# Paola Cortellesi

Paola Cortellesi (Italian pronunciation: ; born 24 November 1973) is an Italian actress, comedian, film director, screenwriter and producer. She has starred in about 20 movies as well as a number of theatrical, television and radio shows. In 2023, she made her directorial debut with the black-and-white feminist comedy-drama There's Still Tomorrow, which received critical acclaim and became one of the highest-grossing films of all time in Italy.

## Biography

Cortellesi debuted in the show business at the age of 13, as a singer for Cacao meravigliao, the jingle of the popular RAI TV show Indietro tutta! by Renzo Arbore. At 19 she began studying as an actress at the "Teatro Blu" in Rome (the same theatre school that Kim Rossi Stuart, Gianmarco Tognazzi, Claudia Gerini, Stefania Rocca, and Claudio Santamaria, among others, have attended).
She began her career in television with the show Macao, presented by Alba Parietti, but eventually reached nationwide popularity as a comic actress in the TV show Mai dire Gol by the Gialappa's Band (2000), which, in particular, showcased her skills at parodying famous people, a genre where she collected some of her most appreciated performances (the latest one being her parody of Milan's mayor Letizia Moratti in the 2010–2011 edition of the popular TV show Zelig).
After Mai dire Gol, Cortellesi has collaborated in several other TV Show of the Mai dire... franchise by Gialappa's Band. Other major performances of Cortellesi on television include the 2004 edition of the Sanremo Music Festival and the leading role in the TV movie Maria Montessori: Una vita per i bambini, a biography of Maria Montessori, for which Cortellesi received the "Maximo Award" at the Roma Fiction Fest.
Her career in cinema includes several appreciated performances in comedies and comic movies, including a leading role in Tu la conosci Claudia?, a very popular production starring the comic trio Aldo, Giovanni & Giacomo. In 2008, she was nominated for the David di Donatello award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the movie Piano, solo by Riccardo Milani. In 2011 she won the David di Donatello for Best Actress for her leading role in Escort in Love.
One of her most appreciated theatrical performances was Gli ultimi saranno gli ultimi ("Last will be last") by Massimiliano Bruno, which has been staged 189 times from 2005 to 2007 in over 50 theatres, and for which Cortellesi has collected a number of awards.
As a singer, Cortellesi has been described by Mina as "one of the best Italian voices" and has cooperated with several notable Italian musicians, including Elio e le Storie Tese, Renato Zero, Claudio Baglioni, Frankie Hi-NRG MC, and Neri per Caso. In 2019 she was filmed in the title role of Petra for the four-part Italian TV crime drama, broadcast from September 2020.
In 2023 her directorial debut There's Still Tomorrow (C'è ancora domani) was a major hit. It was the most successful film at the Italian box office in 2023, and the 10th highest-grossing film in the country's history. It was the opening film at the Rome Film Festival, at the 69th David di Donatello it brought Cortellesi 6 awards, including the Best Actress and Best Original Screenplay.

## Personal life

Cortellesi married director Riccardo Milani on 1 October 2011, after being engaged for nine years. The couple have a daughter, Laura, born in 2013.

## Writings

* Gianluca Maria Tavarelli; Paola Cortellesi; Massimo Poggio; Gianmarco Tognazzi, Alberto Cracco (2006). Maria Montessori: [una] vita per i bambini. Erscheinungsort nicht ermittelbar: Taodue. OCLC 819807992. (both a book and a film)

## Accolades

| Award | Year | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| Associazione Nazionale dei Critici di Teatro | 2006 | Critics' Award | Gli ultimi saranno ultimi | Won |
| Bari International Film Festival | 2019 | Best Actress | Figli | Won |
| Ciak d'oro | 2011 | Personality of the Year | Herself | Won |
| Ciak d'oro | 2018 | Best Actress | Like a Cat on a Highway | Won |
| Ciak d'oro | 2018 | Best Screenplay | Like a Cat on a Highway | Nominated |
| Ciak d'oro | 2020 | Best Actress | Figli | Won |
| Ciak d'oro | 2021 | Best Actress | Like a Cat on a Highway 2 | Nominated |
| Ciak d'oro | 2023 | Golden SuperCiak | There's Still Tomorrow | Won |
| David di Donatello | 2008 | Best Supporting Actress | Piano, solo | Nominated |
| David di Donatello | 2011 | Best Actress | Escort in Love | Won |
| David di Donatello | 2014 | Best Actress | Sotto una buona stella | Nominated |
| David di Donatello | 2015 | Best Actress | Do You See Me? | Nominated |
| David di Donatello | 2016 | Best Actress | The Last Will Be the Last | Nominated |
| David di Donatello | 2018 | Best Actress | Like a Cat on a Highway | Nominated |
| David di Donatello | 2021 | Best Actress | Figli | Nominated |
| David di Donatello | 2024 | Best Film | There's Still Tomorrow | Nominated |
| David di Donatello | 2024 | Best New Director | There's Still Tomorrow | Won |
| David di Donatello | 2024 | Best Original Screenplay | There's Still Tomorrow | Won |
| David di Donatello | 2024 | Best Actress | There's Still Tomorrow | Won |
| David di Donatello | 2024 | David Giovani | There's Still Tomorrow | Won |
| David di Donatello | 2024 | Audience Award | There's Still Tomorrow | Won |
| Federazione Italiana Cinema d'Essai | 2007 | Best Actress | Piano, solo | Won |
| Flaiano Award | 2014 | Best Movie Actress | A Boss in the Living Room | Won |
| Flaiano Award | 2023 | Best TV Actress | Petra | Won |
| Globo d'oro | 2011 | Best Actress | Escort in Love | Nominated |
| Globo d'oro | 2018 | Best Actress | Like a Cat on a Highway | Won |
| Globo d'oro | 2023 | Best Film | There's Still Tomorrow | Won |
| Hystrio Award | 2007 | Best Actress | Piano, solo | Won |
| Kinéo Award | 2018 | Honorary Award | Herself | Won |
| Le Maschere Awards | 2006 | Best Monologue | Gli ultimi saranno ultimi | Won |
| Nastro d'Argento | 2002 | Best Supporting Actress | Se fossi in te | Nominated |
| Nastro d'Argento | 2009 | Best Supporting Actress | The Ladies Get Their Say | Nominated |
| Nastro d'Argento | 2011 | Best Actress | Escort in Love | Nominated |
| Nastro d'Argento | 2014 | Best Actress | Sotto una buona stella | Nominated |
| Nastro d'Argento | 2015 | Best Actress | Do You See Me? | Nominated |
| Nastro d'Argento | 2015 | Nino Manfredi Award | Do You See Me? | Won |
| Nastro d'Argento | 2016 | Best Actress | The Last Will Be the Last | Nominated |
| Nastro d'Argento | 2018 | Best Comedy Actress | Like a Cat on a Highway | Won |
| Nastro d'Argento | 2019 | Best Comedy Actress | Don't Stop Me Now | Won |
| Nastro d'Argento | 2020 | Best Comedy Actress | Figli | Won |
| Nastro d'Argento | 2024 | Film of the Year | There's Still Tomorrow | Won |
| Rome Film Festival | 2020 | Women in Cinema Award | Figli | Won |
| Rome Film Festival | 2023 | Jury's Progressive Cinema Special Award | There's Still Tomorrow | Won |
| Rome Film Festival | 2023 | Best First Work – Special Mention | There's Still Tomorrow | Won |
| Rome Film Festival | 2023 | Audience Special Award | There's Still Tomorrow | Won |
| Taormina Film Fest | 2014 | Taormina Arte Award | Herself | Won |