Paola Cortellesi

Acting

Paola Cortellesi

Born

1973-11-24 (52)

Place of birth

Rome, Lazio, Italy

Known for

Acting

Credits

80 titles

Paola Cortellesi (born 24 November 1973) is an eclectic Italian actress, singer, voice actress, film director, and presenter. She began her career in television with the show Macao, presented by Alba Parietti, but eventually reached nationwide popularity as a comic actress in the TV show Mai dire Gol by the Gialappa's Band (2000), which, in particular, showcased her skills at parodying famous people, a genre where she collected some of her most appreciated performances (the latest one being her parody of Milan's mayor Letizia Moratti in the 2010-2011 edition of the popular TV show Zelig). Other major performances of Cortellesi on television include the 2004 edition of the San Remo Music Fes…

Known for

Film credits

2020s · 17 titles

There's Still Tomorrow poster
8.1

In postwar Rome, a working-class woman dreams of a better future for herself and her daughter while facing abuse at the hands of her domineering husband. When a mysterious letter arrives, she discovers the courage to change the circumstances of her life.

There's Still Tomorrow

2023

Kidz poster
6.0

Sara and Nicola are married and in love. Their lives seem to be perfect: they have an angelic six-year-old daughter, thriving careers and a stable marriage. The birth of their second child, which disrupts the family balance, leads to tragicomic scenarios.

Kidz

2020

I cassamortari poster
5.3

In Rome, the Cassamortari are people who work in the funeral business. The Pasti family's agency was founded by Giuseppe, who is willing to do anything to turn a corpse into money, preferably in black.

I cassamortari

2022

The Absurd Story of Gialappa’s Band poster
NR

Forty years after their beginnings on the frequencies of Radio Popolare, Gialappa’s Band retraces its professional history in a film directed by Walter Veltroni.With his attentive and original perspective, the director takes us through four decades of comedy, invention, and irony, recounting the journey of Giorgio Gherarducci, Marco Santin, and Carlo Taranto, three leading figures who revolutionized the language of entertainment in Italy. L’assurda storia della Gialappa’s Band explores the creative universe of the legendary trio and the mark left by their unique brand of comedy, capable of transcending generations and becoming an integral part of Italian popular culture.

The Absurd Story of Gialappa’s Band

2026

The Legend of the Christmas Witch: The Origins poster
5.9

18th century. Paola, a young, reckless street urchin inadvertently gets in the way of the plans of terrifying Baron De Michelis, a small and mean hunchback always escorted by his trusted (and abused) minion Marmotta, with an unquenchable thirst for power and an unmeasurable hate for witches. The intervention of the sweet and powerful Dolores, a good witch who has devoted her life to children, saves Paola from being burned at the stake. Through a magical apprenticeship, breakneck pursuits, incredible transformations and a whole lot of trouble, Paola will discover that fate has something really special in store for her… And so the legend begins.

The Legend of the Christmas Witch: The Origins

2021

Like a Cat on a Highway 2 poster
6.1

Three years after her relationship with Giovanni, Monica is in prison and has to ask his ex for help.

Like a Cat on a Highway 2

2021

Petra - Giorno da Cani poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Petra - Giorno da Cani

2020

We Are Cinema poster
9.5

An Italian documentary about Italian cinema.

We Are Cinema

2021

Luigi Proietti detto Gigi poster
7.4

Documentary about the film and theater career of the roman actor, Gigi Proietti, who passed away on 2 November 2020

Luigi Proietti detto Gigi

2022

Vitti d'arte, Vitti d'amore poster
7.0

Necessarily far from the spotlights, Monica Vitti shines in a light intact to the eyes of spectators at every latitude. On scene the artistic path and life full of unpredictable events of an actress both introverted and sunny are recalled, through excerpts from her films and television programs, testimonies of friends and colleagues, leading exponents of Italian cinema of yesterday and today, critics, writers and costume experts.

Vitti d'arte, Vitti d'amore

2021

Libero sempre comunque mai poster
8.7

No synopsis available yet.

Libero sempre comunque mai

2025

Carlo Mazzacurati: A Certain Idea of Cinema poster
NR

Explore the life and work of acclaimed Italian filmmaker Carlo Mazzacurati, who passed away in 2014. It delves into his distinctive poetic style, blending genres, and portraying rarely seen parts of Italy with empathy and dignity.

