King Miraz

Background:

Award winning Italian actor and director Sergio Castellitto honed in on his craft at the Silvio D'Amieo National Academy of Dramatic Art. He began his theatrical career in Italian public theater with Shakespeare's “Measure for Measure” at the Teatro di Roma. First appearing on the silver screen in the early 1980s, Castellitto's star began to shine in the early 1990s thanks to his outstanding performance in the films "Tre colonne in cronaca" (1990), "Grande cocomero, Il" (1993; "The Great Pumpkin"), and "Uomo delle stelle, L'" (1995; "The Star Maker").

Castellitto garnered praise for directing and starring in "Libero Burro" (1999) and "Non ti muovere" (2004; "Don't Move") and scooped up awards for his brilliant turn in "Va savoir" (2001; "Who Knows?"), "Concorrenza sleale" (2001; "Unfair Competition"), "Ora di religione (Il sorriso di mia madre” (2002; "The Religion Hour, My Mother’s Smile"), and "Bella Martha" (2001; "Mostly Martha").

Next, Castellitto will portray Prince Caspian's (played by Ben Barnes) corrupt uncle King Miraz in the upcoming film adaptation of C. S. Lewis' children's fantasy novels, "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian," which will be released on May 16, 2008, in the United States.

Rome

Childhood and Family:

In Rome, Italy, Sergio Castellitto was born on August 18, 1953. He graduated from the Silvio D'Amieo National Academy of Dramatic Art in 1978.

Castellitto married author Margaret Mazzantini in 1987. They have four children, Pietro (born in 1992), Maria (born in 1997), Anna (born in 2001) and Cesare (born in 2006).

The Star Maker

Career:

Starting his theatrical career in Italian public theater with Shakespeare's “Measure for Measure” at the Teatro di Roma, Sergio Castellitto played various roles in other plays in the great tradition of Italian comedy. During his two-session stint at the Teatro di Genova, he took on the roles of Tuzenbach in Anton Chekhov's “Three Sisters” and Jean in Strindberg's “Miss Julie,” helmed by the great Czech director Otomar Krejka.

Castellitto enjoyed tremendous success when his production of “Piccoli Equivoci,” by the young Italian playwright Claudio Bigagli, was shown at the Festival Dei Due Mondi in Spoleto. He also staged Peter Handke's “Infelicita Senza Desideri” (aka. “Sorrow Beyond Dreams”) at that same festival.

In the early 1980s, Castellitto made his debut in cinema playing a bit part as a prisoner in a drama/musical film directed by Alfonso Brescia, "Carcerato" (1981), starring Mario Merola. He followed it up with Luciano Tovoli's film adaptation of the fabulous novel by Ismail Kadare, "Generale dell'armata morte, Il" (1983; aka. "The General of the Dead Army"), in which he co-starred with Marcello Mastroianni and Anouk Aimée, and Luciano Odorisio's erotic drama "Momento magico, Il" (1984; aka. "Magic Moments"), alongside Stefania Sandrelli.

After appearing in the historical drama TV movie "Western di cose nostre" (1984; starring Domenico Modugno), Castellitto starred in Alberto Taraglio's 40-minute short comedy film "Tu sei differente" (1985) and in Marco Colli's "Giovanni Senzapensieri" (1986; aka "Carefree Giovanni"). He also played the lead in Claudio Sestieri's "Dolce assenza" (1986), co-wrote and starred in Felice Farina's "Sembra morto... ma è solo svenuto" (1986), as well as appeared in Amanzio Todini's "Non tutto rosa" (1987).

On the small screen, Castellitto could be seen in the TV miniseries "Cinque storie inquietanti" (1987), a mystery, "Siciliano in Sicilia, Un" (1987), a crime/drama starring James Russo, Patti LuPone, and Vincent Gardenia, and "Cinéma" (1988), a drama in which he acted opposite Alain Delon. He was also reunited with Stefania Sandrelli in the made-for-television movie "Come stanno bene insieme" (1989) and was spotted as a guest in a February 1988 episode of the TV series "Piazza Navona."

Meanwhile, Castellitto continued his film work by appearing in Ettore Scola's Oscar-nominated period drama "Famiglia, La" (1987; aka. "The Family"), Margarethe von Trotta's film version of Anton Chekhov's play, "Paura e amore" (1988; aka. "Three Sisters"), starring Fanny Ardant, Greta Scacchi, and Valeria Golino, and in writer/director Luc Besson's romantic drama "Grand bleu, Le" (1988; aka. "The Big Blue"), alongside Rosanna Arquette, Jean-Marc Barr, and Jean Reno. He also portrayed the lead character, Paolo, in Ricky Tognazzi's film adaptation of Claudio Bigagli's romantic comedy play, "Piccoli equivoci" (1989; aka. "Little Misunderstandings").

