Valerio Mastandrea was born on February 14, 1972 in Garbatella, Rome, Lazio, Italy. He died on January 14, 2016 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. Salvatore Cascio was born on November 8, 1979 in Palazzo Adriano, Sicily, Italy. In a 2018 interview with The New Paper, Momoa talked about Aquaman's significance to mixed-race people, saying, "And honestly, to be the first mixed-race superhero in 2018 that is a huge honor. In a 2016 interview with Ta-Nehisi Coates for the Atlantic, Obama said, "there is no doubt that as a mixed child, as the child of an African and a white woman, who was very close to white grandparents who came from Kansas, that I think the working assumption of discrimination, the working assumption that white people would not treat me right or give me an opportunity, or judge me on the basis of meritthat kind of working assumption is less embedded in my psyche than it is, say, with Michelle. Anyone else you'd hoped to see on this list? He is an actor, known for Il Divo (2008), Love and Bullets (2017) and Song of Napoli (2013). Raf Vallone was an internationally acclaimed Italian movie star known for his rugged good looks. The worlds first black pilot, Domenico Mondelli, and the European boxing champion, Leone Jacovacci, both saw their careers subtly overshadowed in some ways as a result of a black man not being able to represent the country. This type of racism was most times not aggressive. RedFor me its all connected. I think that's always been the part that I felt most insecure about. I was like, Am I Pacific Islander? After three years in Athens with her mother and another three in Naples with her father, she began to work as a model. Denzel Washington. He was an actor and director, known for Pugili (1995), Escalation (1968) and The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (1970). Adama SannehFor me theres been many moments, from the day I was able to recollect any sense of self. Its too often a case where people form opinions of others and culture based on what the media showcases instead of first hand experiences. StellaI think it has to begin with us. Next thing we, and he, knew, the Marvel. JordanYoure from both sides of two very different cultures. Im good with it. Paris Hilton exuded gothic glamor as she attended her first-ever Met Gala in NYC on Monday.. Sun Sign: Pisces. (He's also married to and has two kids with Lisa Bonet.) He is a writer and actor, known for Gomorrah (2008), Mid-August Lunch (2008) and Citizens of the World (2019). JordanIn the current political climate, and in the era of Matteo Salvini, how have attitudes towards people of color changed? He is an actor and director, known for The Hand of God (2021), Loose Cannons (2010) and Il silenzio grande (2021). He died on February 19, 2019 in Negrar, Veneto, Italy. He was married to Lydia Brazzi until her death, and to Ilse Fischer, his second wife, until his death.He's most familiar to English-speaking audiences for his role as Emile De Becque in South Pacific (1958), playing opposite Mitzi Gaynor.He died Born in Bologna, she is an actress and photographer. Let us know in the comments! The most recent appointment of Trump-like Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has caused a subtle uprise of racism, xenophobia, and cultural segregation in the country, leaving immigrants, people of color, and Afro-Italians feeling in some ways robbed of their safe space. He began working in theatre and television, where he was soon noticed as one of the most promising actors of his generation. Stella Jean, 39, Haitian-Italian, Fashion Designer. I represent young Black women, and Im proud of that. Obsessed with travel? Amedeo Nazzari was born on December 10, 1907 in Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy. This is my natural hair, these are my natural eyes! I was a mixed-race girl with a Korean-Japanese mother and an African American father, and none of the other kids at my school were like me. When asked about the struggles she encountered trying to establish herself in a 2019 interview with Prestige Hong Kong, Munn revealed, "Id go out for so many auditions, for everything. Thats what you are. And so, so many parts of your heritage are just squashed. 33 names 1. Thats part of it all. JordanHow does it feel to be the first black Italian designer and the only person of colour on the runways during Milan Fashion Week? In Tell us what you think about this feature. 2. Blaxploitalian: Italy, in Black and White - La Voce di New York I was, like, the only one thats this weird mutant, mutt using an antiquated phrase that Im not asking anyone else to ever use again, but Im embracing it mulatto girl. In 1946, at age 16, she won the Miss Rome beauty pageant and through this, she obtained role in a Maria Della Costa film. Tell us what you think about this feature. He was previously married to Annie Girardot. And theres a lot of very archetypal experiences that we have that are the contradictions of these two heritages. And then Id be told, 'Youre too Asian' or 'Youre too white.' 