Carlo Mazzacurati: A Certain Idea of Cinema

2024

Petra - Il Silenzio dei Chiostri poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Petra - Il Silenzio dei Chiostri

2025

Petra - Gli Onori di Casa poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Petra - Gli Onori di Casa

2025

Nilde Iotti, il tempo delle donne poster
6.0

Thanks to archive material, reminiscences by those who knew her, and her own reflections vividly recited by actress Paola Cortellesi, the personal story and political career of Nilde Iotti transcends the biographical and touches the core of our own lives today.

Nilde Iotti, il tempo delle donne

2020

No artwork available
7.5

No synopsis available yet.

Petra - Riti di Morte

2020

Marcel! poster
4.8

The young girl, an insomniac. The mother, an artist. The dog, named Marcel. The little girl loves her mother immensely, but her mother loves Marcel more than anything else. Will an unpredictable event allow those circles of love to reconnect?

Marcel!

2022

2010s · 18 titles

Do You See Me? poster
6.4

Serena Bruno is an architect who studied and got several masters in different countries of the world but she decides to go back to Italy so she can live and work there. She will soon find out that her native country is not as open minded and she will struggle to find a job that she truly loves and is passionate about. Along the way she will meet Francesco a gay man who will help and support her throughout her journey.

Do You See Me?

2014

Like a Cat on a Highway poster
6.5

The story of an encounter between a bourgeois man and a poor woman, because their teenage children fall in love.

Like a Cat on a Highway

2017

Escort in Love poster
6.2

35-year-old Alice has a husband and a son. Her life seems a beautiful dream, but it soon turns out to be a nightmare. Her husband dies in a car accident and her lawyer tells her that she is on her uppers. The only way she has to earn money in a short time is by resorting to the oldest job in history.

Escort in Love

2011

Women Vs Men poster
5.5

Anna and Piero fighting routine of a long marriage, when Piero loses his memory, Anna reconstructs his way. For its part, the concierge Rocco and his friend Michele play in a group that emulates the Beatles and face opposition from their partners. Finally, Marcello and Paola are a divorced couple who, from time to time, pretend they are still together to avoid problems. They are victims of a relentless war of sexes.

Women Vs Men

2011

Something New poster
5.7

Lucia and Maria are two best friends, who have known each other from the beginning of their life, but have very different tastes and behaviors. Lucia is done with men, Maria, on the contrary, cannot be without one. One night, the perfect man shows up in Maria's bed: handsome, sensible, mature and passionate.The next morning brings up misunderstandings and lies which make the two friends split up and take a break for themselves. Maybe that young man met by chance is really the one every woman is looking for, because with his simple theories he manages to paint the perfect picture of the two women's lives.

Something New

2016

Wondrous Boccaccio poster
5.8

It's 1348. The plague has brutally hit Florence. A group of then young people, seven women and three men, rebel against the feeling of death that is about to swallow them. They flee the city and find refuge in an abandoned villa in the Tuscan hills. Here, between moral doubts and the tasks needed to survive, they kill time by telling each other stories until they will decide to return. The stories are varied - tragic, bizarre, funny or erotic - but common and central to all of them is the female presence.

Wondrous Boccaccio

2015

Men Vs Women poster
5.8

From married couples to platonic roommates to testy rivals with romantic chemistry, the never-ending battle of the sexes gets personal.

Men Vs Women

2010

Don't Stop Me Now poster
6.3

Paola, a modern woman used to the hardships of modern life, takes her chance to make things right for herself.

Don't Stop Me Now

2019

The Legend of the Christmas Witch poster
5.3

When six elementary school students suspect their missing teacher is Befana, a Christmas witch who delivers presents to good children, they set off on a magical journey to save her.

The Legend of the Christmas Witch

2018

Animeland: Racconti tra manga, anime e cosplay poster
5.0

No synopsis available yet.

Animeland: Racconti tra manga, anime e cosplay

2015

A Boss in the Living Room poster
6.0

Cristina lives a peaceful life until her older brother Ciro, who has to attend a trial, asks to spend house arrests at Cristina’s home.

A Boss in the Living Room

2014

Sotto una buona stella poster
5.8

A wealthy broker, Federico Picchioni, within two days forfeits his partner and work, finishing well to living with two children and granddaughter (abandoned by her father). He is, at this point, in the face of many difficulties of adjustment but finds comfort in the help of his neighbor.

