Giovanna Mezzogiorno (; born 9 November 1974) is an Italian actress.
Early life Mezzogiorno was born in Rome, 9 November 1974, a daughter of actors Vittorio Mezzogiorno and Cecilia Sacchi. She grew up watching her parents on set. At first, she wanted to become a ballerina, and studied dancing for 13 years. After her father's death when she was 19, Mezzogiorno moved to Paris, where she attended the stages by Ariane Mnouchkine and worked for two years at the Peter Brook Workshop.
Career
Mezzogiorno made her stage debut with the role of Ofelia in Qui est là, based on Shakespeare's Hamlet. The play toured various European cities. She received the Premio Coppola-Prati 1996, the jury was presided over by theatre critic Franco Quadri. One year later, she made her film debut in Il viaggio della sposa (The Bride's Journey), written by and starring Sergio Rubini. Mezzogiorno was awarded the Targa d'Argento as the New Talent in Italian Cinema, she was also given the Grolla d'oro, and the Globo d'Oro by the Foreign Press Association and the Premio Flaiano as Best Actress of the 1997 - 1998 season.
In 1998, Mezzogiorno starred in the film Del perduto amore directed by Michele Placido, with Fabrizio Bentivoglio and Sergio Rubini (she was awarded the Nastro d'Argento, the Ciak d'Oro and Premio Pasinetti as best actress in a starring role) and, for the Italian National Television Network RaiDue, in a film made-for-TV Più leggero non basta ("A lighter burden to bear") in the role of a young girl with muscular dystrophy, directed by Elisabetta Lodoli with Stefano Accorsi.
In 1999, Mezzogiorno played the role of Silvia, daughter of Enzo Tortora by whose mistaken conviction the film was inspired. The film Un uomo perbene with Michele Placido and Mariangela Melato, was directed by Maurizio Zaccaro. In that same year, she worked in Asini, directed by Antonello Grimaldi, with celebrated Italian comedian Claudio Bisio.
In 2000, she travelled between Prague and Paris for work in the TV miniseries Les Miserables, directed by Josée Dayan, with Gérard Depardieu and John Malkovich. She worked in Denmark in Nobel, directed by Fabio Carpi, with Héctor Alterio. In Italy, she worked with Puglielli in Tutta la conoscenza del mondo ("All There Is to Know"), and then, L'ultimo bacio ("The Last Kiss") directed by Gabriele Muccino with Stefano Accorsi and Stefania Sandrelli (winning the Premio Flaiano). With the success of this last movie Giovanna become really famous in Italy.
In 2001, Mezzogiorno appeared in the film Malefemmene with Ángela Molina and directed by Fabio Conversi, in the role of Francesca, who was imprisoned following a judicial error and came into contact with the reality of friendship and attachment which she had never imagined possible. She also worked on Stai con me, with Adriano Giannini and directed by Livia Giampalmo, in the role of a mother of twins.
In 2002, she worked on the set of Ilaria Alpi - Il più crudele dei giorni, in the role of the protagonist, directed by Ferdinando Vicentini Orgnani (the film tells the tragic and dark story of the Italian TV journalist killed in Mogadiscio). She also starred in France in the Holocaust-period TV drama Entrusted, directed by Giacomo Battiato, with Klaus Maria Brandauer, Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Steven Moyer, based on Loup Duran's best-seller. In Italy, she starred in the film La finestra di fronte ("Facing windows") directed by Ferzan Özpetek, costarring Massimo Girotti and Raoul Bova. This film, critically acclaimed and a box office success, earned her a lot of awards: the David di Donatello, the Ciak d’Oro, the Nastro d'Argento, the Globo d'oro by the Foreign Press, the Flaiano Award, the Karlovy Vary Award as "Best Actress in a Leading Role".
Mezzogiorno starred in the film L’amore ritorna, directed by Sergio Rubini, costarring Fabrizio Bentivoglio and Margherita Buy. She also worked in France, on the set of her first comedy: Au secours, j'ai 30 ans, directed by Marie-Anne Chazel, with Pierre Palmade.
In 2004, Mezzogiorno worked in the TV movie Virginia (La monaca di Monza), directed by Alberto Sironi. She then returned to the theatre, working with the director Piero Maccarinelli in 4.48 Psicosi, written by Sarah Kane.
In 2005, La bestia nel cuore ("Don't Tell"), directed by Cristina Comencini, was an Academy Award candidate for Best Foreign Language Film, earning Mezzogiorno one of the most important international prizes for an actress: the Coppa Volpi, previously won by Shirley MacLaine, Gong Li, Isabelle Huppert, Catherine Deneuve and Sophia Loren.
In 2006, Mezzogiorno acted in AD Project, a sci-fi thriller by Eros Puglielli, and acted in "Lezioni di Volo" ("Flying Lessons") by Francesca Archibugi.
