Origins & Early Life

Massimo Troisi (Italian pronunciation: [ˈmassimo troˈiːzi]; 19 February 1953 – 4 June 1994) was an Italian actor, cabaret performer, comedian, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his works in the films I'm Starting back from Three (1981) and Il Postino: The Postman (1994), for which he was posthumously nominated for two Oscars. He won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for his performance in the film What Time Is It? (1989).

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Nicknamed "the comedian of feelings", he is considered one of the most important actors of Italian theater and cinema. Troisi was born into a large family in San Giorgio a Cremano, a town near Naples. His father Alfredo was a train engineer. Some of his family experiences were later told in his first films. After secondary school, Troisi wrote some poems inspired by his favourite author, Pier Paolo Pasolini, winning a youth poetry prize in his name, while also imitating him in sketches.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In 1969 he started to play in a small local theatre together with some childhood friends (including Lello Arena and Enzo Decaro). Trois's increasingly serious heart problems began in his teenage years, after he suffered from a bout of rheumatic...

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