A Guy I’d like to be Friends with: Actor - Roberto Benigni

“Is there a quiet side to Roberto Benigni?” – Conan O’Brien

Many of you out there may ask yourselves:
Why would I want to be friends with Roberto Benigni?







He seems like an easy going guy who is enjoying and living his life day by day. I wonder what it’d be like to play hide and seek with him at Wal-Mart. He seems like a very positive and upbeat guy. I swear I have yet to see a picture of him frowning. Well, except this one:

Roberto Benigni is a very eccentric, hyper Italian man! Standing at an amazing stature of 5’5, this man has a ‘larger than life’ kind of presence. Many people may remember him, as the guy who jumped and walked through the audience to claim his Oscar for his exceptional performance in the movie, Life is Beautiful.

Wow, this has to be one of my top 15 favorite movies of all time!? It’s a very nice sentimental story about a Jewish father who is willing to take any precautions necessary to sugarcoat (from his young son) the harsh and brutal reality of the Jewish concentration camps. His sincerity and genuine attitude draws you right into the movie from the first second he’s shown in the screen. I became so attached to him in this movie, I even found myself hoping that he and his family would escape the concentration camps! Roberto wrote, directed, and starred in this light-hearted view of WWII. Even though his film delt with a very sensitive subject, he did not receive any negative reviews. After a while, seeing numerous interpretations from the same outlook about WWII may become too depressing for moviegoers to watch. His take of of the Jewish Concentration camps had a very refreshing and different viewpoint. Life is Beautiful garnered him a lot of acclaim from critics and fans alike.

He’s a celebrity in his own right in his own native country of Italy. He’s basically seen as a hero down there! He definitely has a talented acting resume that many would be jealous of. He has been featured in television, movies, and even worked in stage theatre. He’s even an improve comedian as well. He also worked with the late, great Italian director Federico Fellini. Even Fellini called Roberto a “genius!” A lot of his work features him as the clumsy and fumbling man with a big heart. Many critics sense a Charlie Chaplin influence in his style of acting. His acting seems so real, that you might actually think he’s that way in real life.

There is a quality in Roberto Benigni that is not seen in a lot of other actors. There is much more to him besides his quirky and dorkie persona. I saw him on an episode of Conan O’Brien in 2002 promoting his movie, Pinocchio. Even Conan acknowledged his hyperactive behavior. At one point in the interview, they exchanged each other’s cloths to wear which included their jackets and even their pants! I never laughed so hard; I was crying, it was that funny!

Usually I go through this phase in which I become very intrigued and obsessed by a certain actor/director. Then I’ll have to see all of their work. So far I’ve only seen him in two films, but they were both good. I know watching more of his movies will be enjoyable as well and I’m sure I will not be disappointed.