In 2007, she appeared as Leila, a sexy thief, in the black comedy Notturno Bus ("Night Bus"), directed by Davide Marengo and starring Valerio Mastandrea and Ennio Fantastichini.
She travelled to Colombia to become Fermina Daza, the principal female character from Love in the Time of Cholera based on the book written by Nobel Prize winner Gabriel García Márquez and directed by Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral).
After appearing in two films shot in 2008, Sono Viva and Palermo Shooting by Wim Wenders, in 2009 she achieved great international success with Vincere by Marco Bellocchio, selected for the official competition in Cannes and a solid candidate for the final award.
Mezzogiorno narrated and produced a documentary to celebrate the career of her father Vittorio, 15 years after his sudden death in 1994.
She was a member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2010. In January 2011, she was rewarded with the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress 2010 for her role in Vincere.
In 2017, Mezzogiorno appeared in the role of Adriana in the film called Napoli velata (Naples in Veils).
Personal life On the set of the film Lighter is not Enough (1998) she met Stefano Accorsi, who became her long-time partner. On the set of Vincere she met the driver Alessio Fugolo, whom she married in 2009 in Griante in a civil ceremony. She has two sons, Leone and Zeno, born 26 August 2011.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1997The Bride's Journey Porzia Colonna 1998Of Lost Love Liliana1999A Respectable Man Silvia TortoraAsini Anna2001The Last Kiss GiuliaAll There Is to Know GiovannaNobel EleonoraBad Women Francesca2003Facing Windows GiovannaThe Cruelest Day Ilaria Alpi2004Stay with Me ChiaraAu secours, j'ai 30 ans! KathyLove Returns Lena 2005Don't Tell Sabina 2006AD Project Gaia2007Flying Lessons Chiara Della NotteNight Bus Leila RonchiLove in the Time of Cholera Fermina Daza2008L'amore non basta MartinaLes Murs porteurs ManouPalermo Shooting FlaviaSono viva Stefania2009Vincere Ida DalserThe Front Line Susanna RonconiNegli occhi Narrator Documentary; also producer 2010Basilicata Coast to Coast Tropea Limongi 2013ReWined Adele 2014The Dinner Chiara2016The Jungle Book Kaa (voice) Italian dubHow to Grow Up Despite Your Parents Mary Riley2017Tenderness ElenaNaples in Veils Adriana / Isabella 2019Tornare Alice McNellis2020Alida Narrator DocumentaryThe Ties Adult AnnaThe Time of Indifference Lisa2022Educazione fisica Principal Diana PeruggiaAmanda Viola2026 Post-production Post-production
Television Year Title Role Notes 1998Più leggero non basta Elena Ballarini Television movie 2000Les Misérables Soeur Simplice 4 episodes 2003Il segreto di Thomas Maria von Gall Television movie 2004Virginia, la monaca di Monza Virginia de Leyva, the Nun of Monza Two-parts television movie 2017In Treatment Adele 35 episodes2019La Compagnia del Cigno Valeria Trani 2 episodesIo ricordo, Piazza Fontana Francesca Dendena Television movie 2026Motorvalley Arianna 6 episodes
Awards and nominations AwardYearCategory Nominated workResult55th Venice International Film Festival 1998 "Pasinetti" Award Of Lost Love 62nd Venice International Film Festival 2005 Volpi Cup for Best Actress Don't Tell Bangkok International Film Festival 2003 Best Actress Facing Windows Ciak d'Oro 1999Best Actress Of Lost Love 2003 Facing Windows 2020 Tornare David di Donatello 1999Best Actress Of Lost Love 2001 The Last Kiss 2003 Facing Windows 2005 Best Supporting Actress Love Returns 2006Best Actress Don't Tell 2007 Flying Lessons 2010 Vincere 2018 Naples in Veils 2023 Best Supporting Actress Amanda European Film Awards 2003 Best Actress (Audience Award) Facing Windows Flaiano Award 2001Best Actress The Last Kiss 2003 Facing Windows Globo d'Oro 1998 Best Breakthrough Actress The Bride's Journey 2001Best Actress The Last Kiss 2003 Facing Windows 2009 Vincere 2010 The Front Line Golden Graals 2006 Best Actress – Drama Don't Tell Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2003 Best Actress Facing Windows Moscow International Film Festival 2018 Best Actress Naples in Veils Nastro d'Argento 1998Best Actress The Bride's Journey 1999 Of Lost Love 2001 The Last Kiss 2003 Facing Windows 2005 Best Supporting Actress Love Returns 2006Best Actress Don't Tell 2007 Flying Lessons 2009 Vincere 2017 Tenderness 2018 Naples in Veils 2020 Tornare National Society of Film Critics 2010 Best Actress Vincere
References
External links Saverio Ferragina press agent