Italian Cinema Today

Claudio Santamaria and his wife author/journalist Francesca Barra in Rome A recent New York Times Magazine article stated the actors belonging to the new concept of a character actor are, instead of playing types, hired for “their ability to play no type at all, to disappear into roles completely while at the same time imbuing their performances with something memorable; they are chameleons in the truest sense of that word.” This description certainly applies to Claudio Santamaria. Born in Rome in 1974, Santamaria began his acting career in 1997, quickly making a name for himself while working with the likes of Bernardo Bertolucci, Bud Spencer and Monica Bellucci. In 2001, he emerged as a major force in contemporary Italian cinema with his performance  in Gabriele Muccino’s record-breaking "l'ultimo bacio"  (The Last Kiss). As Paolo, brash Gen Xer forced to come to terms with getting older, being responsible and letting go of a lost love, he plays the leader o...