Famous Italian Media Personalities

Antonio Gramsci was an Italian politician, journalist, philosopher, linguist, and writer. A founding member of the Communist Party of Italy, Gramsci went on to serve as the leader of the party before he was arrested by Benito Mussolini's Fascist regime. Since his death, Antonio Gramsci has been the subject of several plays and films.

Italian novelist Umberto Eco is best remembered for his novels The Name of the Rose and Foucault's Pendulum. He also taught at the University of Bologna and had released quite a few children’s books and translations. He was also known for his work on semiotics and medieval studies.

Laura Kuenssberg is a journalist. In 2015, she succeeded Nick Robinson to become the first woman to take up the position of a political editor at BBC News. Over the years, she has played an influential role in BBC, having previously worked as the broadcaster's chief political correspondent. In 2019, she was mentioned in Evening Standard's most influential Londoners list.

Michelle Beadle is a sports reporter best known for her association with the popular cable sports channel, ESPN. Over the years, she has hosted important shows for various networks, including ESPN. Apart from being a sports reporter, Michelle Beadle has also been a Red Carpet reporter for popular shows like Grammy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Tony Awards, and SAG Awards.

Adriano Zumbo is an Australian television presenter and pastry chef. He is known for appearing as a guest on the TV show MasterChef Australia. He also hosts his own baking competition show Zumbo's Just Desserts and appears as a judge on Netflix's baking reality television series Sugar Rush. Thanks to his popularity, Zumbo has garnered several nicknames including Sweet Assassin.

Better known as Wee Man, the 4-foot American stunt man Jason Acuña is a professional skater and now a well-known TV personality. Suffering from a form of dwarfism called Achondroplasia, he uses a mini skateboard. Known for his appearance on Jackass, he now also owns an LA restaurant.

Italian journalist, short-story writer and novelist Italo Calvino, counted among noted Italian fiction writers in the 20th-century, emerged as the most translated contemporary Italian writer at the time of his demise. Notable works of Calvino include novels Invisible Cities and If on a winter's night a traveler; the collection of 12 short stories titled Cosmicomics, and the Our Ancestors trilogy.

Gabriele Corcos is an Italian celebrity cook, entrepreneur, and TV personality. He hosts the TV show Extra Virgin on the Cooking Channel. He ventured into the culinary world totally by chance in the mid-2000s and has since become one of the best-known chefs in the world. He and his wife are involved with several anti-hunger charities. 

Beatrice Borromeo is an Italian fashion model and journalist. She has worked for major publications like Newsweek. She has also walked for luxury fashion brands like Trussardi, Valentino, and Chanel. In 2021, Beatrice Borromeo was made the ambassador for Dior.

Raffaella Carra was an Italian singer, television presenter, dancer, and actress. She achieved immense popularity across Europe and Latin America during the peak of her illustrious career. An icon of women's liberation, Raffaella Carra supported the LGBT movement and was honored at the 2017 World Pride Madrid with the Gay Icon award.

Carlo Collodi was an Italian journalist, author, and humorist. He is best remembered for his popular children's novel The Adventures of Pinocchio. The novel and its title character Pinocchio achieved international recognition when Disney adapted it into an animated musical fantasy film titled Pinocchio; the film went on to become one of the greatest films ever produced by Disney.

Vittorio Mussolini was an Italian film producer and critic. He was also the first officially acknowledged son of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. In reality, Vittorio was the second son of Benito Mussolini; his older half-brother was never acknowledged by his father's fascist regime.

Filippo Tommaso Marinetti was an Italian poet, art theorist, and editor. He is credited with founding the Futurist movement and is remembered for his work Manifesto of Futurism. In 1918, he founded a political party called Futurist Political Party as an extension of the social and futurist artistic movement. The party merged with the Italian Fasces of Combat in 1919.

Roberto Saviano is an Italian essayist, writer, and screenwriter. Since 2006, Saviano has been living under police protection after receiving death threats from an Italian criminal organization, which was upset with Saviano's works that expose the functionality of organized crime in Italy. Over the years, Roberto Saviano has also contributed to prominent Italian and international newspapers.

