Adriano Giannini, born on May 10, 1971, in Rome, Italy, is a prominent Italian actor and voice actor whose career has been deeply intertwined with the world of cinema from an early age.
As the son of legendary actor Giancarlo Giannini and actress and director Livia Giampalmo, Adriano grew up immersed in the film industry, which naturally shaped his path.
His entry into acting was not immediate; instead, he honed his skills behind the camera, working as a camera assistant on various Italian and American productions from 1989 to 1998.
At just 18 years old, Adriano began his on-screen journey, blending the technical know-how of production with the artistry of acting.
Over the years, he has become known for his versatile roles in both film and television, often drawing comparisons to his father’s intense and charismatic screen presence.
Siblings
Adriano is the younger son from his parents’ marriage, sharing a full sibling bond only with his older brother, Lorenzo Giannini.
Born in 1967, Lorenzo was a promising young individual whose life was tragically cut short in 1987 at the age of 19 due to an aneurysm, just before turning 20.
This devastating event left a lasting impact on the family, with Adriano often reflecting on the void left by his brother’s untimely death.
In addition to this full sibling relationship, Adriano has two half-brothers from his father’s second marriage to Eurilla del Bono, which began in 1983: Emanuele and Francesco Giannini.
Emanuele and Francesco, born in the 1980s, have pursued paths outside of the public eye, maintaining low profiles compared to their half-brother’s acting career.
Career
Giannini’s official debut as a lead actor came in 2000 with the coming-of-age road movie Alla rivoluzione sulla due cavalli (Off to the Revolution by a 2 CV), directed by Maurizio Sciarra, where he portrayed a young man navigating love and rebellion during Italy’s turbulent 1960s.
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The film premiered to critical acclaim, winning the Pardo d’Oro at the 2001 Locarno Film Festival and marking Adriano as a rising talent.
His Hollywood entry arrived in 2002 with the controversial remake of Swept Away, directed by Guy Ritchie, where he starred opposite Madonna in the role originally played by his father in Lina Wertmüller’s 1974 classic.
Though the film received mixed reviews and was a commercial disappointment, it thrust Adriano into global visibility and highlighted the generational parallels in his family’s cinematic legacy.
Transitioning back to Italian cinema, he appeared in ensemble casts for films like The Demons of St. Petersburg (2007), a historical drama about philosopher Nikolai Berdyaev, and The Consequences of Love (2004), a stylish thriller alongside Toni Servillo.
His supporting role in Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Twelve (2004) further expanded his international footprint, showcasing his ability to hold his own in high-stakes ensemble pieces.
In recent years, Adriano has embraced more introspective and contemporary narratives, starring in Nanni Moretti’s Three Floors (2021), which competed at the Cannes Film Festival and explored family secrets across generations, as well as the Amazon Prime series Bang Bang Baby (2022), a period crime drama set in 1980s Milan.
He has also directed and starred in the short film Il gioco (The Game, 2010), demonstrating his directorial ambitions.
As a prolific voice actor, Giannini has lent his distinctive baritone to iconic characters, including Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight (2008), Joaquin Phoenix’s in Joker (2019) and its sequel, and various roles for actors like Tom Hardy, Christian Bale, and Ryan Reynolds in Italian dubs.
Accolades
Giannini’s directorial debut, the 2010 short film Il gioco, garnered significant praise, securing the Audience Award and Festival Award at the New York City Short Film Festival, as well as the Silver Ribbon for Best Short Film Director from the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists in 2010.
Earlier in his career, his breakout role in Alla rivoluzione sulla due cavalli contributed to the film’s triumph at the Locarno Film Festival, where it clinched the prestigious Pardo d’Oro in 2001, indirectly boosting his profile as a leading man in Italian independent cinema.
Notably, his participation in Cannes contenders like Three Floors in 2021 highlighted his sustained relevance, even if personal awards were not forthcoming from that event.
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