Checco Zalone


Checco Zalone, art name of Luca Pasquale Medici, is an Italian actor, musician, singer-songwriter, imitator, comedian and screenwriter. He co-wrote and starred in the three highest-grossing Italian films in Italy headed by Quo Vado?.

Biography and career

Born in Capurso, after being a regular in many editions of the Canale 5 variety show Zelig, he became famous in 2006 thanks to the song "Siamo una squadra fortissimi", celebrating the Italian team just before the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
In 2009 he co-wrote and starred in Cado dalle nubi, co-written by Gennaro Nunziante, who also directed.
In 2011 he again co-wrote and starred in Che bella giornata also co-written and directed by Nunziante. It opened with a record Italian opening weekend of $9.4 million and became the highest-grossing Italian film of all-time in Italy, grossing €43.4 million, surpassing Roberto Benigni's Life Is Beautiful. Life Is Beautiful retained the worldwide record for an Italian film with $70 million worldwide.
In 2013, he and Nunziante followed it up with Sole a catinelle which surpassed it with an opening record of €19.2 million and a total gross of €51.9 million.
In January 2016, his and Nunziate's next film Quo Vado? set another opening weekend record grossing over €22m over the three-day holiday weekend and went on to become the highest-grossing Italian film of all-time with €65.3 million, second only to Avatar in Italy with €65.7 million.
His and Nunziate's films are currently the second, third and fifth highest-grossing films in Italy.

Filmography