Roberto Benigni Height, Weight, Age, Net Worth, Children

Roberto Benigni is an Italian actor, director, screenwriter, and comedian who gained worldwide recognition with his Holocaust comedy-drama Life Is Beautiful (1997), which earned him 2 Academy Awards. In addition, his impressive filmography also includes films like Johnny Stecchino (1991), The Little Devil (1988), Pinocchio (2002), Down By Law (1986), The Monster (1994), Son of the Pink Panther (1993), Night on Earth (1991), To Rome With Love (2012), etc.

Born Name

Roberto Remigio Benigni

Nick Name

Roberto

Sun Sign

Scorpio

Born Place

Castiglion Fiorentino, Tuscany, Italy

Nationality

Occupation

Actor, Comedian, Screenwriter, Director

Family

• Father – Luigi Benigni (Bricklayer, Carpenter, Farmer)
• Mother – Isolina Papini (Fabric Maker)
• Siblings – Bruna Benigni (Older Sister), Albertina Benigni (Older Sister), Anna Benigni (Older Sister)

Genre

Comedy Drama, Tragicomedy

Net Worth

In 2023, Roberto Benigni’s net worth was $15 million according to CelebrityNetWorth.com.

Build

Slim

Height

5 ft 7 in or 170 cm

Weight

62 kg or 136.5 lbs

Girlfriend / Spouse

Roberto has dated –

1. Moana Pozzi (1982)
2. Milly D’Abbraccio (1982)
3. Nicoletta Braschi (1983-Present) – He met actress Nicoletta Braschi in 1980 and the two first worked together in his directorial debut film, You Disturb Me (1983). The two soon began dating and, after many years of courtship, tied the knot on December 26, 1991. Over the years, they have shared screen space in several movies, the most famous being the tear-jerker Life Is Beautiful (1997). Moreover, the couple does not have any children together.

Race / Ethnicity

White

He has Italian ancestry.

Hair Color

Black

Eye Color

Hazel

Sexual Orientation

Straight

Distinctive Features

• He is well-known for his energetic and slightly goofy public antics.
• Short height

Religion

Roman Catholicism

Roberto Benigni Facts

1. He was considered a genius by the esteemed filmmaker, Federico Fellini.
2. Roberto partly based the story of Life Is Beautiful (1997) on his father’s experience in a concentration camp in Bergen-Belsen for 3 years. His father was not of Jewish heritage, unlike his character in the film. Moreover, he also took inspiration from the experience of the Holocaust survivor, Rubino Romeo Salmonì.
3. He became the second actor in the Academy Award’s history to direct himself in an Oscar-winning performance for ‘Best Actor’. He was preceded by Laurence Olivier, who achieved the same distinction for his work in Hamlet (1948) in 1949.
4. As a teenager, Roberto wanted to become a priest and attended a seminary in Florence. But, he quit the seminary in 1966 after two-thirds of the city came to be flooded by the Arno River.
5. His reaction upon winning the ‘Best Foreign Language Film’ for Life Is Beautiful (1997) at the 71st Academy Awards was legendary. Roberto was so overcome with giddy delight that he climbed over the seats of his fellow attendees and began applauding the audience before proceeding towards the stage. Additionally, he also won the ‘Best Actor’ award on the same night and made history as the first actor to win in that category for performance in a non-English language film.
6. The following year, when he returned to announce the ‘Best Actress’ nominees at the Academy Awards, host Billy Crystal jokingly stood behind him holding a large net in case he needed to restrain him.
7. In the 1980s, Benigni created an uproar, leading to his censure, when he referred to Pope John Paul II with an impolite term during an important live television show appearance. He used the term ‘Wojtylaccio’, which means ‘Bad Wojtyla’ (Wojtyla being the pope’s surname). It seems the pope wasn’t much offended as he had named the former’s masterpiece, Life Is Beautiful as one of his top-five favorite films.
8. He directed and starred in the titular role of Pinocchio in the eponymous 2002 film, which was touted as the most expensive film made in Italian cinema. The film was well-received in Italy but was widely panned in North America and received 0% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes. Furthermore, Roberto was declared the ‘Worst Actor’ for his performance as the charming wooden boy at the 23rd Golden Raspberry Awards in 2003. The Italian version, however, bagged 2 awards at the David di Donatello Awards, which is considered Italy’s equivalent of the Oscars.

Featured Image by Harald Krichel / Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 3.0