JULY 28

Biography

Born in 1993, Ficarra & Picone are a Sicilian comedian duo, who made their first television appearances six years after the duo was formed. In 1999, they took part in "Gnu", a Rai Tre comic program created by Bruno Voglino. The following year, again Rai Tre hosted them in "Zero a Zero", by Gennaro Nunziante, while in 2001, they took part in "L’Ottavo Nano" by Serena Dandini and Corrado Guzzanti. A fortunate year that saw them protagonists on Tele + of a stand-up comedy show, of which they were authors, by the title "Vuoti a perdere". Also in 2001, their first film, "Nati Stanchi", produced by Rodeo Drive and Rai Cinema, was released, while, since 1999 and until 2002, they had brought their theater show "Vuoti a perdere" around Italy. A new television appearance was for the program "Quelli che... il calcio", conducted by Simona Ventura on Rai Due, for which they were correspondent from the "La Favorita" stadium in Palermo. 2003 was another memorable year for the Sicilian duo: they participate in some episodes of "Mai dire Domenica", the program conducted by Mago Forest and Gialappa’s Band and broadcast on Sunday evening on Italia 1.

Another theater show consecrates the couple of comedians, who bring on stage "Diciamoci la verità", under the direction of Giambattista Avellino, a “look on the world” apparently detached and enclosed in their “Sicilian way of life”. Popularity came, always in 2003, with "Nati stanchi", the Sicilian characters who chatted lazily both family problems and national news, proposed with great success to the "Zelig Circus" audience. The 2005 tour was finally that of artistic maturity, with the show "Sono cose che capitano": three acts, with a dramatic plot and a final epilogue that moves away from the classic stereotypes of cabaret to get closer and closer to comedy. Sold out in all the Italian theaters where it was on the bill. In March 2005, they published their new book "Diciamoci la verità" (with a DVD, by Mondadori) in which they collect the sketches of the same name show. At the end of the same year we find them in prime time on Channel 5, for two fridays, with their first two-man show "Ma chi ce lo doveva dire", which gets a great success of audience and critics.

Their second film which saw them as protagonists and directors, together with Giambattista Avellino, is "Il 7 e l’8", was released in theaters in March 2007, doing good at the box office. In November 2007, "Sono cose che capitano", the box set (DVD and book) of their theater show, came out in bookstores, published by Mondadori. In March 2009, they released their third film "La Matassa", which earned a total of nine million euros at the box office. Giuseppe Tornatore wanted them, in September 2009, among the protagonists of his film "Baarìa", where they perform for the first time separately in non-comic roles. After being away from theaters for four years, they returned in October 2010 with their new show, "Apriti cielo", while in February 2011 they returned to the big screen in the film by Fausto Brizzi, "Femmine contro maschi". In November 2011, they were directors and leading actors of their fourth film, "Anche se è amore non si vede", which confirms the success of the comic duo in theaters, while at the same time they returned to the stage with the show "Apriti cielo".

On November 6, 2014, "Andiamo a quel paese", a film interpreted and directed by Ficarra and Picone, opened in the halls of all Italy, and obtained an extraordinary success at the box office. A few years later, in 2017, it was the turn of their sixth film, "L’ora legale", which received the praise of public and critics, becoming a hit at of the box office. Tramp ltd, founded by Ficarra and Picone, produced in 2017 a characteristic work with the provocative title of "Processo a Chinnici". The short film tells about a hypothetical, as well as paradoxical, trial brought against the judge Rocco Chinnici, barbarously killed by the mafia near his home in Palermo on July 29, 1983. The intention is to show this film as much as possible let the new generations know an important historical period of our country, and not let these martyrs, who made the world a better place for all, be forgotten.