Federica Masolin is an Italian television presenter and sports journalist. She currently works for Sky Sport where she is the main presenter of the network's coverage of Formula One racing. Masolin has also covered other important sporting events like the 2011 Copa América, Games of the XXX Olympiad, and the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Giulio Andreotti was an Italian politician who served as the prime minister of Italy on three occasions between 1972 and 1992. Widely regarded as the most important and powerful politician of the First Republic, Andreotti was the second longest-serving Italian prime minister after Silvio Berlusconi in the post-war era. Giulio Andreotti also served in several ministerial positions throughout his career.

Franca Sozzani was an Italian journalist best remembered for serving as Vogue Italia's editor-in-chief from 1988 to 2016. Sozzani is also remembered for her charity work; she contributed to several charitable organizations and was chosen as a global ambassador for the World Food Programme of the United Nations in 2016. The same year, Franca Sozzani won the Swarovski Fashion Award.

Gigliola Cinquetti is an Italian actress, singer, songwriter, and television presenter. After winning the Sanremo Music Festival at the age of 16, Cinquetti went on to represent her country in the Eurovision Song Contest 1964. She became the youngest winner when she gave Italy its first victory in the event. Cinquetti returned to the contest in 1974 and finished second. 

Laura Bozzo is a Peruvian talk show host renowned for hosting her popular Spanish-language talk show, Laura. The occurrence of regular fights and the discussion of the sensitive subject matter have made her shows controversial in nature. In 2008, Laura Bozzo landed in trouble when the Peruvian press discovered that some of her shows were staged for entertainment purposes.

Milo Manara is an Italian comic book writer and artist best known for his erotic comics and illustrations. He studied architecture and painting, following which he made his debut as a comic illustrator. His works have appeared in several magazines, including Charlie Mensuel, Pilote, and Terror. He has also drawn low print variant covers for issues of Marvel comic books. 

Alberto Moravia was an Italian journalist and novelist best remembered for exploring themes like existentialism, social alienation, and sexuality. His anti-fascist novel The Conformist inspired the 1970 political drama film of the same name. Moravia's works have also inspired other films, such as Agostino, Contempt, The Empty Canvas, and Two Women.

Margherita Sarfatti was an Italian journalist, socialite, art critic, and collector. A patron of several Italian painters, Sarfatti played a major role in the cultural shaping of the art movements in Italy. An important member of the National Fascist Party, Margherita Sarfatti was one of Benito Mussolini's mistresses as well as his biographer.

Luisa Ranieri is an Italian actress best known for her portrayal of American-born Greek singer Maria Callas in the 2005 TV film Callas e Onassis, which is the only movie ever made to exclusively depict the close friendship and emotional relationship between Maria Callas and Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis. Ranieri achieved international prominence after appearing in Letters to Juliet.

Anna Dello Russo is an Italian author, fashion journalist, and editor. She is best known for her unconventional Street fashion. Since 2006, Dello Russo has been serving as editor-at-large and a creative consultant for Vogue Japan. An icon in the fashion industry, Anna Dello Russo has used her popularity to establish herself as an internet personality.  

Oriana Fallaci was an Italian author, journalist, and political interviewer. She achieved international recognition during the '60s, '70s, and '80s for her long and revealing interviews with several world leaders, including Indira Gandhi, Yasser Arafat, Willy Brandt, and Nguyễn Văn Thiệu. Fallaci had a successful journalistic career and won important awards like the Bancarella Prize and the St. Vincent Prize.

After winning beauty pageants such as Miss Teen Hungary and Miss Alpeadria, blonde Hungarian beauty Eva Henger moved to Italy and became a hit porn star. She has previously been a handball player and is also trained in the piano. She is now married to producer Massimiliano Caroletti.

Alain Elkann is an Italian journalist and novelist. He is known for his role as the conductor of cultural programs aired on Italian TV. Elkann is also known for his work which promotes a cordial relation between Americans and Italians. He is the president of the Italy-USA Foundation's Scientific Committee. In 2010, he received the America Award for his work.

Enrico De Nicola was an Italian jurist, journalist, and politician. He served as the provisional head of state of republican Italy from 1946 to 1948, following which he became the first president of Italy. He was a successful lawyer before he entered politics. He was succeeded by economist Luigi Einaudi as the president. 

Gigi Proietti was an Italian actor, comedian, musician, and singer. He loved to sing from an early age and performed in nightclubs as a young man. He attended the University Theater Center and began his career as a theater actor. He soon branched out into movies as well and appeared in hit films like The Appointment and The Wedding. 

