Giorgio Cantarini
Encyclopedia
Giorgio Cantarini is an Italian child actor
who, to date, has appeared in two Academy Award winning films: 1997
's Life Is Beautiful
and 2000
's Gladiator
.
Raised in Florence
, Italy
, Giorgio Cantarini is an only child born to Rimazio and Tina Cantarini. The couple separated and subsequently divorced shortly after Giorgio's fifth birthday. His family nickname is "Gio".
Cantarini made his film debut in the 1997 Roberto Benigni
directed comedy-drama Life is Beautiful, playing Benigni's four year old son 'Giosué Orefice', who is sent with his Jewish-Italian father to a German concentration camp during World War II. The film won three Academy Awards
. In 1998, Cantarini was awarded alongside his castmates of Life Is Beautiful with a nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.
His second film appearance was in the 2000 Ridley Scott
-directed period action/drama Gladiator. Cantarini was cast as the son of Oscar winner Russell Crowe
's character 'Maximus'. The film would win five Oscars at the 73rd Academy Awards
.
In 2001, Cantarini appeared in the Hallmark Hall of Fame
American television film adaptation of author Eric Newby
's autobiographical novel Love and War in the Apennines
(retitled In Love and War) as 'Slavko'. The film was shot on location in Italy.
In 2005 Cantarini competed in Ballando con le Stelle, the Italian reality television version of the series Dancing With The Stars
.
Cantarini currently resides in Viterbo
, Italy with his father for the majority of the year and lives in Los Angeles
, California
, USA during the summer months with his mother.
Child actor
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting in motion pictures or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion, the latter is also called a former child actor...
who, to date, has appeared in two Academy Award winning films: 1997
1997 in film
-Events:* The original Star Wars trilogy's Special Editions are released.* Production begins on Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.* Titanic becomes the first film to gross US$1,000,000,000 at the box office making it the highest grossing film in history until Avatar broke the record in 2010.*...
's Life Is Beautiful
Life Is Beautiful
Life Is Beautiful is a 1997 Italian film which tells the story of a Jewish Italian, Guido Orefice , who must employ his fertile imagination to help his family during their internment in a Nazi concentration camp.At the 71st Academy Awards in 1999, Benigni won the Academy Award for Best Actor and...
and 2000
2000 in film
The year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor ....
's Gladiator
Gladiator (2000 film)
Gladiator is a 2000 historical epic film directed by Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed, Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, John Shrapnel and Richard Harris. Crowe portrays the loyal Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius, who is betrayed...
.
Raised in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Giorgio Cantarini is an only child born to Rimazio and Tina Cantarini. The couple separated and subsequently divorced shortly after Giorgio's fifth birthday. His family nickname is "Gio".
Cantarini made his film debut in the 1997 Roberto Benigni
Roberto Benigni
Roberto Remigio Benigni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI is an Italian actor, comedian, screenwriter and director of film, theatre and television.- Early years :...
directed comedy-drama Life is Beautiful, playing Benigni's four year old son 'Giosué Orefice', who is sent with his Jewish-Italian father to a German concentration camp during World War II. The film won three Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
. In 1998, Cantarini was awarded alongside his castmates of Life Is Beautiful with a nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.
His second film appearance was in the 2000 Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott
Sir Ridley Scott is an English film director and producer. His most famous films include The Duellists , Alien , Blade Runner , Legend , Thelma & Louise , G. I...
-directed period action/drama Gladiator. Cantarini was cast as the son of Oscar winner Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
's character 'Maximus'. The film would win five Oscars at the 73rd Academy Awards
73rd Academy Awards
The 73rd Academy Awards honored the best films of 2000 and was held on March 25, 2001. It was the last Academy Awards to take place at the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium...
.
In 2001, Cantarini appeared in the Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City based greeting card company. The second longest-running television program in the history of television, it has a historically long run, beginning in 1951 and continuing into 2011...
American television film adaptation of author Eric Newby
Eric Newby
George Eric Newby CBE MC was an English travel author. Newby's best known works include A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush, The Last Grain Race, and Round Ireland in Low Gear.-Life:...
's autobiographical novel Love and War in the Apennines
Love and War in the Apennines
Love and War in the Apennines is a 1971 Second World War memoir by Eric Newby...
(retitled In Love and War) as 'Slavko'. The film was shot on location in Italy.
In 2005 Cantarini competed in Ballando con le Stelle, the Italian reality television version of the series Dancing With The Stars
Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...
.
Cantarini currently resides in Viterbo
Viterbo
See also Viterbo, Texas and Viterbo UniversityViterbo is an ancient city and comune in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo. It is approximately 80 driving / 80 walking kilometers north of GRA on the Via Cassia, and it is surrounded by the Monti Cimini and...
, Italy with his father for the majority of the year and lives in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, USA during the summer months with his mother.
Filmography
- Life Is BeautifulLife Is BeautifulLife Is Beautiful is a 1997 Italian film which tells the story of a Jewish Italian, Guido Orefice , who must employ his fertile imagination to help his family during their internment in a Nazi concentration camp.At the 71st Academy Awards in 1999, Benigni won the Academy Award for Best Actor and...
(La vita è bella) (1997) - GladiatorGladiator (2000 film)Gladiator is a 2000 historical epic film directed by Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed, Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, John Shrapnel and Richard Harris. Crowe portrays the loyal Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius, who is betrayed...
(2000) - In Love and WarIn Love and War (2001 film)In Love and War is a Hallmark Channel original movie, directed by John Kent Harrison. It is based on the book Love and War in the Apennines by Eric Newby. It was filmed in Italy and stars Callum Blue and Barbora Bobulova.- Plot :...
(2001) - Il giorno, la notte. Poi l'alba (2007)
- Il mattino ha l'oro in bocca (2008)