150 Famous Male Actors - List Challenges Both my parents are mixed. H.E.R. Im mixed. In what ways has that influenced your art and the way you work? They have to stop being naive, and acknowledge that just because they dont understand or see it, does not mean it does not exist. Most associate Gwen Stefani, Barack Obama, or Robert De Niro with ethnicities other than Irish. Roberto Herlitzka was born on October 2, 1937 in Turin, Piedmont, Italy. He died on August 6, 1990 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. If, tomorrow, I was to become a famous actress or singer, I would be proclaimed as only Italian. She died on January 11, 2013 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. He was an actor, known for Seduced and Abandoned (1964), The Godfather (1972) and In the Name of the Law (1949). Other famous actresses and celebrity women who are half Black include Vanessa Williams, Rashida Jones, and Lisa Bonet. She was an actress and writer, known for Flash Gordon (1980), Swept Away (1974) and Love & Anarchy (1973). He was born in Naples in 1901. My peers were not very accepting of this. Mobster Actors - IMDb He died on August 5, 2022 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. After several supporting appearances in Lino Capolicchio was born on August 21, 1943 in Merano, Italy. Stunning Italian actress Virna Lisi, a brief but lovely Hollywood import in the 1960's, was merely one of a plethora of European movie beauties who proved over the course of their long careers, that they were capable of more than just visual performances.Born Virna Lisa Pieralisi on November 8, Lea Massari was born on June 30, 1933 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. He was previously married to Margherita Buy. In a 2006 interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Aoki discussed her identity, "My mom is German-English. He was an actor and writer, known for Rome, Open City (1945), The Respectful Whore (1952) and Paisan (1946). ", Shakira is of Colombian and Lebanese heritage. He died on June 4, 2004 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. He died on May 23, 1970 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. In 1970 he also played in water-polo first division in Italy, and in the junior National team. How Iranian am I? and it's hard when you're both to feel as though you can coexist as both and be fully both. Because no one can see what we see and no one can grow up with what we grew up with. They have two children. AdamaI think whats currently happening is quite similar to whats happening to many other nations across the worldthe US, Brazil, etcetera. In 1975 he was co-founder of the stage company Teatro dei Mutamenti, in which he was active until Filippo Scotti (Gravedona, 22 December 1999) is an Italian actor, protagonist of the film It was the hand of God presented at the Venice Film Festival 2021, with which he won the Marcello Mastroianni Award as best emerging actor.He began his acting career in 2010, when he enrolled in various Massimiliano Gallo was born on June 19, 1968 in Naples, Campania, Italy. He began his acting career in theater, following with film comedies. He is an actor, known for Black Souls (2014), La velocit della luce (2007) and We Believed (2010). Died: January 6, 2022. He was an actor and writer, known for Romance (1986), Vanit (1947) and I cadetti di Guascogna (1950). He is an actor and director, known for Dogman (2018), Asino vola (2015) and Il posto della felicit (2019). After several supporting appearances in Marcello Mastroianni was born in Fontana Liri, Italy in 1924, but soon his family moved to Turin and then Rome. And kids always personalize things., When asked if people often question which side she identifies with more, Rudolph answered, "Yeah," and added, "Meeting other mixed kids has always affected me. It actually means mule.". "I identify as exactly what I am both. Giancarlo Giannini is an Oscar-nominated Italian actor, director and multilingual dubber who made an international reputation for his leading roles in Italian films as well as for his mastery of a variety of languages and dialects.He was born August 1, 1942, in La Spezia, Italy. I dont know what that feels like. I think a lot of that made me want to blend in or not be looked at as Black. He studied acting at the National Academy of Dramatic Arts, with Orazio Costa Giovangigli, and improved his training working with Dario Fo and Vittorio Gassman. '", Mariah Carey is of Black and Irish heritage. Born in Milan in 1933, Gian Maria Volont studied in Rome at the National Dramatic Arts Academy, where he obtained his degree in 1957. Alla Nazimova's friend Natacha Rambova (nee Winifred Hudnut) became romantically involved with Rudy and they lived together in her bungalow from 1921 (during the filming of Camille) until they Strongman who