Sotto una buona stella

2014

Mom or Dad? poster
5.8

A divorced couple fights for the custody of their three children: neither of them wants it. Mom wants to leave them to dad, and vice versa.

Mom or Dad?

2017

Some Say No poster
5.8

Some Say No is a new Italian comedy with a very serious subject: the way the country's society is corroded by favoritism that pushes inferior people to the top in virtually every field. In Florence, three thirty-somethings band together to wage their own war on the system. Each of them is a person of talent who has been pushed out by "favorites" or raccomandati, people who have muscled in on the promotions they ought to have gotten by pulling strings.

Some Say No

2011

The Last Will Be the Last poster
6.6

Luciana is a factory worker married to the love of her life. She is living the simple and quiet life she’s always desired: she works and she is deeply in love with her husband Stefano, even if he doesn’t always have a job and they both need to struggle to keep on going. They are happy and always on each other’s side, but shortly after she finds out she’s pregnant, she gets fired and her world starts falling apart. After having tried to have a baby for years, the joy of impending motherhood lasts only a few months. Begging for help but with no one ready to listen to her, completely desperate and shattered, Luciana decides to kidnap the managing director of her former company, asking for the justice she deserves.

The Last Will Be the Last

2015

La fisica dell'acqua poster
5.2

No synopsis available yet.

La fisica dell'acqua

2010

Detective Per Caso poster
4.8

Giulia dreams to become a detective since she was little. When one night her cousin dissapears, Giulia starts searching for him with the help of her friends.

Detective Per Caso

2019

Callas poster
NR

For the first time together, Dario Fo and Paola Cortellesi take the spectator through a journey in the life of Maria Callas in the last play written by Fo and the late Franca Rame.

Callas

2015

2000s · 16 titles

Ask Me If I'm Happy poster
7.7

Aspiring thespians Aldo, Giovanni and Giacomo work dead-end jobs while nurturing their dream production of Cyrano de Bergerac, until love for the same woman tears their friendship apart. Three years later, Giovanni and Giacomo reunite after learning that Aldo is dying.

Ask Me If I'm Happy

2000

Have You Met Claudia? poster
6.7

Claudia is married with Giovanni, a rather dull type. Meek Giacomo is happily divorced, until he meets her. Aldo is a colorful cabbie with whom she had an affair. Who'll win her heart?

Have You Met Claudia?

2004

Maria Montessori: una vita per i bambini poster
6.8

The story of Maria Montessori the most famous pedagogue of the world. She spent all her life to make her "metodo" (method) accepted in the archaic Italian school system, while the rest of the world immediately understand the importance of her theories. She was the first Italian Doctor, a famous feminist, a scientist. Her private life was hit by having an illegitimate son and by the Fascism that didn't want to accept completely her theories.

Maria Montessori: una vita per i bambini

2007

Fiorello & Baldini Visti da dietro poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Fiorello & Baldini Visti da dietro

2006

The Ladies Get Their Say poster
7.2

Every Thursday a group of ladies would gather to play cards and discuss their loves, lives and children while their daughters played in the next room. Thirty years later, the daughters meet at a funeral for one of the mothers. Like their mothers, they discuss their hopes, dreams and fears.

The Ladies Get Their Say

2009

Past Perfect poster
6.0

A pair of summer and winter weekends intertwine in a series of flashbacks involving five friends. Their dreams and expectations overlap with memories of events that took place in the house that they are sharing, which has a particular significance for all of them.

Past Perfect

2003

The last will be the last poster
7.0

The characters find themselves in the same place at the same time because of Colacci Luciana. She has gathered them all at gunpoint in the offices at GreenLife Italia headquarters, the company that fired her because of her pregnancy. She just wants her job back.

The last will be the last

2005

On the Tiger's Back poster
5.7

Plagued by financial problems, ne'er-do-well Guido ends up in jail after faking an armed robbery at his workplace. A year later, just a few days before his release, he's forced by two dangerous inmates to take part in their jailbreak. On the run, Guido sets out to find his partner Antonella, who helped him with the robbery and still has the money.

On the Tiger's Back

2002

Il posto dell'anima poster
7.5

Three workers of a tire factory, in southern Italy, lead the struggle against the American company owner of the factory who wants to close the Italian branch in which they work.

Il posto dell'anima

2003

Piano, Solo poster
6.2

A biopic of jazz pianist Luca Flores.

Piano, Solo

2007

Amarsi può darsi poster
8.0

During their divorce trial, Davide and Giulia go back through episodes of their life together while they listen to a series of witnesses. Do they really want to go different ways?

