Arezzo]], also written by Cerami. The film is about an Italian Jewish man who tries to protect his son's innocence during his internment at a [[Nazism|Nazi]] [[concentration camp]], by telling him that [[the Holocaust]] is an elaborate game and he must adhere very carefully to the rules to win. Benigni's father had spent three years in a [[concentration camp]] in [[Bergen-Belsen concentration camp|Bergen-Belsen]],<ref name="brinson">{{cite news|first=Claudia Smith|last=Brinson|title=Live your life with exuberance, and happiness may come|work=[[The State (newspaper)|The State]]|location=Columbia, SC|date=March 23, 1999|page=A10}}</ref> and ''La vita è bella'' is based in part on his father's experiences. Benigni was also inspired by the story of Holocaust survivor [[Rubino Romeo Salmonì]].<ref>{{cite news|first=Nick|last=Squires|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-two/8631266/Life-Is-Beautiful-Nazi-death-camp-survivor-dies-aged-91.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120919004239/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-two/8631266/Life-Is-Beautiful-Nazi-death-camp-survivor-dies-aged-91.html|archive-date=2012-09-19|title=Life Is Beautiful Nazi death camp survivor dies aged 91|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=11 July 2011|access-date=11 September 2016}}</ref> Although the story and presentation of the film had been discussed during production with different Jewish groups to limit the offence it might cause, the film was attacked by some critics, who accused it of presenting the Holocaust without much suffering, while others argued that a comedy about such a subject was not appropriate. More favourable critics praised Benigni's artistic daring and skill to create a sensitive comedy involving the Holocaust, a challenge that [[Charlie Chaplin]] confessed he would not have taken on with ''[[The Great Dictator]]'' had he been aware of the true horrors occurring in ghettos and concentration camps in Europe at the time.

In 1998, the film was nominated for seven [[Academy Awards]]. At the [[71st Academy Awards|1999 ceremony]], the film was awarded the Oscar for [[Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Best Foreign Language Film]] (which Benigni accepted as the film's director), [[Academy Award for Best Music (Scoring)#1990s|Best Original Dramatic Score]] (the score by [[Nicola Piovani]]), and Benigni received the award for [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] (the first for a male performer in a non-English-speaking role, and only the third overall acting Oscar for non-English-speaking roles).

Overcome with giddy delight after ''Life Is Beautiful'' was announced as the Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars, Benigni climbed over and then stood on the backs of the seats in front of him and applauded the audience before proceeding to the stage. After winning his Best Actor Oscar later in the evening, he said in his acceptance speech, "This is a terrible mistake because I used up all my English!" To close his speech, Benigni quoted the closing lines of [[Dante Alighieri|Dante]]'s ''[[Divine Comedy]]'' (''Divina Commedia''), referencing "the love that moves the sun and all the stars". At the [[72nd Academy Awards|following year's ceremony]], when he read the nominees for [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]] (won by [[Hilary Swank]] for ''[[Boys Don't Cry (1999 film)|Boys Don't Cry]]''), host [[Billy Crystal]] playfully appeared behind him with a large net to restrain Benigni if he got excessive with his antics again.<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zD5L-ja8O0|title=Hilary Swank Wins Best Actress: 2000 Oscars|date=26 October 2010|publisher=Oscars|via=[[YouTube]]|access-date=25 January 2021|archive-date=2 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702122401/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zD5L-ja8O0|url-status=live}}</ref>  On a 1999 episode of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'', host [[Ray Romano]] played him in a sketch parodying his giddy behavior at the ceremony.

===Beyond ''Life Is Beautiful''===
[[File:Benigni.jpg|thumb|180px|Benigni receiving a prize in [[Terni]], February 2006]]
Benigni played one of the main characters in ''[[Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar]]'' as Detritus, a corrupt Roman provincial governor who wants to kill Julius Caesar, thereby seizing control of the [[Roman Republic]].

[[File:Sanremo 17-02-2011. Teatro Ariston. Terza serata del 61° Festival della Canzone Italiana. Nella foto, Roberto Benigni. Foto di Canio Romaniello per Emme Foto-Olycom - Sanremo. - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Benigni at the [[Sanremo Music Festival 2011]]]]
That same year, he gave a typically energetic and revealing interview to Canadian filmmaker [[Damian Pettigrew]] for ''[[Fellini: I'm a Born Liar]]'' (2002), a cinematic portrait of the maestro that was nominated for Best Documentary at the [[European Film Awards]]. The film went on to win the prestigious Rockie Award for Best Arts Documentary at the [[Banff World Media Festival|Banff World Television Festival]] (2002) and the ''Coup de Coeur'' at the International Sunnyside of the Doc Marseille (2002).

