Carlo Gregorio Verdone (born 17 November 1950) is an Italian actor, screenwriter and film director. Best known for his comedic roles in Italian classics which he also wrote and directed such as Fun Is Beautiful and Bianco, rosso e Verdone, he has introduced more serious subjects in his work since the 1990s, including Damned the Day I Met You and My Best Enemy.
Early life Carlo Verdone was born in Rome to Mario Verdone, an important Italian film critic and academic, and studied at the Italian Liceo classico in Rome, having the future actor Christian De Sica as his deskmate.
Verdone earned a degree in Modern Literature at Sapienza University of Rome, the same university where his father taught, and a degree in Film Direction at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia. During the 1970s he started a television career highlighting his varied comic style, while also appearing in ads for the Carosello show. He began introducing his characters on television in 1978 in the popular comedy series Non Stop.
Career Verdone made his debut as a director in 1980 with the movie Fun Is Beautiful, in which he played three different characters. He used the same formula of the first work in 1981, when he directed Bianco, rosso e Verdone, a movie about three different men during election day in Italy. The movie, produced by his mentor Sergio Leone, was very successful in Italy and had a soundtrack composed by Ennio Morricone. In 1982 he wrote and directed the successful and critically acclaimed romantic comedy Talcum Powder, which received multiple David di Donatello awards in Italy for Best Film, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Score and Best Supporting Actor (to Angelo Infanti). It also won Silver Ribbons for Best Actress and for Best Score.
He and Alberto Sordi wrote two Verdone films together: Journey with Papà, directed by Sordi, and Troppo forte, directed by Verdone and co-written as well by Sergio Leone.
Since the 1990s, Verdone has tackled more serious subjects in his work, like the excesses of modern society and the individual's hardships in confronting it; some examples are Damned the Day I Met You (1992), My Best Enemy (2006) and Me, Them and Lara (2010).
In 1999 he wrote the book "Fatti Coatti". In 2005 he took part in the Italian blockbuster romantic comedy named Manual of Love, and in the sequels named Manual of Love 2 (2007) and The Ages of Love (2011), both directed by Giovanni Veronesi, while in 2013 he starred in Paolo Sorrentino's The Great Beauty.
In 2018 he directed Blessed Madness, which he co-wrote with Nicola Guaglianone and the cartoonist and screenwriter Menotti.
Personal life In 1980 Verdone married Gianna Scarpelli, and they had two children together, Giulia (born 1986) and Paolo (born 1988). They separated in 1996.
Verdone has two siblings: Luca, a film director, and Silvia, a film producer and wife of the actor Christian De Sica.
Filmography Film Year TitleCredited asRoleNotes Actor Director Writer 1969Poesia solare rowspan="2" Short film 1971Allegoria di primavera 197224 ore... non un minuto di più Bodyguard Uncredited 1973Elegia notturna Short film 1976Quel movimento che mi piace tanto Bar Customer Uncredited 1979La Luna Caracalla Director 1980Fun Is Beautiful Enzo / Ruggero / Leo / Alfio / Anselmo Full-length project directing debut 1981Bianco, rosso e Verdone Pasquale Amitrano / Furio Zoccano / Mimmo1982Talcum Powder Sergio BenvenutiJourney with Papa Cristiano D'Ambrosi Grand Hotel Excelsior Pericle Coccia 1983Acqua e sapone Rolando Ferrazza1984Cuori nella tormenta Walter MiglioriniI due carabinieri Marino Spada1986Troppo forte Oscar Pettinari7 chili in 7 giorni Alfio Tamburini 1987Io e mia sorella Carlo Piergentili 1988Compagni di scuola Piero Ruffolo 1989Il bambino e il poliziotto Carlo Vinciguerra 1990Stasera a casa di Alice Saverio1992Damned the Day I Met You Bernando ArbustiAl lupo al lupo Gregorio Sagonà 1994Let's Not Keep in Touch Gepy Fuxas 1995Viaggi di nozze Raniero Cotti Borroni / Ivano / Giovannino / Giovannino's uncle 1996I'm Crazy About Iris Blond Romeo Spera1998Gallo cedrone Armando Feroci Lucky and Zorba Zorba Voice role2000A Chinese in a Coma Ercole PreziosiZora the Vampire Inspector Lombardi Also producer 2003It Can't Be All Our Fault Galeazzo "Gegè" Tinacci 2004Love Is Eternal While It Lasts Gilberto Mercuri 