won role of Maciste in Cabiria (1914), and took the character's name as his own stage name in a series of films for the next 14 years. Germay Y.G. Because I didnt realize people were just staring at my mother, like, Wow, thats her daughter! I didnt know; I was a kid. Top Ten Italian Actors | ITALY Magazine 44 Famous Short Actors | List of Short Male Actors - The Modest Man And if you're mixed too, do you relate? He was previously married to Franco Branciaroli was born on May 27, 1947 in Milan, Lombardy, Italy. The never-aging queen of pop music is known to be Colombian, however, her full name translates to "full of sunshine" in Arabic. He died on November 5, 1979 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. PaolaWe always try to create a mixture of both cultures, from when we were younger, creating European styled bikinis with African fabrics. He has lived in Rome and Paris. No. 100+ Famous Anthonys | List of Famous People Named Tony - Ranker He was an actor and writer, known for Il peccato degli anni verdi (1960), Don't Look Now (1973) and Cinema Paradiso (1988). Elegant, urbane and well-spoken, Gabriele Ferzetti was one of Italy's most prominent international stars of the 1950's and 60's. His father is former professional wrestler Rocky Johnson, who was the first black Georgia heavyweight champion. At school, it was not comfortable. I cried all the time. And I relate so much more with my Asian side. He is an actor, known for Cos ridevano (1998), Hudson Hawk (1991) and Captain Alatriste: The Spanish Musketeer (2006). ", Henry Golding is of English and Malaysian heritage. In a 2017 interview with Vulture, Halsey discussed her childhood, "When I was little, if someone saw me and my dad walking through, like, a grocery store parking lot, women would come up to us and be like, Sweetie, are you okay? Because they saw a little white girl walking with a Black man., She conluded, Maybe people wont accept that Im half Black, but they could be not accepting me because I am, and thats much worse., Barack Obama is of Luo, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, German and Swiss heritage. Us of African descent have to gain a complete understanding that what we have and who we are is something to be treasured and nurtured, and more importantly, fed constantly with knowledge. In a 2019 interview with 34th Street about Mixed Feelings, Jogia shared, "I realized the collective mixed experience is so similar. My point was: I am who I am. He was born at Basiliano, Friuli. By the late 1920s he was a successful matinee One of Italy's most captivating and talented cinematic comedy stars, Italian veteran Alberto Sordi was known for satirizing his country's social mores in pungent black comedies, farcical tales and grim drama. Paolo Villaggio was born on December 30, 1932 in Genoa, Liguria, Italy. He has been married to Elena Montagna since July 29, 1989. I identify more with what I look like because thats how I got treated. He died on June 4, 2004 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. But at the end of the day, I never felt white. He was an actor and composer, known for The Overcoat (1952), Zodiac (2007) and The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1969). He opened up about being mixed race in a 2018 interview with Bustle: "I felt like if you were an Asian mix, were you allowed to belong in any society or were you just meant to be on the outskirts? Im not even embracing it. 5. We are all unified in the similarities of the experience. Rinaldo Smordoni was born on February 5, 1933 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. Her parents are the famous Diana Ross and Bob Ellis. He is an actor, known for The Exterminators of the Year 3000 (1983), City of the Living Dead (1980) and Classe di ferro (1989). He met Franco Franchi in 1954, and they formed a memorable duo in over 130 films, but he showed his talent in many films of important Italian directors, Fellini, Comencini and Pasolini. She talked about struggling at school due to her cultural background in a 2016 interview with Cosmopolitan, explaining, "I was so uncomfortable being Filipino. I was attending an Italian school where I was the only black person in the school, and although I am black, I am also Italian. He was honored twice off-Broadway with Distinguished Performance OBIE Award, first in 1960 for "Machinal" and again in 1969 for "Passing Through From Exotic Places." Unfortunately, this political propaganda is mainly based on fear and ignorance, hatred and xenophobia, and has lead to a prejudiced mass hysteria of some sort. JordanYoure from both sides of two very different cultures. Speaking to her background in an interview with Teen Vogue, she said, "There were moments growing up where youre like, 'Oh, I dont really feel Indian enough.' He is an actor, known for Bicycle Thieves (1948), The Barefoot Contessa (1954) and A Tale of Five Women (1951). He is an actor, known for Black Souls (2014), La velocit della luce (2007) and We Believed (2010). His first play , Little Misunderstandings, played by Sergio Castellitto, was staged with Rossano Brazzi was an Italian stage and film actor. In the creative industries and in general? The world still has a backward vision on how they view Africans. He debuted in films as an extra in Marionette (1939), then started working for the Italian Renato Salvatori was born on March 20, 1933 in Seravezza, Tuscany, Italy. The environment I played in was always a difficult one to be in. They have one child. The Greatest Italian Actors - The Famous People Riccardo Scamarcio was born on November 13, 1979 in Trani, Apulia, Italy. He was an actor, known for The Spider's Stratagem (1970), San Michele aveva un gallo (1972) and The Seagull (1977). He was an actor and assistant director, known for Goodfellas (1990), Cape Fear (1991) and After Hours (1985). He lives in Rome, where since he was a kid he devotes himself to his two passions: cinema and water-polo. But now Im at a place where Im like you know what? She was previously married to Federico Fachinetti and Alessio Orano. She died on February 2, 2022 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. You might need to figure it out, but Im fine with it. US residents can opt out of "sales" of personal data. List of Italian-American actors - Wikipedia See answer (1) Copy. Sophia Loren. And now Im so in love with my culture and so proud to be Black. 8 Afro-Italian creatives share their struggle to be seen. He was an actor and director, known for The Godfather (1972), The Godfather Part III (1990) and Accattone (1961). Considered one of the leading figures of Italian innovation in theater, Cecchi alternates the work of stage and film actor to that of a theater director. From young to old, the popular Black male actors that are featured on this list include some of the best actors of all time including, Morgan Freeman, Don Cheadle, Samuel L. Jackson, Ossie Davis, Forest Whitaker, Danny Glover, and Eddie Murphy. ", Golding expanded, saying, "Just because by blood I'm not full Asian doesn't mean I can't own my Asianness. He began working in theatre and television, where he was soon noticed as one of the most promising actors of his generation. Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. was born on December 28, 1954 in Mount Vernon, New York. I had to pay my rent, and Hollywood is racist and wouldnt cast me with a last name that made them uncomfortable., Pete's mother is half-Black and his father is white, and he trended on Twitter in 2020 when a lot of people realized that he is biracial. Gastone Moschin was born on June 8, 1929 in San Giovanni Lupatoto, Veneto, Italy. I was nearly six feet tall by the time I was 11 years old. Then he got the role of Tony Stark, aka Iron Man. In a 2012 interview with CNN, Key described being ostracized by Black classmates when they realized his mom is white, "For me, it was very hard and rough. One of the biggest internationally recognized Italian actresses, Valeria Golino was born in Naples in 1966 and was raised between Naples and Athens. First Carmelo Di Mazzarelli was born on September 13, 1918 in Mazzarelli, Italy. 1. Yara Shahidi Leon Bennett / Getty Images Yara Shahidi is of Black and Iranian heritage. This is an Italian tv-series where one of the most outstanding of the young italian actors, Michele Rosiello is one of the main actors. Marcello Fonte was born on November 7, 1978 in Melito di Porto Salvo, Calabria, Italy. He debuted on stage in 1943 and soon felt home in all classical theatre works. He is an actor and producer, known for World War Z (2013), Rush (2013) and Angels & Demons (2009). Document spoke to Afro-Italian creatives about their experiences, struggles, and hopes for the futurenot in an attempt to point fingers at the nation, but simply in service of acknowledging their existence. She was an actress and writer, known for L'Avventura (1960), L'Eclisse (1962) and Red Desert (1964). 1. ", Markle continued, "'And they're divorced?' Reporting on what you care about. She has acted, among others, for Michelangelo Antonioni, Liliana Cavani, Marco Tullio Giordana, Gus Van Sant, and Mia Handsen-Love. Other than safety, I see not many benefits for those who flee from war in hopes to meet a better future. He is an actor and producer, known for Perfect Strangers (2016), Ride (2018) and Balancing Act (2012). Born in Paris, Flavio grew up between France and Italy, learning to speak both languages.Between 1993 and 1999 he studied in France, at the International boarding school of Valbonne (C.I.V), where he achieved an International Baccalaureat and learned to speak English fluently.In 2002 He graduated Francesco Scianna was born on March 25, 1982 in Palermo, Sicily, Italy. She was 17 years old and studying at the Centro Sperimentale in Rome when she entered a beauty contest, which resulted in her getting a succession of small film roles. Equally proud.