In 2003, Benigni was honored by the [[National Italian American Foundation]] (NIAF), receiving the Foundation's NIAF Special Achievement Award in Entertainment.

His film ''La tigre e la neve'' (''[[The Tiger and the Snow]],'' 2005) is a love story set during the initial stage of the [[Iraq War]].

[[File:Roberto Benigni-5765.jpg|thumb|Benigni at the [[Berlin International Film Festival]] 2020]]
On 15 October 2005, he performed an impromptu [[striptease]] on Italy's most watched evening news program, removing his shirt and draping it over the newscaster's shoulders. Prior to removing his shirt, Benigni had already hijacked the opening credits of the news program, jumping behind the newscaster and announcing: "Berlusconi has resigned!" (Benigni was an outspoken critic of media tycoon and then former Prime Minister [[Silvio Berlusconi]].) The previous day, he had led a crowd of thousands in Rome on Friday in protest at the centre-right government's decision to cut state arts funding by 35 per cent.

On 2 February 2007, he was awarded the degree of [[Honorary degree|Doctor Honoris Causa]] by the [[KU Leuven|Katholieke Universiteit Leuven]], Belgium. On 22 April 2008, the degree of [[Honorary degree|Doctor Honoris Causa]] was conferred on him by the [[University of Malta]], celebrated by a ''Settimana Dantesca'' including Benigni's first stage appearance at a university and the premiere of his performing with Dante scholar [[Robert Hollander]].

In 2012, he starred in the [[Woody Allen]] film, ''[[To Rome with Love (film)|To Rome with Love]]''.

In 2019, he starred as [[Geppetto]] in [[Matteo Garrone]]'s 2019 adaptation of ''[[Pinocchio (2019 film)|Pinocchio]]''.

===''TuttoDante''===
[[File:Roberto Benigni in TuttoDante a Padova.jpg|thumb|Benigni on the stage of ''TuttoDante'' in [[Padua]], June 2008]]
Benigni is an improvisatory poet (''poesia estemporanea'' is a form of art popularly followed and practised in [[Tuscany]]), appreciated for his explanation and recitations of [[Dante Alighieri|Dante]]'s ''[[Divine Comedy]]'' (''Divina Commedia'') from memory.

During 2006 and 2007, Benigni had a lot of success touring Italy with his 90-minute "one-man show" ''TuttoDante'' ('Everything About Dante'). Combining current events and memories of his past narrated with an ironic tone, Benigni then begins a journey of poetry and passion through the world of the ''Divine Comedy''.

''TuttoDante'' has been performed in numerous Italian piazzas, arenas, and stadiums for a total of 130 [[performance|shows]], with an estimated audience of about one million spectators. Over 10 million more spectators watched the [[Television show|TV show]], ''Il V canto dell'Inferno'' ('The 5th Song of Hell'), broadcast by [[Rai 1]] on 29 November 2007, with re-runs on [[Rai Italia|Rai International]].

Benigni began North American presentations of ''TuttoDante'' with an announcement that he learned English to bring the gift of Dante's work to English speakers. The English performance incorporates dialectic discussion of language and verse and is a celebration of modernity and the concept of human consciousness as created by language.

Benigni brought ''TuttoDante'' to the United States, Canada and Argentina in the TuttoDante Tour between 2008 and 2009 with performances in San Francisco, Boston and Chicago. Benigni was feted in San Francisco at a special reception held by the National Italian American Foundation in his honour on 24 May 2009. Following his U.S. premiere Benigni performed his last presentation on 16 June 2009, in [[Buenos Aires]], Argentina where he was awarded ''Honorary Citizenship of the City of Buenos Aires'' in a ceremony held at the [[Buenos Aires City Legislature Palace|Legislative Palace]] in homage to the notable [[Italian Argentines|Italian diaspora and culture]] in Argentina.<ref name="Buenos Aires: Un Benigni Da Nobel">{{cite web|url=http://www.unbenignidanobel.it/tag/buenos-aires/|title=Roberto Benigni è stato nominato 'Huésped de Honor de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires'|trans-title=Roberto Benigni was appointed "Guest of Honour of the City of Buenos Aires"|language=it|website=Un Benigni da Nobel|access-date=2009-06-16|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090302044959/http://www.unbenignidanobel.it/tag/buenos-aires/|archive-date=2009-03-02 }}</ref>

==In other media==
Benigni is also a singer-songwriter. Among his recorded performances are versions of [[Paolo Conte]]'s songs.

