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Actor

1969-08-24 · Rome, Lazio, Italy · Male

13 series in the catalog

Pierfrancesco Favino (Italian pronunciation: [ˌpjɛrfranˈtʃesko faˈviːno]; born 24 August 1969) is an Italian actor and film producer.

He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including three David di Donatello, six Nastri d'argento, two Globi d'oro, three Ciak d'oro and a Volpi Cup.

Favino began his acting career on stage before transitioning to television and film in the 1990s. His breakthrough role came with the critically acclaimed film El Alamein: The Line of Fire, which earned him widespread praise in Italy. He further solidified his reputation with standout performances in films such as Romanzo Criminale (2005), The Unknown Woman (2006), the nationally acclaimed Suburra (2015), The Traitor (2019), where he portrayed mafia boss Tommaso Buscetta, Padrenostro (2020), which earned him the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the 77th Venice International Film Festival, Comandante (2023) and Naples to New York (2024).

Favino's American credits includes Night at the Museum (2006), The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008), Angels & Demons (2009), World War Z (2013) and Rush (2013).

Life and career

Favino was born in Rome, Italy, to Apulian parents from Candela, a comune in the province of Foggia. He has appeared in more than 40 European films and television series since the early 1990s, including Paolo Poeti's Amico mio, Gabriele Muccino's The Last Kiss, Gianni Amelio's The Keys to the House, Giuseppe Tornatore's The Unknown Woman and Ferzan Özpetek's Saturn in Opposition. In 1999 he starred in the HBO film Excellent Cadavers, an adaptation of Alexander Stille's novel of the same name. In 2006 he received the David di Donatello award – the Italian equivalent of the Oscar – for his role in the crime film Romanzo Criminale, directed by Michele Placido.

In 2006 he portrayed Christopher Columbus in 20th Century Fox's Night at the Museum. In 2008 he played General Glozelle, the leader of Miraz's Telmarine troops in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. He has worked with American director Ron Howard twice: in the 2009 film Angels & Demons, the adaptation of the novel of the same name by Dan Brown, in which he played the role of Inspector Ernesto Olivetti, and in the 2013 film Rush, in which he played the role of Formula One racing car driver Clay Regazzoni.

Other significant roles include the partisan leader Peppi Grotta in Spike Lee's Miracle at St. Anna in 2008, the sadistic riot control force policeman Cobra in Stefano Sollima's ACAB – All Cops Are Bastards in 2012, the anarchist Giuseppe Pinelli in Marco Tullio Giordana's Piazza Fontana, and the W.H.O. doctor in Marc Forster's apocalyptic-horror World War Z (2013).

In February 2018, he co-hosted the 68th edition of the Sanremo Music Festival, alongside Claudio Baglioni and Michelle Hunziker.

He participated in the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony, held in Milan's San Siro stadium.

Personal life

Favino has been in a relationship with Italian actress Anna Ferzetti since 2003. The couple has two daughters together, one born in 2006 and the other born in 2012.