# Elio Germano

Elio Germano (born 25 September 1980) is an Italian actor. He is the recipient of many accolades, including 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).
For his role in the movie My Brother is an Only Child (2007), he won his first David di Donatello as best actor in a leading role. In 2010, he won the Best Actor Award, ex-aequo with Javier Bardem, at the Cannes Film Festival, for his interpretation in La Nostra Vita. Later that year, he played the son of Italian journalist Tiziano Terzani in The End Is My Beginning. For his portrait of 19th century poet Giacomo Leopardi in Mario Martone's film Leopardi, Germano was praised at the 71st Venice International Film Festival.

## Personal life

At an early age Germano liked creating comics and thought about becoming a cartoonist. When he was not accepted into the school of graphic arts, he then opted for acting. In his spare time, Germano makes raps for a music group called Bestierare, which sings about "unemployment, homelessness, precariousness, prisons and Fascist violence".

## Filmography
### Film

| Title | Year | Role(s) | Director |
| Il cielo in una stanza | 1999 | Paolo | Carlo Vanzina |
| Unfair Competition | 2001 | Paolo Melchiorri | Ettore Scola |
| Ultimo stadio | 2002 | Billo | Ivano De Matteo |
| Respiro | 2002 | Pierluigi | Emanuele Crialese |
| Now or Never | 2003 | Doveri | Lucio Pellegrini |
| Break Free | 2003 | Vince | Gianluca Tavarelli |
| What Will Happen to Us | 2004 | Manuel | Giovanni Veronesi |
| Chiamami Salomè | 2005 | Giovanni | Claudio Sestieri |
| Quo Vadis, Baby? | 2005 | Lucio Spasimo | Gabriele Salvatores |
| Mary | 2005 | Matteo | Abel Ferrara |
| Sangue – La morte non esiste | 2005 | Iuri | Libero De Rienzo |
| Romanzo Criminale | 2005 | Romolo "Il sorcio" Mirabelli | Michele Placido |
| Melissa P. | 2005 | Arnaldo | Luca Guadagnino |
| Napoleon and Me | 2006 | Martino Papucci | Paolo Virzì |
| My Brother Is an Only Child | 2007 | Antonio Benassi | Daniele Luchetti |
| Fallen Heroes | 2007 | Luca Neri | Paolo Franchi |
| The Early Bird Catches the Worm | 2008 | Marco Baldini | Francesco Patierno |
| Your Whole Life Ahead of You | 2008 | Lucio | Paolo Virzì |
| The Past Is a Foreign Land | 2008 | Giorgio | Daniele Vicari |
| As God Commands | 2008 | Quattro Formaggi | Gabriele Salvatores |
| La bella gente | 2009 | Giulio | Ivano De Matteo |
| Nine | 2009 | Pierpaolo | Rob Marshall |
| La nostra vita | 2010 | Claudio | Daniele Luchetti |
| The End Is My Beginning | 2010 | Folco Terzani | Jo Baier |
| Diaz – Don't Clean Up This Blood | 2012 | Luca Gualtieri | Daniele Vicari |
| Magnificent Presence | 2012 | Pietro Pontechiavello | Ferzan Özpetek |
| The Landlords | 2012 | Elia | Edoardo Gabbriellini |
| The Fifth Wheel | 2013 | Ernesto | Giovanni Veronesi |
| Leopardi | 2014 | Giacomo Leopardi | Mario Martone |
| Suburra | 2015 | Sebastiano | Stefano Sollima |
| The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun | 2015 | Georges | Joann Sfar |
| Alaska | 2015 | Fausto | Claudio Cupellini |
| Lost and Beautiful | 2015 | Sarchiapone (voice) | Pietro Marcello |
| Il sogno di Francesco | 2016 | Francis of Assisi | Renaud Fely |
| Tenderness | 2017 | Fabio | Gianni Amelio |
| It's All About Karma | 2017 | Mario Pitagora | Edoardo Falcone |
| Io sono Tempesta | 2018 | Bruno | Daniele Luchetti |
| Lucia's Grace | 2018 | Arturo | Gianni Zanasi |
| The Man Without Gravity | 2019 | Oscar | Mario Bonfanti |
| Bad Tales | 2020 | Bruno Placido | Damiano and Fabio D'Innocenzo |
| Hidden Away | 2020 | Antonio Ligabue | Giorgio Diritti |
| Rose Island | 2020 | Giorgio Rosa | Sydney Sibilia |
| America Latina | 2021 | Massimo Sisti | Damiano and Fabio D'Innocenzo |
| Lord of the Ants | 2022 | Ennio Scribani | Gianni Amelio |
| Palazzina Laf | 2023 | Giancarlo Basile | Michele Riondino |
| Confidenza | 2024 | Pietro Vella | Daniele Luchetti |
| Sicilian Letters | 2024 | Matteo | Fabio Grassadonia and Antonio Piazza |
| The Great Ambition | 2024 | Enrico Berlinguer | Andrea Segre |

### Television

| Title | Year | Role(s) | Network | Notes |
| Cornetti al miele | 1999 | Ernesto | Rai 2 | Television film |
| Padre Pio: Miracle Man | 2000 | Young Padre Pio | Canale 5 | Television film |
| Un medico in famiglia | 2000 | Roberto Palombi | Rai 1 | 5 episodes |
| Via Zanardi 33 | 2001 | Ivan | Italia 1 | Main role |
| Il sequestro Soffiantini | 2002 | Paolo Soffiantini | Canale 5 | Television film |
| Padri | 2002 | Giacomo | Rai 1 | 2 episodes |
| Ferrari | 2003 | Teenage Enzo Ferrari | Canale 5 | Television film |
| Paolo Borsellino | 2004 | Manfredi Borsellino | Canale 5 | Television film |
| Do You Like Hitchcock? | 2005 | Giulio | Rai 2 | Television film |
| Faccia d'angelo | 2012 | Il "Toso" | Sky Cinema | Television film |
| In arte Nino | 2017 | Nino Manfredi | Rai 1 | Television film |
| La Storia | 2024 | Giuseppe Cucchiarelli | Rai 1 | 2 episodes |