In 2002 was published his compilation-album ''Quanto t'ho amato''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rockol.it/recensioni-musicali/album/v-800/roberto-benigni-quanto-t-ho-amato|title=Roberto Benigni - QUANTO T'HO AMATO - la recensione|language=IT}}</ref>

==Honors==
[[File:Benigni2.jpg|thumb|Benigni on stage, 1990]]
In 1999, a Golden Palm Star on the [[Palm Springs, California]], [[Palm Springs Walk of Stars|Walk of Stars]] was dedicated to him.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.palmspringswalkofstars.com/web-storage/Stars/Stars%20dedicated%20by%20date.pdf|title=Palm Springs Walk of Stars by date dedicated|website=Palm Springs Walk of Stars|page=7|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013165655/http://www.palmspringswalkofstars.com/web-storage/Stars/Stars%20dedicated%20by%20date.pdf|archive-date=2012-10-13}}</ref>

===Honorary degrees===
In addition to numerous film awards, Benigni has garnered honorary degrees from universities worldwide:
* 1999 – Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy from the [[Ben-Gurion University of the Negev]], [[Beersheba]], Israel.
* 2002 – Honorary Doctorate in Letters from the [[University of Bologna]], Italy.
* 2003 – Honorary Degree in Psychology from the [[Vita-Salute San Raffaele University]], [[Milan]], Italy.
* 2007 – Honorary Doctorate in Letters from the [[KU Leuven|Katholieke Universiteit Leuven]], Belgium.
* 2007 – Honorary Degree in Modern Philology from the [[University of Florence]], Italy.
* 2008 – Honorary Doctorate in Letters from the [[University of Malta]], Malta.
* 2008 – Honorary Degree in Communication Arts from the Touro University Rome, [[Zagarolo]], Italy.
* 2012 – Honorary Degree in Modern Philology from the [[University of Calabria]], Italy.
* 2012 – Honorary Doctorate in Letters from the [[Aristotle University of Thessaloniki]], Greece.
* 2015 – Honorary Doctorate in Laws from the [[University of Toronto]], Canada.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.utoronto.ca/news/convocation-2015-roberto-benigni-and-nicoletta-braschi-receive-honorary-degrees-u-t|title=Convocation 2015: Roberto Benigni and Nicoletta Braschi receive honorary degrees from U of T|website=U of T news|access-date=29 May 2022|archive-date=29 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220529110241/https://www.utoronto.ca/news/convocation-2015-roberto-benigni-and-nicoletta-braschi-receive-honorary-degrees-u-t|url-status=live}}</ref>
* 2024 – Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts from the [[University of Notre Dame]], United States

==Influence==
The Europe List, the largest survey on European culture, established that the top three films in European culture are:
# Benigni's ''[[Life Is Beautiful]]''<ref name=europelist />
# [[Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck|Donnersmarck's]] ''[[The Lives of Others]]''<ref name=europelist />
# [[Jean-Pierre Jeunet]]'s ''[[Amélie]]''<ref name=europelist>{{cite web|url=http://www.goethe.de/ins/be/prj/eli/erg/ges/enindex.htm|website=Europa-Liste/Europe List: On the search for a European culture|publisher=Goethe Institute|title=The self-perception of Europeans in comparison with the perception of other countries|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130728091124/http://www.goethe.de/ins/be/prj/eli/erg/ges/enindex.htm|archive-date=28 July 2013}}</ref>

