The Women Behind The Men of Italian Cinema

A “moglie” or a “fidanzata”, wife or fiancé of an Italian director or actor is very often a pretty normal non-celebrity. Remember, a fiancé’s not always an actual fiancé in Italy. An Italian friend explained to me that young people in Italy got into the habit of calling everyone they brought home to meet the parents a “fidanzato” to make it appear that things were more serious than they actually were.

TOMORROW, THE MEN BEHIND THE WOMEN.

When Paolo Sorrentino’s name was announced as the winner of the Academy Award for La Grande Bellezza his wife Daniela D’Antonio, a journalist, was by his side. They have two children, Anna and Carlo.

Christian De Sica’s famous father director Vittorio De Sica used to hang out with Carlo Verdone’s father, a film journalist, and Christian ended up marrying into the family. He’s still married to Silvia, Carlo Verdone’s sister. They have two children, Mariarosa and Brando.

Christian De Sica and his wife Silvia, sister of Carlo Verdone.

Director Carlo Virzì is married to the almost equally famous actress from ‘La Prima Cosa Bella’, Micaela Ramazzotti. They have two children, Jacopo and Anna.

Toni Servillo (La Grande Bellezza, Il Divo, Gomorrah) has been married to the actress Manuela Lamanna since 1990. They have two sons, Eduardo and Tommaso.

Luigi Lo Cascio once said that he’d married the “girl next door” and meant that quite literally. His wife Desideria Rayner, an editor, lived across the hall from him in his Rome apartment. They have a one son.

Mariangela Eboli is married to Checco Zalone and they have a baby daughter, Gaia.

Valerio Mastandrea and his wife actress Valentina Avenia in a paparazzi shot at the beach.

Stefano Accorsi, 44, appears to have pulled a Johnny Depp and left his more age appropriate wife, the French actress Laetitia Casta for 22-year-old fidanzata Bianca Vitali.