Marcello Mastroianni

Born in Fontana Liri in 1924 and raised between Turin and Rome, Mastroianni debuted onscreen at 14 but didn't seriously chase acting until the 1950s, breaking through with the caper comedy Big Deal on Madonna Street in 1959. His collaborations with Federico Fellini - first as the tabloid writer in La Dolce Vita (1960), then as the creatively paralyzed filmmaker in 8½ (1963) - made him an international name. He moved easily between drama and comedy, co-starred with Sophia Loren in eleven films across four decades, and shunned Hollywood even as the Academy nominated him three times for Best Actor: Divorce Italian Style (1961), A Special Day (1977), Dark Eyes (1987). He was the first actor nominated for a non-English performance, won Cannes Best Actor twice, and worked steadily until his death in 1996, having appeared in 147 films and collected Italy's highest knighthood along the way.