==Filmography==

===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year 
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1977
| ''[[Berlinguer, I Love You]]'' 
| Mario Cioni
| Also writer
|-
| rowspan="5" | 1979
| ''[[Tigers in Lipstick]]'' 
| Principal
| Segment: ''Una mamma''
|-
| ''[[Womanlight]]'' 
| Barman at Clapsy's
|
|-
| ''[[La Luna (1979 film)|La Luna]]'' 
| Upholsterer
|
|-
| ''I giorni cantati''
| Professor
|
|-
| ''[[Seeking Asylum (film)|Seeking Asylum]]''
| Roberto
|
|-
| 1980
| ''[[In the Pope's Eye]]''
| Himself
|
|-
| 1981
| ''[[Il minestrone]]''
| The Maestro
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1983
| ''[[Tu mi turbi]]''
| Benigno
| Also director and writer
|-
| ''[["FF.SS." – Cioè: "...che mi hai portato a fare sopra a Posillipo se non mi vuoi più bene?"]]''
| Beige Sheikh
|
|-
| 1984
| ''[[Nothing Left to Do But Cry]]''
| Saverio
| Also director and writer
|-
| rowspan ="2" | 1986
| ''[[Down by Law (film)|Down by Law]]''
| rowspan="2" | Roberto
| English speaking film debut
|-
| ''[[Coffee and Cigarettes]]''
| Short film
|-
| 1988
| ''[[The Little Devil]]''
| Giuditta
| Also director and writer
|-
| 1990
| ''[[The Voice of the Moon]]''
| Ivo Salvini
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1991
| ''[[Night on Earth]]''
| Cab Driver
| Segment: ''Rome''
|-
| ''[[Johnny Stecchino]]''
| Dante Ceccarini / Johnny Stecchino
| Also director and writer
|-
| 1993
| ''[[Son of the Pink Panther]]''
| [[Jacques Gambrelli]]
| 
|-
| 1994
| ''[[The Monster (1994 film)|The Monster]]'' 
| Loris
| Also director, writer and producer
|-
| 1997
| ''[[Life Is Beautiful]]''
| Guido Orefice
| Also director and writer
|-
| 1999
| ''[[Asterix & Obelix Take On Caesar]]''
| Lucius Detritus
|
|-
| 2002 
| ''[[Pinocchio (2002 film)|Pinocchio]]''
| [[Pinocchio]]
| Also director and writer
|-
| rowspan="2" |2003
|''[[Caterina in the Big City]]''
| Himself
|
|-
| ''[[Coffee and Cigarettes]]''
| Roberto
|
|-
| 2005
| ''[[The Tiger and the Snow]]''
| Attilio de Giovanni
| Also director and writer
|-
| 2010
| ''[[La commedia di Amos Poe]]''
| Narrator
| rowspan="2" | Voice
|-
| 2011
| ''[[Pistachio - The Little Boy That Woodn't]]''
| Head of Italy
|-
| 2012
| ''[[To Rome with Love (film)|To Rome with Love]]''
| Leopoldo Pisanello
|
|-
| 2019
| ''[[Pinocchio (2019 film)|Pinocchio]]''
| [[Geppetto]]
|
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year 
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1972
| ''{{ill|Sorelle Materassi (TV series)|lt=Sorelle Materassi|it|Sorelle Materassi (miniserie televisiva)}}''
| Youth
| Episode: "Episodio 1"
|-
| 1976–1977
| ''{{ill|Onda libera|it|Onda libera (programma televisivo)}}''
| Mario Cioni
| 4 episodes<br>Also writer
|-
| 1979
| ''{{ill|Ma che cos'è questo amore|it}}''
| The Thinker
| 2 episodes
|-
| 1982
| ''{{ill|Morto Troisi, viva Troisi!|it}}''
| Himself / Anonymous Childhood Friend
| Television film
|}

