Akademik

(I960-)

   Actress. Braschi studied acting at the National Academy of Dramatic Art in Rome before making her film debut in Roberto Benigni's Tu mi turbi (You Disturb Me, 1982) where, in one of the four episodes, she played the part of the Virgin Mary. She subsequently appeared in Giuseppe Bertolucci's Segreti segreti (Secrets Secrets, 1985) and as Benigni's love interest in Jim Jarmusch's Down by Law (1986). After playing a female devil in Benigni's Il piccolo diavolo (The Little Devil, 1988) and the Italian tourist in Memphis in the second story of Jarmusch's Mystery Train (1989), she again appeared as Benigni's love interest in Johnny Stecchino (1991) and indeed married Benigni that year. After a strong supporting role in Roberto Faenza's Sostiena Pereira (According to Pereira, 1995) and appearing as Pasolini's niece in Marco Tullio Giordana's Pasolini, un delitto italiano (Pasolini, an Italian Crime, 1995), Braschi played the part of Dora, the wife and mother, in Benigni's Oscar-winning La vita e bella (Life Is Beautiful, 1997). In the same year she was awarded the David di Donatello for Best Supporting Actress for her interpretation of the school teacher Giovanna in Paolo Virzi's coming-of-age film, Ovosodo (Hardboiled Egg, 1997). While continuing her professional partnership with her husband—she has acted in and also produced both Benigni's Pinocchio (Roberto Benigni's Pinocchio, 2002) and his more recent La tigre e la neve (The Tiger and the Snow, 2005)—she has also distinguished herself playing the lead role in Francesca Comencini's powerful workplace drama, Mi piace lavorare—mobbing (I Like to Work—Mobbing, 2004), for which she received a nomination for the Nastro d'argento.