Massimo Troisi

Massimo Troisi (born 19 February 1953 in San Giorgio a Cremano, Italy) was a seminal Italian actor, screenwriter, film director and cabaret performer, celebrated for his uniquely emotive comedy and his profound influence on modern Italian cinema. Growing up in a large family as the son of a train engineer, Troisi discovered poetry and comedy early, winning a youth poetry prize inspired by Pier Paolo Pasolini and forming a local theatre group with childhood friends Lello Arena and Enzo Decaro. In 1972 he co‑founded the comic trio “I Saraceni” and later “La Smorfia”, whose blend of facial mimicry, hesitant speech and Neapolitan theatrical traditions propelled them to national fame through radio and television programs such as Non Stop, La sberla and Luna Park. Troisi’s film debut came with Ricomincio da tre (1981), a semi‑autobiographical comedy that earned critical acclaim and established him as a leading voice of the 1980s, a success he repeated with Scusate il ritardo (1983) and the time‑travel farce Non ci resta che piangere (1984) alongside Roberto Benigni. Throughout the late 1980s he collaborated with auteurs like Ettore Scola and directed Le vie del Signore sono finite (1987), winning a Silver Ribbon for screenplay, while his on‑screen chemistry with Marcello Mastroianni earned them a Volpi Cup for Best Actor in Che ora è? (1989). His later works, including Pensavo fosse amore, invece era un calesse (1991), continued to explore everyday romantic anxieties with poetic humor.
Though plagued by a rheumatic‑induced heart condition since adolescence—a problem that required a valve operation in 1976—Troisi persisted in his craft, famously postponing a heart transplant to complete Michael Radford’s Il Postino (1994). The film’s tender portrayal of a postman’s friendship with poet Pablo Neruda brought Troisi international recognition and posthumous Oscar nominations for Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay, making him one of the few actors ever nominated after death. He succumbed to a heart attack on 4 June 1994, just hours after filming wrapped, leaving a legacy of heartfelt storytelling that continues to inspire Italian and world cinema.