Christian De Sica


Christian De Sica is an Italian actor, director, scriptwriter and singer.

Life

De Sica was born in Rome, Italy, the second son of Italian director Vittorio De Sica and Spanish actress María Mercader. His uncle was Ramón Mercader, the murderer of Leon Trotsky.
After attending liceo classico in Rome, he worked in a hotel in Venezuela, where he began his career as an artist. He enrolled in "Lettere" at La Sapienza university, but did not graduate.
He was attracted to music, and participated in the Sanremo Festival singing "Mondo mio" . However, the results convinced him to follow in his father's footsteps and devote himself to acting. De Sica developed his own style of comedy and entertainment also in Rai television shows, such as Bambole, non c'è una lira which gave him a large success in 1978.

Acting career

With his father's help, he was able to take his first steps in the movie world with such teachers and mentors as Roberto Rossellini, Vittorio De Sica himself, Pupi Avati and Salvatore Samperi.

He married Silvia Verdone, sister of Carlo, with whom he had two children Brando and Mariarosa. He was directed by Verdone in Borotalco and Compagni di scuola.
After Night club, the last film directed by Italian director Sergio Corbucci, Christian De Sica became one of the most famous interpreters of the "cine-panettone" and formed till 2005 a couple with actor Massimo Boldi. They acted together in the series of Vacanze di Natale and A spasso nel tempo, Paparazzi, Tifosi and Christmas in Love. Afterwards, he played with actor Neri Parenti in Natale a New York, Natale in crociera and Natale a Rio. These films, done in burlesque style, tend to be well received at the box office, if not by critics, at times even outstripping better known and expensively made movies such as the Harry Potter series.
As an actor, De Sica has won three David di Donatello awards: a prize for Giovannino in 1976, a special one together with Massimo Boldi in 2000, and a third one in 2009.
He received the America Award of the Italy-USA Foundation in 2016.

Directing career

Since 1990 Christian De Sica has also been a director: he debuted with Faccione, whose script he wrote and tailor-made for actress Nadia Rinaldi. After Count Max, a homage to the cinema of his father and of Mario Camerini, that he interpreted with Ornella Muti, Anita Ekberg and his mother Maria Mercader, De Sica went on self-directing in Ricky & Barabba, Men Men Men, Tre, Simpatici & antipatici and The Clan.
A great admirer of Frank Sinatra and above all of Marlon Brando, he named his first child Brando in honor of the American actor. Criticism has often likened his acting to that of Alberto Sordi, from whom De Sica has drawn a lot of his expressions.

Filmography

As director