Entering the new decade, Castellitto was cast in Carlo Vanzina's crime/drama "Tre colonne in cronaca," alongside Gian Maria Volontè, Massimo Dapporto, and Joss Ackland, which won him a David di Donatello Award for Best Supporting Actor. He then worked in Arthur Joffé's comedy "Alberto Express," in which he starred as a young Italian who jumps on a train to Italy to return to his father (played by Nino Manfredi), and Carlo Verdone's comedy "Stasera a casa di Alice," in which he supported Carlo Verdone and Ornella Muti.

He then went on to star as a piano player who falls for a beautiful and voluptuous woman (played by Francesca Dellera) who leaves him paralyzed, in Marco Ferreri's romantic drama "Carne, La" (1991; aka. "The Flesh"). He next portrayed the young Italian composer Gioacchino Rossini in Mario Monicelli's musical/romantic drama "Rossini! Rossini!" (1991; Philippe Noiret portrayed the older version), and co-starred as Chiara Caselli's boyfriend in Giancarlo Soldi's take on Tiziano Sclavi's dark comedy novel, "Nero" (1992).

After appearing in Francesco Calogero's drama "Nessuno" (1992), Castellitto starred as a young psychiatrist who helps an apparently epileptic girl (played by Alessia Fugardi) in writer/director Francesca Archibugi's moving family/drama "Grande cocomero, Il" (1993; aka. "The Great Pumpkin"), which won him a David di Donatello Award fro Best Actor. He also co-starred with Isabelle Adjani in Philomène Esposito's comedy "Toxic Affair" (1993) and teamed up again with Stefania Sandrelli in Francesca Archibugi's drama film based on Federigo Tozzi's novel, "Con gli occhi chiusi" (1994; aka. "With Closed Eyes").

By this time, Castellitto had appeared in the TV movies "Fredda mattina di maggio, Una" (1990; aka "One Cold May Morning"), "Cane sciolto, Un" (1990), "Cane sciolto 2, Un" (1991), and "Cane sciolto 3, Un" (1993), as well as the TV miniseries "Grande Fausto, Il" (1995; aka. "The Price of Victory"), in which he portrayed the real-life Italian cycling champion Fausto Coppi.

The mid 1990s saw Castellitto star as a con man in Giuseppe Tornatore's Oscar nominated drama "Uomo delle stelle, L'" (1995; aka. "The Star Maker"), which earned him an Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists Award for Best Actor, and as a well-known psychiatrist in Yvon Marciano's romantic drama "Cri de la soie, Le" (1996). He also played lead roles in Giovanni Veronesi's comedy "Silenzio si nasce" (1996) and Renato De Maria's "Hotel paura" (1996).

Castellitto supported Helena Bonham Carter and Romane Bohringer in Martine Dugowson's romantic comedy "Portraits chinois" (1996) before being cast in Valérie Lemercier's comedy "Quadrille" (1997) and in Arthur Joffé's fantasy/comedy "Que la lumière soit" (1998; aka. "Let There Be Light"). He would spend the rest of the 1990s in Laetitia Masson's drama "À vendre" (1998; aka. "For Sale"), alongside Sandrine Kiberlain, and in the comedy "Libero Burro" (1999), which he both directed and starred in. The latter film won him a Grand Prize Award at the Mons International Festival of Love Films and Best Italian Film at the Los Angeles Italian Film Awards. Meanwhile, TV viewers could catch him in the TV movies "Pronto" (1997), an adaptation of Elmore Leonard's book in which he co-starred with Peter Falk, Glenne Headly, and James LeGros, and "Don Milani - Il priore di Barbiana" (1997), a biopic in which he portrayed Don Lorenzo Milani.

Hitting the new millennium, Castellitto starred in the novel-based TV miniseries "Victoire, ou la douleur des femmes" and in the book-based TV movie "Padre Pio," in which he portrayed the title role of the Father who carries the Christ's stigmata. He then returned to the silver screen, appearing in Gabriele Muccino's drama/comedy "Ultimo bacio, L'" (2001; aka. "One Last Kiss"), starring Stefano Accorsi and Giovanna Mezzogiorno, and in Ettore Scola's dramatic "Concorrenza sleale" (2001; aka. "Unfair Competition"). He also acted opposite Joe Mantegna and Henry Cavill in Dennis Berry's "Laguna" (2001), opposite Jeanne Balibar and Jacques Bonnaffé in Jacques Rivette's based-on-play "Va savoir" (2001; aka. "Who Knows?").

