Young Italian actors and actresses to know include Celeste Dalla Porta from Parthenope, Filippo Scotti from The Hand of God, Tecla Insolia from The Art of Joy and Lorenzo Zurzolo from Baby. Their careers now extend into new films, returning television dramas and international productions.
This guide introduces 16 performers through their notable roles and recent work. Some are still building their first filmographies; others are moving beyond the series that made them familiar. The selection is an introduction to their work, rather than a ranking. Use the table to find a name, recognize a title or jump directly to a profile.
Updated October 22, 2026. Festival screenings, completed projects and productions still being made are identified where relevant. A festival premiere does not necessarily mean a film is available for general viewing.
Young Italian Actors and Actresses at a Glance
| Actor or actress | Known for | Recent work and projects |
|---|---|---|
| Celeste Dalla Porta | Parthenope | Costanera — in post-production |
| Francesco Gheghi | Familia | 40 secondi; Dio ride — festival premiere |
| Tecla Insolia | The Art of Joy; Familia | Amata; Primavera; Idda — festival screening |
| Filippo Scotti | The Hand of God | Le città di pianura |
| Romana Maggiora Vergano | There’s Still Tomorrow | La valle dei sorrisi; L’estranea |
| Aurora Giovinazzo | Freaks Out; Nuovo Olimpo | Il falsario; Prendiamoci una pausa |
| Carlotta Gamba | Gloria!; Vermiglio | L’albero; Giorni felici — in production |
| Fotinì Peluso | Everything Calls for Salvation; Greek Salad | Non è la fine del mondo |
| Leonardo Maltese | Kidnapped; Lord of the Ants | Leopardi; L’abbaglio; La resurrezione di Cristo — in production |
| Domenico Cuomo | Mare Fuori; Mimì: Prince of Darkness | Hotel Costiera — guest appearance |
| Ludovica Nasti | My Brilliant Friend | Noi del Rione Sanità; La preside |
| Federico Cesari | Skam Italia; Everything Calls for Salvation | Greta e le favole vere; Il ministero dell’amore — forthcoming |
| Lorenzo Zurzolo | Baby; EO | M – Il figlio del secolo; Strike |
| Ginevra Francesconi | My Name Is Vendetta; The Nest | Una figlia; Squali |
| Nicolas Maupas | Mare Fuori; Un professore | The Count of Monte Cristo; Alla festa della Rivoluzione |
| Massimiliano Caiazzo | Mare Fuori; Piano piano | Je so’ pazzo; Storia di una notte |
1. Celeste Dalla Porta
Celeste Dalla Porta became widely known as the title character in Paolo Sorrentino’s Parthenope (2024). For viewers discovering her work, that film remains the clearest introduction: the story follows a woman whose beauty attracts attention while her own ambitions remain harder for other people to understand.
Her next major feature is Costanera, a musical directed by Mauro Díez Concari, with music by Raphael Gualazzi. Minerva Pictures lists the project as being in post-production. It belongs on a list of forthcoming work, rather than among films readers can already assume are available to watch.
2. Francesco Gheghi
Francesco Gheghi’s performance in Familia (2024) provides a demanding introduction to his work. Playing Luigi Celeste, a young man whose life is shaped by domestic violence, he carries a story that requires emotional precision. The role earned him the Orizzonti Award for Best Actor at Venice.
His more recent credits include 40 secondi, Fuori, Mani nude and Squali. He also appears in Giovanni Veronesi’s Dio ride, presented at the 2026 Venice Film Festival. These projects make the profile worth following beyond the single breakthrough performance that first drew widespread attention.
3. Tecla Insolia
Tecla Insolia’s defining role is Modesta in Valeria Golino’s The Art of Joy (L’arte della gioia), adapted from Goliarda Sapienza’s novel. Her work in Familia offers another starting point, while La bambina che non voleva cantare connects her acting career with her background as a singer.
Recent films include L’albero, Amata and the musical period drama Primavera. She was also selected for the 2026 European Shooting Stars program. Her newest festival work includes Idda, with Romana Maggiora Vergano, presented at Alice nella Città in October 2026. Her developing slate also includes Iside.
4. Filippo Scotti
Filippo Scotti reached an international audience as Fabietto Schisa in Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand of God (2021). His performance gives the film its emotional center, following a teenager through family life, bereavement and the beginnings of an artistic vocation.
A more recent essential credit is Francesco Sossai’s The Last One for the Road (Le città di pianura, 2025). Its journey through Veneto places him alongside Sergio Romano and Pierpaolo Capovilla. Watching the two films together reveals how his quiet screen presence works in different kinds of Italian storytelling.
5. Romana Maggiora Vergano
Romana Maggiora Vergano became familiar to a large audience as Marcella in Paola Cortellesi’s There’s Still Tomorrow (C’è ancora domani, 2023). The daughter’s relationship with her mother is central to the film, making this a useful introduction to Vergano’s work within an ensemble.
Her subsequent credits include Francesca Comencini’s Il tempo che ci vuole, Paolo Strippoli’s La valle dei sorrisi and his newer film L’estranea. She also stars alongside Tecla Insolia in Idda, presented at Alice nella Città in October 2026. Her developing slate includes Iside and Desiderio. Her profile now extends well beyond the film that brought her the widest recognition.
6. Aurora Giovinazzo
Aurora Giovinazzo’s role as Matilde in Gabriele Mainetti’s Freaks Out (2021) remains an excellent place to begin. The film combines fantasy, wartime danger and physical performance. Her later work includes Ferzan Özpetek’s Nuovo Olimpo and Diamanti, alongside the drama Una madre.