Amarsi può darsi

2001

Don't Make Any Plans for Tonight poster
5.6

A man jumps into the Tiber two days before Christmas. Alessandro and Irene chat over coffee, while Giorgio and Mariella discuss love and sex. Pietro confesses his pain to Cinzia, Nanni kisses Paola, who is engaged to another, and Andrea loves Veronica secretly. Vittorio falls for a Chinese masseuse, Nicola is infatuated with Cameron Diaz, and Iole waits for a relationship. From September to December, their lives unfold, ending happily or dramatically. Gianluca Maria Tavarelli, uncomfortable with portraying a younger generation in Liberi, returns to filming about his own age after a busy TV break.

Don't Make Any Plans for Tonight

2007

If I Were You poster
6.1

No synopsis available yet.

If I Were You

2001

Un altr'anno e poi cresco poster
9.0

No synopsis available yet.

Un altr'anno e poi cresco

2001

Christmas at Deejay's House: A Christmas Carol poster
6.7

Miser Ebenezer Scrooge is awakened on Christmas Eve by spirits who reveal to him his own miserable existence, what opportunities he wasted in his youth, his current cruelties, and the dire fate that awaits him if he does not change his ways. Scrooge is faced with his own story of growing bitterness and meanness, and must decide what his own future will hold: death or redemption. A reinterpretation of Charles Dickens' timeless 1843 novella by the cast of Radio Deejay.

Christmas at Deejay's House: A Christmas Carol

2004

Bell'amico poster
9.0

No synopsis available yet.

Bell'amico

2003

Series credits

Sanremo Music Festival poster
7.9

The Sanremo Music Festival is the most popular Italian song contest and awards, held annually in the town of Sanremo, Imperia, Italy, and consisting of a competition amongst previously unreleased songs. The Festival was the inspiration for the Eurovision Song Contest.

Sanremo Music Festival

1951

Sanremo Music Festival poster
7.9

The Sanremo Music Festival is the most popular Italian song contest and awards, held annually in the town of Sanremo, Imperia, Italy, and consisting of a competition amongst previously unreleased songs. The Festival was the inspiration for the Eurovision Song Contest.

Sanremo Music Festival

1951

Never Say Goal poster
8.2

No synopsis available yet.

Never Say Goal

1990

GialappaShow poster
7.8

Marco Santin and Giorgio Gherarducci - supported in the studio by Mago Forest, a great cast of comedians and many surprise guests - comment with biting irony on the most popular TV programs, the main sporting events and the last web trends.

GialappaShow

2023

Everyone's Crazy About Love poster
7.4

Paolo Giorgi and Laura Del Fiore, coincidentally approaching their forties, find themselves sharing the ups and downs of life with growing children, extended families, and a hilarious love story.

Everyone's Crazy About Love

2008

Zelig poster
7.8

No synopsis available yet.

Zelig

1997

Mai dire grande fratello poster
8.8

No synopsis available yet.

Mai dire grande fratello

2000

Peccato poster
NR

2049. Emanuela Fanelli is 63 years old and lives alone in a small isolated mountain village in Valle d'Aosta. She doesn't act anymore, she shied away from cameras and has been forgotten by the showbiz. Through a ironic and speculative tone, Peccato interrogates on the reasons of the actress' retreat, by a "what if" narrative that goes back through Fanelli's carreer and the mysterious scandal that caused her downfall.

Peccato

2026

Dinner Club poster
7.2

Michelin-starred chef Carlo Cracco undertakes six trips across Italy to rediscover its most authentic cuisine with famous actors for each destination.

Dinner Club

2021

Mai dire domenica poster
8.8

Show commented by Gialappa's

Mai dire domenica

2002

Call My Agent: Italy poster
7.4

Welcome behind the scenes of Italian show business from the point of view of those in charge of managing the careers - and lives - of the stars: the agents. Lea, Gabriele, Vittorio and Elvira are the soul of CMA and they give their souls to it, ready for anything to make their stars shine. Managers, friends, confidants and psychologists: a good agent is all that and more. And they, each with their own style, are the best. Between hectic days and mundane nights, it's their personal lives that lose out -- but deep down they have too much fun to notice. With the departure of founder Claudio Maiorana, however, things will get a little more complicated.