2005Manual of Love Goffredo 2006My Best Enemy Achille De Bellis 2007Manual of Love 2 Ernesto 2008Grande, grosso e... Verdone Leo Nuvolone / Callisto Cagnato / Moreno Vechiarutti2009Italians Dr. Giulio Cesare Carminati Segment: "Secondo episodio"A Question of the Heart Himself Cameo 2010Me, Them and Lara Carlo Mascolo 2011The Ages of Love Fabio Renzullo 2012A Flat for Three Ulisse Diamanti2013The Great Beauty RomanoAlberto il grande Documentary film 2014Sotto una buona stella Federico Picchioni 2016The Big Score Arturo Merlino2018Blessed Madness Guglielmo PantaleiVinilici: Perché il vinile ama la musica HimselfDocumentary film 2021Roma Caput Disco Si vive una volta sola Umberto GastaldiEnnio HimselfDocumentary film 2022Sergio Leone: The Italian Who Invented America 2023Pier Paolo Pasolini: Una visione nuova 2025La scuola romana delle risate Narrator Voice role 2026Scuola di seduzione Clemente
Television Year Title RoleNotes 1981Morto Troisi, viva Troisi Himself Television movie 1982Che fai… ridi? Himself Episode: "Un sacco Verdone" 1985Sogni e bisogni Armando Episode: "L'imbiancone" 1999Pillole, capsule e supposte Various Television movie; also writer and director 2021–2025Vita da Carlo Himself (fictional version) Lead role; also co-creator, co-writer and co-director
Music videos Year Title Artist(s)Notes 1991 "Benvenuti in paradiso" Antonello Venditti 1999 "Mi piaci" Alex Britti 2002 "Un colpo in un istante" Delta-V 2007 "Eppure sentire (Un senso di te)" Elisa 2008 "Meraviglioso" Negramaro 2011 "La ragazza del lunedì (Silvio)" Antonello Venditti 2017 "Se mi ami davvero Mina and Adriano Celentano 2020"Che poi" Carl Brave 2021"Domenica" Tiromancino 2024"Tu sei il mattino" Lucio Corsi
Awards and nominations AwardYearCategory Nominated workResultAlpe d'Huez International Comedy Film Festival 2007 Audience Award My Best Enemy Bastia Italian Film Festival 2007 Audience Award My Best Enemy 2011 Grand Jury Award Me, Them and Lara Ciak d'Oro 1988 Special Award Io e mia sorella 1989 Best Screenplay Compagni di scuola 2005 Best Actor Manual of Love 2014 Best Supporting Actor The Great Beauty 2018 Best Comedy Film Blessed Madness Cinematografo Award 2025 Best TV Series Vita da Carlo David di Donatello 1980 Special David Award Fun Is Beautiful 1981 Best Actor Bianco, rosso e Verdone 1982 Best FilmTalcum Powder Best Director Best Screenplay Best Actor 1988 Best Screenplay Io e mia sorella Best Actor 1989 Best ScreenplayCompagni di scuola Best Actor 1992 Best FilmDamned the Day I Met You Best Director Best Screenplay Best Actor 1994 Best FilmLet's Not Keep in Touch Best Director Best Screenplay 1997Best Actor I'm Crazy About Iris Blond 2000 A Chinese in a Coma 2003 Best Screenplay It Can't Be All Our Fault 2004 Best Actor Love Is Eternal While It Lasts 2005 Best Supporting Actor Manual of Love 2006 Best FilmMy Best Enemy Best Director Best Screenplay Best Actor Young David Award 2008 Special David Award Grande, grosso e... Verdone 2010 Young David Award Me, Them and Lara 2014 Best Supporting Actor The Great Beauty Flaiano Award 2020 Special Award Himself Globo d'Oro1992 Best FilmDamned the Day I Met You Best Screenplay Best Actor 2004 Love Is Eternal While It Lasts 2010 Best Comedy Film Me, Them and Lara 2022 Honorary Award Himself Grolla d'oro 2003 Best Actor It Can't Be All Our Fault Kineo Award 2006 Best Director My Best Enemy La pellicola d'oro 2025 Best Actor Vita da Carlo Nastro d'Argento 1980 Best Breakthrough Actor Fun Is Beautiful 1986 Best Actor Troppo forte 1988 Best DirectorIo e mia sorella Best Actor 1993 Best Script Al lupo al lupo 2000 Best Actor A Chinese in a Coma 2003 Best ScriptIt Can't Be All Our Fault Special Nastro d'Argento 2005 Best Actor Love Is Eternal While It Lasts 2006 Best Supporting Actor Manual of Love 2007 Best Actor My Best Enemy 2008 Nastro d'Argento of the Year Grande, grosso e... Verdone 2010 Best Comedy FilmMe, Them and Lara Best Script 2012 Best Comedy FilmA Flat for Three Best Screenplay Thun Foundation Special Award 2014 Best Comedy Film Sotto una buona stella Special Nastro d'Argento The Great Beauty 2016 Nino Manfredi Award The Big Score 2018 Best Comedy FilmBlessed Madness Best Comedy Actor 2021 Best Comedy Film Si vive una volta sola Rome Film Festival 2021 Best TV Series Vita da Carlo
References
External links www.carloverdone.it — Official Site