==Awards and nominations==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year 
! Award
! Category
! Project
! Result
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1983 || [[David di Donatello]] || rowspan="2" | [[David di Donatello for Best New Director|Best New Director]] || rowspan=2|''[[Tu mi turbi]]'' || {{nom}}
|-
|rowspan=2|[[Nastro d'Argento]] || {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan ="2" | 1986 || [[Nastro d'Argento for Best Actor|Best Actor]] || rowspan=2|''[[Down by Law (film)|Down by Law]]'' || {{won}}
|-
| [[Independent Spirit Award]] || [[Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead|Best Male Lead]] || {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan=5|1988 || [[David di Donatello]] || [[David di Donatello for Best Actor|Best Actor]] || rowspan=3|''[[The Little Devil]]'' || {{won}} 
|-
| rowspan=4|[[Nastro d'Argento]] || [[Nastro d'Argento for Best Director|Best Director]] || {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[Nastro d'Argento for Best Actor|Best Actor]] || {{nom}} 
|-
| rowspan="2" |''[[Johnny Stecchino]]'' || {{won}}
|-
| [[Nastro d'Argento for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]] || {{nom}}
|-
| 1993 || [[Razzie Award]] || [[Golden Raspberry Award for Worst New Star|Worst New Star]]
|| ''[[Son of the Pink Panther]]'' || {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan=21|1998 || rowspan=4|[[Academy Award]] || [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] || rowspan=21|''[[Life Is Beautiful]]'' || {{won}} 
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best International Feature Film|Best International Feature Film]] || {{won}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]] || {{nom}}
|-
|[[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]] || {{nom}}
|-
|rowspan=2|[[British Academy Film Award]] || [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role|Best Actor in a Leading Role]] || {{won}}
|-
|[[BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]] || {{nom}}
|-
|rowspan=2|[[Cannes Film Festival]] || [[Palme d'Or]] || {{nom}}
|-
|[[Grand Prix (Cannes Film Festival)|Grand Prix – Cannes Film Festival]] || {{won}}
|-
|[[Critics' Choice Movie Awards]] || [[Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actor|Best Leading Actor]] || {{nom}}
|-
| [[Chicago Film Critics Association]] || [[Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] || {{nom}}
|-
| [[Boston Society of Film Critics]] || rowspan="2" | [[Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Director|Best Director]] || {{nom}}
|-
|rowspan=3|[[David di Donatello]] || {{won}}
|-
|[[David di Donatello for Best Actor|Best Actor]] || {{won}}
|-
|[[David di Donatello for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]] || {{won}}
|-
| [[Directors Guild of America Award]] || [[Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film|Outstanding Directing - Feature Film]] || {{nom}}
|-
|[[European Film Award]] || [[European Film Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] || {{won}}
|-
|rowspan=2|[[Screen Actors Guild Award]] || [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role|Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role]] || {{won}}
|-
|[[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture|Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture]] || {{nom}}
|-
|rowspan=3|[[Nastro d'Argento]] || [[Nastro d'Argento for Best Director|Best Director]] || {{won}}
|-
|[[Nastro d'Argento for Best Actor|Best Actor]] || {{won}}
|-
| [[Nastro d'Argento for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]] || {{won}}
|-
| rowspan=5|2002 || [[David di Donatello]] || [[David di Donatello for Best Actor|Best Actor]] || rowspan=5|''[[Pinocchio (2002 film)|Pinocchio]]'' || {{nom}} 
|-
| rowspan=4|[[Razzie Award]] || [[Razzie Award for Worst Actor|Worst Actor]] || {{won}} 
|-
| [[Razzie Award for Worst Director|Worst Director]] || {{nom}}
|-
| [[Razzie Award for Worst Screen Couple|Worst Screen Couple]] || {{nom}}
|-
| [[Razzie Award for Worst Screenplay|Worst Screenplay]] || {{nom}}
|-
| 2005 || rowspan=2|[[Nastro d'Argento]] || [[Nastro d'Argento for Best Actor|Best Actor]] || ''[[The Tiger and the Snow]]'' || {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan=2|2019 || rowspan="2" | [[Nastro d'Argento for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]] || rowspan=2|''[[Pinocchio (2019 film)|Pinocchio]]'' || {{won}}
|-
| [[David di Donatello]] || {{nom}}
|}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book|author=Roberto Benigni|title=E l'alluce fu: monologhi & gag|language=it|editor=Marco Giusti|others=With a chapter by Cesare Garboli|location=Turin|publisher=Einaudi|date=1996|isbn=88-06-14184-8}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{iMDb name|905|Roberto Benigni}}
* {{discogs artist}}

{{Roberto Benigni}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Roberto Benigni
|list =
{{Academy Award Best Actor}}
{{Academy Award Best Foreign Language Film}}
{{BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role}}
{{David di Donatello Best Actor}}
{{David di Donatello Best Director}}
{{European Film Award for Best Actor}}
{{European Film Academy Achievement in World Cinema Award}}
{{Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement}}
{{Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor}}
{{Honorary César}}
{{Nastro d'Argento Best Actor}}
{{Nastro d'Argento Best Supporting Actor}}
{{Nastro d'Argento Best Director}}
{{ScreenActorsGuildAward MaleLeadMotionPicture}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benigni, Roberto}}
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century Italian male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century Italian screenwriters]]
[[Category:20th-century Italian male writers]]
[[Category:21st-century Italian male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century Italian screenwriters]]
[[Category:21st-century Italian male writers]]
[[Category:Best Actor Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Actor BAFTA Award winners]]
[[Category:César Honorary Award recipients]]
[[Category:David di Donatello winners]]
[[Category:Directors of Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Actor European Film Award winners]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic]]
[[Category:Nastro d'Argento winners]]
[[Category:Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Screen Actors Guild Award winners]]
[[Category:Italian buskers]]
[[Category:Italian male comedians]]
[[Category:Italian film directors]]
[[Category:Italian male film actors]]
[[Category:Italian male screenwriters]]
[[Category:Italian male singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:Writers from Tuscany]]
[[Category:People from Castiglion Fiorentino]]
[[Category:Male actors from Tuscany]]
[[Category:Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement recipients]]
[[Category:Comedians from Tuscany]]
[[Category:European Film Academy Achievement in World Cinema Award recipients]]
[[Category:Directors of Best Film European Film Award winners]]