Call My Agent: Italy

2023

Petra poster
6.8

Genoa. Two failed marriages behind her, free from romantic ties, unconventional, and constantly searching for her place in the world, protagonist Petra Delicato—played by Paola Cortellesi—formerly a lawyer, now an inspector in the Flying Squad. Thanks to her new assignment, which will lead her to face new challenges, she will be able to get back on track, not only professionally. Her frankness, her direct manner, and her biting, witty wit will also shape her relationship with her colleague Monte (Andrea Pennacchi), with whom, despite their numerous personality differences, she will build a solid professional affinity as well as a sincere friendship.

Petra

2020

Directors Talks poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Directors Talks

2023

Laura & Paola poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Laura & Paola

2016

Longlasting Youth poster
4.0

After the death of its youngest son, the lives of a Roman family take separate paths.

Longlasting Youth

2010

No artwork available
NR

Paola Cortellesi one woman show

Nessundorma

2004

No artwork available
NR

The show's format and scenography are inspired by classic Italian variety shows from the 1960s, such as Studio Uno: Non perdiamoci di vista (Let's Not Lose Sight), which featured various performances (vocal, acting, and satirical) by Paola Cortellesi, assisted by co-host Francesco Mandelli, and interspersed with guest appearances. Each episode had a central theme, and all the guest appearances focused on that theme; in addition, several testimonials from ordinary people related to the theme were presented.

Let's Not Lose Sight of Each Other

2008

Behind the camera

Do You See Me? poster
6.4

Serena Bruno is an architect who studied and got several masters in different countries of the world but she decides to go back to Italy so she can live and work there. She will soon find out that her native country is not as open minded and she will struggle to find a job that she truly loves and is passionate about. Along the way she will meet Francesco a gay man who will help and support her throughout her journey.

Do You See Me?

2014

There's Still Tomorrow poster
8.1

In postwar Rome, a working-class woman dreams of a better future for herself and her daughter while facing abuse at the hands of her domineering husband. When a mysterious letter arrives, she discovers the courage to change the circumstances of her life.

There's Still Tomorrow

2023

There's Still Tomorrow poster
8.1

In postwar Rome, a working-class woman dreams of a better future for herself and her daughter while facing abuse at the hands of her domineering husband. When a mysterious letter arrives, she discovers the courage to change the circumstances of her life.

There's Still Tomorrow

2023

Like a Cat on a Highway poster
6.5

The story of an encounter between a bourgeois man and a poor woman, because their teenage children fall in love.

Like a Cat on a Highway

2017

Something New poster
5.7

Lucia and Maria are two best friends, who have known each other from the beginning of their life, but have very different tastes and behaviors. Lucia is done with men, Maria, on the contrary, cannot be without one. One night, the perfect man shows up in Maria's bed: handsome, sensible, mature and passionate.The next morning brings up misunderstandings and lies which make the two friends split up and take a break for themselves. Maybe that young man met by chance is really the one every woman is looking for, because with his simple theories he manages to paint the perfect picture of the two women's lives.

Something New

2016

Don't Stop Me Now poster
6.3

Paola, a modern woman used to the hardships of modern life, takes her chance to make things right for herself.

Don't Stop Me Now

2019

Like a Cat on a Highway 2 poster
6.1

Three years after her relationship with Giovanni, Monica is in prison and has to ask his ex for help.

Like a Cat on a Highway 2

2021

The last will be the last poster
7.0

The characters find themselves in the same place at the same time because of Colacci Luciana. She has gathered them all at gunpoint in the offices at GreenLife Italia headquarters, the company that fired her because of her pregnancy. She just wants her job back.

The last will be the last

2005

Mom or Dad? poster
5.8

A divorced couple fights for the custody of their three children: neither of them wants it. Mom wants to leave them to dad, and vice versa.

Mom or Dad?

2017

The Last Will Be the Last poster
6.6

Luciana is a factory worker married to the love of her life. She is living the simple and quiet life she’s always desired: she works and she is deeply in love with her husband Stefano, even if he doesn’t always have a job and they both need to struggle to keep on going. They are happy and always on each other’s side, but shortly after she finds out she’s pregnant, she gets fired and her world starts falling apart. After having tried to have a baby for years, the joy of impending motherhood lasts only a few months. Begging for help but with no one ready to listen to her, completely desperate and shattered, Luciana decides to kidnap the managing director of her former company, asking for the justice she deserves.

The Last Will Be the Last

2015

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Finché dura

—

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Finché dura

—