AUGUST 22

LA GIURIA INCONTRA

Biography

Actress, author, screenwriter and singer. Since 1995 she has worked in theater, cinema, radio and television. Trained at Beatrice Bracco's acting training school, she made her debut in the theater in 1995, which she continued working in over the years together with her theater company with a predilection for contemporary prose. After numerous participations in radio programs, (she collaborates with Enrico Vaime on: "Il programma lo fate voi"), she arrives in 1998 in the TV show "Macao" by G. Boncompagni. She went on to be the presenter of the well-known Rai2 "Libero" program.
On television, she ranges from classic varieties "Uno di noi" (alongside Gianni Morandi - Rai1) to satirical programs for which she is also the main author of her texts: "Mai dire gol", winning the TV Oscar as a female character of the year in 2001, "Mai dire Grande fratello", "Mai dire Sanremo" etc .., "Teatro 18" (with Serena Dandini) up to "Nessundorma" (Flaiano 2004 award) her first “one woman show” (Rai2). In the same year he joined Simona Ventura as the host of the 54th Sanremo Festival.
In music she has collaborated with the author Claudio Mattone (with whom she made her debut, at just thirteen, singing the song "Cacao Meravigliao" for the program of Renzo Arbore "Indietro tutta"), with Elio e le storie tese and Frankie Hi-nrg Mc. and duets with numerous artists including: Gianni Morandi, Claudio Baglioni, Jovanotti, Laura Pausini, Tiziano Ferro, Giorgia, Enzo Jannacci, Negramaro.
On the big screen she has worked for numerous Italian directors including Carlo Verdone, Carlo Mazzacurati, Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, Riccardo Milani, Cristina Comencini, Luca Miniero, Massimiliano Bruno, Fausto Brizzi Aldo Giovanni and Giacomo, Gianluca Maria Tavarelli, Enzo Monteleone.
In 2007 she made her debut in fiction with the miniseries in two episodes for Canale 5 "Maria Montessori" (directed by G.M. Tavarelli), which earned her the award for best leading actress at the first 2007 edition of the Rome Fiction Fest and the Grolla d'Oro 2008 for best leading actress. For "Gli ultimi saranno ultimi" (2005/2007) she received the E.T.I. Award the Olympics of the theater and the 2006 Critics' Award as best actress. In 2008 she voiced the animated film "Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi in the role of Marjane. Also in 2008 she participated in the Serena Dandini program on Rai 3 "Parla con me". In November 2008, her second one woman show "Non perdiamoci di vista" was broadcast on Rai3.
In 2009 Paola Cortellesi is among the protagonists of the film "Due Partite" directed by Enzo Monteleone. In October 2010, the film "Maschi contro Femmine" (directed by Fausto Brizzi) was released in cinemas. In December 2010 the film in four episodes was broadcast on Rai1: "Le cose che restano" by S. Rulli and S. Petraglia (directed by G.M. Tavarelli).
She joined Claudio Bisio on the "Zelig" variety stage in the 2011 and 2012 editions (TV direction award for both editions). For the film "Nessuno mi può giudicare" (directed by Massimiliano Bruno), she received the 2011 David di Donatello as best leading actress and the Ciak d'oro as film character of the year. In the same year she is one of the voices of the Disney Pixar film "Cars 2". In September 2013 she was awarded the Cariddi prize, a recognition assigned by the SNCCI. She received the Ciné Ciak d'oro Absolut Comedian 2014 awards and the 2014 Flaiano award for the films "Un boss in salone" (directed by Luca Miniero) and "Sotto una buona stella" (directed by Carlo Verdone). For "Sotto una buona stella" (nomination for best leading actress at the David di Donatello Nastri d'Argento Awards 2014) she also received the 2014 Kinèo Award as Best Actress at the 71st Venice Film Festival.
In May 2014 she was part of the cast of the Taviani brothers' latest film: "Maraviglioso Boccaccio". In November 2014 she is the protagonist and screenwriter of the film "Scusate se esisto" directed by Riccardo Milani, (nomination for best actress at the David di Donatello Nastri d'Argento 2015 awards) for which at the the 2015 Silver Ribbons, she received from the National Syndicate Italian Film Critics and Erminia Manfredi the Nino Manfredi Prize, for the first time awarded to a woman.
In the autumn of 2015 she was the protagonist and screenwriter of Massimiliano Bruno's "Gli ultimi saranno ultimi" (Best Actress nomination at the David di Donatello Nastri d'Argento 2016 awards), for which in September 2016 she received the 2016 Kinèo Award as Best Actress in occasion of the 73rd Venice Film Festival. In December 2015 she starred with Dario Fo in the show "Callas", by Dario Fo, broadcast on Rai 1. In April 2016 she was the protagonist and author, together with Laura Pausini, of the variety "Laura & Paola" television event of the year, broadcast on Rai1 (TV director award 2016).
In October 2016 she returns on the big screen as the protagonist and co-screenwriter of the new film by Cristina Comencini, "Qualcosa di nuovo". In February 2017 the film "Mamma o papà?", by Riccardo Milani was released in which Paola Cortellesi - also co-writer - starred together with Antonio Albanese. In June 2017 she was a guest of the Italian Contemporary Film Festival in Toronto where she was awarded the ICFF 2017 Best Actress for her work in the films: “Qualcosa di nuovo" by Cristina Comencini and "Mamma o papà?" by her husband Riccardo Milani.
In December 2017 she was back in cinemas with Antonio Albanese, in the new film "Come un gatto in tangenziale", directed by Riccardo Milani, of which she was also co-screenwriter, box-office hit of the season, winner of the 2018 Golden Ticket. She received many awards for the film, including the 2018 Silver Ribbon as Best Actress and the Golden Globe.
In December 2018 she was the protagonist of the latest film by Michele Soavi, "La Befana vien di notte", a fantasy film in which she played the Befana (Nomination for the David di Donatello for the best special visual effects) and Golden Ticket 2019.
In April 2019, her latest film "Ma cosa ci dice il cervello" was released, directed by Riccardo Milani, of which she was also co-screenwriter, for which she received Il Nastro d'Argento as best comedy actress, the Ciak d'Oro and the Filming Italy best Award.
In January 2020 the film "Figli" was released, a film by Mattia Torre brought to the set by Giuseppe Bonito in which she starred alongside Valerio Mastandrea. For her performance in the film, Paola Cortellesi received the 2020 Silver Ribbon, winning the award for the third consecutive year.
In August 2020 she will start shooting her next film with Antonio Albanese, directed by Riccardo Milani.
In September 2020 we will see her in "Petra", an original Sky production produced by Cattleya and directed by Maria Sole Tognazzi.