A famous Italian actor: Roberto Benigni

Life is Beautiful

"I love acting. For me it is pure fun," says Roberto Benigni, three time Oscar winner for the film Life is Beautiful. The Italian actor was very happy when he received the awards. He was also very humble. While he was collecting his third award of the evening, he said, "How can I thank you for this? I've used up all my English with the other two."

Born in 1952 to a poor family, Benigni grew up in a small Tuscan village, Vergaio. Roberto was already writing his own material when he first started to act. He got some comic film roles with great directors like Fellini and Bertolucci, and became famous. He lives in Rome with his wife, Nicoletta Braschi. Film critics say he is a master of spontaneous performance — he shows us a new way of seeing reality.

Benigni's film Life is Beautiful took America by storm; the title became a slogan for all kinds of people. It is the story of a miraculous survival in a Nazi concentration camp. Some love the film and see it as a message of joy in the middle of tragedy. Some hate it and say it ignores the reality of life in those camps.

Level: Beginner

Book: Changes for ESO 4

Year: 2002