## Theatre

| Year | Title | Role | Regia |
| 2000 | Hippolytus | Hippolytus | Ivano De Matteo |
| 1999–2000 | Ground & Ground | | Himself |
| 2002 | The Rules of Attraction | Sean | Luca Guadagnino |
| 2004 | I racconti dell'Iliade | Narrator | Alessandro Baricco |
| 2008 | Verona Caput Fasci | | Himself |
| 2010–2012 | Thom Pain (based on nothing) | Thom Pain | Himself |
| 2011–2016 | Journey to the End of the Night | Ferdinand Bardamu | Himself |

## Awards and nominations

| Award | Year | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| Bari International Film Festival | 2011 | Best Actor | La nostra vita | Won |
| Bari International Film Festival | 2015 | Best Actor | Leopardi | Won |
| Berlin International Film Festival | 2008 | Shooting Stars Award | Himself | Won |
| Berlin International Film Festival | 2020 | Silver Bear for Best Actor | Hidden Away | Won |
| Cannes Film Festival | 2010 | Prix d'interprétation masculine (tied with Javier Bardem) | La nostra vita | Won |
| Ciak d'Oro | 2007 | Best Actor | My Brother Is an Only Child | Won |
| Ciak d'Oro | 2012 | Best Actor | Magnificent Presence | Won |
| Ciak d'Oro | 2015 | Best Actor | Leopardi | Won |
| Ciak d'Oro | 2020 | Best Actor | Bad Tales | Nominated |
| Ciak d'Oro | 2022 | Best Actor | America Latina | Nominated |
| David di Donatello | 2004 | Best Supporting Actor | What Will Happen to Us | Nominated |
| David di Donatello | 2007 | Best Actor | My Brother Is an Only Child | Won |
| David di Donatello | 2011 | Best Actor | La nostra vita | Won |
| David di Donatello | 2012 | Best Actor | Magnificent Presence | Nominated |
| David di Donatello | 2015 | Best Actor | Leopardi | Won |
| David di Donatello | 2018 | Best Supporting Actor | Tenderness | Nominated |
| David di Donatello | 2021 | Best Actor | Hidden Away | Won |
| David di Donatello | 2022 | Best Actor | America Latina | Nominated |
| David di Donatello | 2023 | Best Supporting Actor | Lord of the Ants | Nominated |
| David di Donatello | 2024 | Best Supporting Actor | Palazzina Laf | Won |
| European Film Awards | 2007 | Best Actor | My Brother Is an Only Child | Nominated |
| European Film Awards | 2010 | Best Actor | La nostra vita | Nominated |
| European Film Awards | 2020 | Best Actor | Hidden Away | Nominated |
| FICE Awards | 2005 | Best New Actor | Sangue – La morte non esiste | Won |
| Globo d'Oro | 2007 | Best Breakthrough Actor | Napoleon and Me | Won |
| Globo d'Oro | 2008 | Best Actor | Fallen Heroes | Nominated |
| Globo d'Oro | 2011 | Best Actor | La nostra vita | Nominated |
| Globo d'Oro | 2012 | Best Actor | Magnificent Presence | Won |
| Globo d'Oro | 2016 | Best Actor | Alaska | Won |
| Globo d'Oro | 2024 | Best Actor | Confidenza | Won |
| Guglielmo Biraghi Award | 2007 | Best Actor | Napoleon and Me | Won |
| Kineo Award | 2008 | Best Actor | My Brother Is an Only Child | Won |
| Kineo Award | 2008 | Best Actor | The Early Bird Catches the Worm | Nominated |
| Kineo Award | 2008 | Best Supporting Actor | Your Whole Life Ahead of You | Nominated |
| Kineo Award | 2012 | Best Actor | Diaz – Don't Clean Up This Blood | Nominated |
| Kineo Award | 2015 | Best Actor | Leopardi | Won |
| Nastro d'Argento | 2005 | Best Supporting Actor | What Will Happen to Us | Nominated |
| Nastro d'Argento | 2008 | Best Actor | My Brother Is an Only Child | Nominated |
| Nastro d'Argento | 2008 | Best Actor | Fallen Heroes | Nominated |
| Nastro d'Argento | 2010 | Best Actor (tied with Christian De Sica) | La nostra vita | Won |
| Nastro d'Argento | 2012 | Best Actor | Magnificent Presence | Nominated |
| Nastro d'Argento | 2014 | Best Actor | The Fifth Wheel | Nominated |
| Nastro d'Argento | 2016 | Best Actor | Alaska | Nominated |
| Nastro d'Argento | 2021 | Best Comedy Actor | Rose Island | Won |
| Nastro d'Argento | 2024 | Best Supporting Actor | Palazzina Laf | Won |
| Rome Film Festival | 2024 | Best Actor | The Great Ambition | Won |
| Terni Film Festival | 2016 | Honorary Award | Himself | Won |
| Venice International Film Festival | 2014 | Pasinetti Award | Leopardi | Won |
| Venice International Film Festival | 2014 | Vittorio Veneto Award | Leopardi | Won |