Castellitto won Best Actor Awards at the Mons International Festival of Love Films, European Film Awards, and Muscat Film Festival, as well as a Best Foreign Actor Award at the Sant Jordi for his outstanding performance as Marion, who falls for Martina Gedeck's character Martha, in Sandra Nettelbeck's German romantic film "Bella Martha" (2001; aka. "Mostly Martha"). The next year, he garnered more Best Actor Awards for his brilliant turn as Ernesto Picciafuocco, a successful painter/illustrator whose mother could become a saint, in writer/director Marco Bellocchio's drama "Ora di religione (Il sorriso di mia madre), L'" (2002; aka. "The Religion Hour (My Mother's Smile)").

Returning to the small screen, Castellitto portrayed the driver and owner of a car company in the TV movie "Ferrari" (2003) and Jules Maigret in the TV movies based on the novels by Georges Simenon, "Maigret: La trappola (2004)" and "Maigret: L'ombra cinese" (2004).

Meanwhile, Castellitto co-starred as Alice Teghil's father in Paolo Virzì's drama/comedy "Caterina va in città" (2003; aka. "Caterina in the Big City") and starred as a man who talks over the phone to his dead father (Michel Serrault's voice) in Arthur Joffé's fantasy/comedy "Ne quittez pas!" (2004; aka. "Local Call").

Castellitto scooped up more awards after directing and starring in the romantic drama film "Non ti muovere" (2004; aka. "Don't Move"). For his work in the film, Castellitto took home a Best Screenplay Award from the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists, a Best Actor Award from David di Donatello, and a Best Film Award from the Flaiano Film Festival.

In the beginning, as he was preparing to make the film, Castellitto was filled with doubts. He recalled, “I wondered whether I'd succeed, not just in telling the novel's story, but also in filling it with the same moral density. Could I film the thin line that divides good from evil, justice from iniquity? Could I film the overpowering of a woman without adding outrage? Could I film a man's criminal selfishness without condemning him?”

In 2006, Castellitto added to his resume work in the films "Regista di matrimoni, Il" (aka. "The Wedding Director"), in which he starred as a filmmaker worried about his daughter marriage with a catholic extremist, and "Paris, je t'aime" (aka. "Paris, I Love You"), in which he played a man who decides to leave his younger lover (played by Leonor Watling) and return to his dying wife (played by Miranda Richardson). He also provided his voice in Luc Besson's animated film "Arthur et les Minimoys," with Freddie Highmore, Mia Farrow, and Madonna, and starred as a laborer who travels from Italy to China in Gianni Amelio's drama "Stella che non c'è, La."

Castellitto recently portrayed Massimo Teglio in the biopic TV movie "Fuga per la libertà - L'aviatore" (2008). He is currently working on his upcoming film, "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian," a fantasy film directed by Andrew Adamson and based on C. S. Lewis' children's fantasy novels in which Castellitto will portray Prince Caspian's (played by Ben Barnes) corrupt uncle King Miraz. The film will be released on May 16, 2008, in the United States, June 5, 2008, in Australia, and June 27, 2008, in the United Kingdom.

Currently, Castellitto is on set working on the upcoming film project "Italians," a comedy written and directed by Giovanni Veronesi in which he will co-star with Riccardo Scamarcio.

Awards:

• Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists: Best Screenplay, "Non ti muovere," 2005

• David di Donatello: Best Actor, "Non ti muovere," 2004

• Flaiano Film Festival: Best Film, "Non ti muovere," 2004

• Sant Jordi: Best Foreign Actor, "Concorrenza sleale," 2003

• Sant Jordi: Best Foreign Actor, "Va savoir," 2003

• Sant Jordi: Best Foreign Actor, "Bella Martha," 2003

• Muscat Film Festival: Best Actor, "Bella Martha," 2003

• European Film: Best Actor, "Bella Martha," 2002

• Mons International Festival of Love Films: Best Actor, "Bella Martha," 2002

• Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists: Best Actor, "Ora di religione (Il sorriso di mia madre), L'," 2002

• Flaiano Film Festival: Best Actor, "Ora di religione (Il sorriso di mia madre), L'," 2002

• European Film: Best Actor (European Film Award), "Ora di religione (Il sorriso di mia madre), L'," 2002

• Mons International Festival of Love Films: Grand Prize, "Libero Burro," 2000

• Los Angeles Italian Film: Best Italian Film, "Libero Burro," 2000

• Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists: Best Actor, "Uomo delle stelle, L'," 1996

• David di Donatello: Best Actor, "Grande cocomero, Il," 1993

• David di Donatello: Best Supporting Actor, "Tre colonne in cronaca," 1990