Alessandro Pavolini was an Italian politician and journalist. A qualified lawyer, he supported Benito Mussolini's fascist movement during World War II. He was notorious for his cruelty against the opponents of fascism. He eventually became the president of the Fascist Confederation of Professionals and Artists. He was finally executed by the partisans in 1945.  

Maria De Filippi is an Italian TV host who is often counted among the most popular presenters in Italian television. De Filippi currently runs the popular production company Fascino PGT, which was founded by her husband Maurizio Costanzo. Over the years, Maria De Filippi has won several Telegatto awards for her contribution to Italian television.

Gabriele Marcotti is an Italian sports journalist, author, and TV/radio presenter. He was born in Italy and has lived in numerous places across the world, learning multiple languages. He has a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University and writes for various publications in both English and Italian. He has also worked in broadcasting and has written many books. 

Maurizio Costanzo is an Italian journalist, television host, film director, and screenwriter. He has also contributed as a managing editor for the popular weekly women's magazine Grazia. Over the course of his career, Costanzo has hosted popular TV shows, such as Bontà loro and The Maurizio Costanzo Show. As a screenwriter, he has contributed to the success of many films.

Ambra Angiolini is an Italian TV host, actress, and singer. One of the most critically acclaimed actresses of her generation, Angiolini won several prestigious awards like the David di Donatello Award and the Nastro d'Argento for her portrayal of Roberta in her debut film Saturn in Opposition. Since then, Angiolini has played important roles in many films like The Choice.  

Licio Gelli was an Italian financier remembered for his involvement in the Banco Ambrosiano scandal. Gelli was one of the men responsible for the collapse of Banco Ambrosiano. Found guilty of fraud, he was sentenced to prison for 18 years and six months. Gelli focused on writing in his later years, earning a nomination for the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Italian journalist Indro Montanelli was named one of the International Press Institute’s World Press Freedom Heroes. Though he initially studied law and political science, he later drifted toward journalism, even working as a crime reporter. He had been arrested by the Nazis but luckily escaped the firing squad.

Giorgia Palmas is an Italian model and TV personality best known for her work in the popular television show Striscia la notizia. Palmas began her media career in 2000 when she took part in the Miss World pageant, where she lost in the final round to Miss India, Priyanka Chopra. Since then, Palmas has appeared in magazines and reality shows.

Daniele Bolelli is an Italian writer, academic, martial artist, and podcaster. Born into a family of writers, he studied history at CSULB and Cardiff University before embarking on an academic career. He is known for taking a "renaissance man approach” as a lecturer. He is the author of several books on philosophy and martial arts.  

Luke Mockridge is a television presenter and comedian best known for presenting the popular German TV program NightWash. Mockridge has also appeared in other TV shows like TV total and Quatsch Comedy Club. In 2013, he launched his own show titled Occupy School. In the same year, Mockridge was honored with the Best Newcomer Award at the German Comedy Awards.         

Renata Adler is an author, journalist, and film critic who has been a staff writer-reporter for The New Yorker. She studied comparative literature at Harvard University and later received a J.D. from Yale Law School. Despite not being much knowledgeable about films, she became a film critic for The New York Times. She has also written many books. 

Elisa Isoardi first gained attention after winning the Miss Cinema title at the 2000 Miss Italia pageant. She later hosted shows such as Unomattina and Effetto Sabato. She has also previously dated Lega Nord leader and former Italian deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini, though they split later.

Gianni Rodari was an Italian writer best known for his works of children's literature, notably Il romanzo di Cipollino. He is counted among Italy's most important 20th-century children's authors. As a young man, he participated in the Italian resistance movement and worked as a journalist. He began writing books for children in the 1940s. 

Francesco Rosi was an Italian film director whose movies had a major influence on many generations of artists like Francis Ford Coppola, Paolo Sorrentino, Martin Scorsese, and Roberto Saviano. One of the most influential and respected film directors of his generation, Francesco Rosi was honored with the Honorary Golden Bear as well as the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.

Claudio Amendola is an Italian actor, director, and television presenter. Although he is best known for his portrayal of Angelo Mandolesi in the 1993 crime film The Escort, Amendola has achieved immense popularity as a television actor. Claudio Amendola, who has played important roles in comedies and drama films, is also known for his versatility.