Elio Germano

Elio Germano (born 25 September 1980) is an Italian actor and director. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including six David of Donatello., a Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor and a Silver Bear for Best Actor.

Life and career

Born in Rome to a Molisan family from Duronia, Province of Campobasso, Germano debuted aged twelve in Castellano e Pipolo's movie Ci hai rotto papà (1992). During his studies at scientific lyceum, he received acting training at Teatro Azione in Rome. In 1999, he abandoned an opportunity to work in theatre with Giancarlo Cobelli in order to play in Carlo Vanzina's film Il cielo in una stanza, which launched Germano as one of the most popular Italian actors. His big break came in 2007, when he was cast as the lead in the successful movies Fallen Heroes and My Brother is an Only Child by Daniele Luchetti. The following year he first received international recognition by winning the Shooting Stars Award at the 58th Berlin International Film Festival.

Germano worked with numerous directors such as Ettore Scola (Unfair Competition), Emanuele Crialese (Respiro), Gianluca Maria Tavarelli (Break Free), Giovanni Veronesi (What Will Happen to Us), Michele Placido (Romanzo Criminale), Gabriele Salvatores (Quo Vadis, Baby?, As God Commands), Paolo Virzì (Napoleon and Me, Your Whole Life Ahead of You), Francesco Patierno (The Early Bird Catches the Worm), Daniele Vicari (The Past Is a Foreign Land) and Ferzan Özpetek (Magnificent Presence).