Marcello Mastroianni's centenary: a legacy of Italian cinema

On September 28, 2024, Marcello Mastroianni would have turned 100. Born in 1924, the actor—nephew of sculptor Umberto Mastroianni—studied as a building surveyor and worked as a draftsman before hiding in Venice during the war. He began his stage career in 1948 at the university theater in Rome, where his first scene partner was Giulietta Masina. His talent was soon flagged to Luchino Visconti, leading to a role in Shakespeare's "Rosalinda or As You Like It" (1948). Mastroianni's film debut came in the early 1950s with directors like Luciano Emmer, Mario Monicelli, and Steno. His breakthrough arrived with "Peccato che sia una canaglia" (1954) by Alessandro Blasetti, the first of many films with Sophia Loren. Together they worked with Vittorio De Sica on "Ieri oggi domani," "Matrimonio all'italiana," and "I girasoli," as well as Ettore Scola's "Una giornata particolare" and Robert Altman's "Prêt-à-porter." Mastroianni's most iconic collaboration was with Federico Fellini, beginning with "La dolce vita" (1960)—a role originally intended for Paul Newman—and continuing with "8½," where Fellini cast him as his alter ego. Other Fellini films include "La città delle donne," "Ginger e Fred," and "Intervista." To explore Mastroianni's legacy, Christophe Honoré's film "Marcello Mio" (2024) stars Chiara Mastroianni, the actor's daughter with Catherine Deneuve, as she channels her father. The actress described it as "a joyful séance with my father."