The updated filmography adds Stefano Lodovichi’s Il falsario and Christian Marazziti’s Prendiamoci una pausa, both listed among her 2026 films. Another new project is Giacomo Mazzariol’s Senza chiedere permesso, listed as completed by Filmitalia. Her credits now offer choices across fantasy, drama, romance and comedy.
7. Carlotta Gamba
Carlotta Gamba’s filmography is a useful route into contemporary Italian cinema. It includes America Latina, Dante, Margherita Vicario’s Gloria! and Maura Delpero’s Vermiglio. The latter two films make particularly interesting companion viewing, placing young women within very different historical settings.
Her more recent work includes Sara Petraglia’s L’albero, alongside Tecla Insolia. Filmitalia also lists Il grande Giaffa as completed and Giorni felici, Etèra and Un’altra madre among projects in production. These developing credits are worth tracking separately from the films already established in her career.
8. Fotinì Peluso
Fotinì Peluso offers several starting points for international viewers: Everything Calls for Salvation, Greek Salad and the film The Braid (La Tresse). Her Italian screen work also includes La compagnia del cigno, Under the Riccione Sun and The Hummingbird.
A newer leading film credit is Valentina Zanella’s Non è la fine del mondo (2026), adapted from Alessia Gazzola’s novel. Her agency also lists The Great Chimera and a new television project, La Comtesse de Monte Cristo. The range of Italian, French and Greek productions makes her career especially interesting to follow.
9. Leonardo Maltese
Leonardo Maltese’s breakthrough roles were Ettore Tagliaferri in Gianni Amelio’s Lord of the Ants and the adult Edgardo Mortara in Marco Bellocchio’s Kidnapped. These are the correct early credits to associate with him: both place intimate personal experiences within a larger historical conflict.
His more recent work includes Roberto Andò’s L’abbaglio and the title role in Rai’s Leopardi – Il poeta dell’infinito, broadcast in 2025. For viewers who first encountered him in cinema, the miniseries offers a longer performance to explore. His agency also lists work on Mel Gibson’s La resurrezione di Cristo as being on set in 2026; this is a production credit, not a released film.
10. Domenico Cuomo
Domenico Cuomo is best known to many television viewers as Cardiotrap in Mare Fuori. His credits also include Un professore, where he plays Mimmo, and earlier appearances in Gomorrah and My Brilliant Friend. Those series provide the background to his growing recognition.
For a different side of his work, try Brando De Sica’s Mimì: Prince of Darkness, a feature that places him at the center of a dark, genre-driven story. A newer television credit is his guest appearance in Hotel Costiera (2025), rather than a starring role in that international series.
11. Ludovica Nasti
Ludovica Nasti first reached an international audience as the young Lila Cerullo in My Brilliant Friend. Her film work includes Mondocane and Paola Randi’s La storia del Frank e della Nina, providing further opportunities to see her beyond the childhood role that made her recognizable.
Recent television work includes Noi del Rione Sanità and La preside, the Rai drama with Luisa Ranieri broadcast in 2026. Her agency also records her selection for the 2026 David Rivelazioni Italiane program. These credits make her an actor to follow as her career develops into adult roles.
12. Federico Cesari
Federico Cesari became widely known as Martino in Skam Italia and later led Everything Calls for Salvation as Daniele. Together, those series offer a useful introduction to his work in stories about identity, relationships and mental health, with characters given space to develop over several episodes.
His newer film credits include Zvanì – Il romanzo famigliare di Giovanni Pascoli and Greta e le favole vere. He also appears in Il ministero dell’amore, presented at the 2026 Rome Film Fest. Its announced Prime Video release is December 18, 2026, so it remains a forthcoming streaming title at this update.
13. Lorenzo Zurzolo
Lorenzo Zurzolo became familiar to streaming audiences through Baby and Under the Riccione Sun. His appearance in Jerzy Skolimowski’s EO provides another route into his work, placing him within a very different kind of international art film.
More recent credits include the historical series M – Il figlio del secolo, in which he plays Italo Balbo, and the films Squali and Strike – Figli di un’era sbagliata. Filmitalia also lists 7 anniversari as completed. These projects broaden the profile beyond the youthful romantic roles through which many viewers first discovered him.
14. Ginevra Francesconi
Ginevra Francesconi reached a broad streaming audience in My Name Is Vendetta, opposite Alessandro Gassmann. Her earlier films include The Nest and Regina, making her a useful discovery for viewers interested in young performers working across suspense, horror and family drama.
The updated filmography includes Ivano De Matteo’s Una figlia and Daniele Barbiero’s Squali, both listed among her 2025 films. Filmitalia also records Il profilo dell’altra and Tanto tornano tutti as projects in production. Her profile therefore has several concrete titles to explore beyond the Netflix thriller.
15. Nicolas Maupas
Nicolas Maupas became widely recognized through Mare Fuori and Un professore. His film credits include Under the Amalfi Sun and The Beautiful Summer, offering alternatives for readers who know him primarily through Italian television.
His newer work includes Bille August’s television adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo, the romantic comedy L’amore, in teoria and Arnaldo Catinari’s Alla festa della Rivoluzione, listed as a 2026 film by Filmitalia. His agency also lists the third season of Un professore, keeping that series central to his current screen career.
16. Massimiliano Caiazzo
Massimiliano Caiazzo’s role as Carmine Di Salvo in Mare Fuori made him one of the series’ most recognizable performers. Nicola Prosatore’s Piano piano offers a separate introduction to his film work, away from the character through which many viewers first came to know him.
A major new credit is Prosatore’s Je so’ pazzo (2026), in which Caiazzo plays Pino Daniele. His recent filmography also includes Storia di una notte, while Bille August’s Me, You is listed as completed. The Pino Daniele role gives readers a particularly timely reason to revisit his career.
Where to Start Watching
Choose a performance that matches your interests. For intimate drama, begin with The Hand of God, Familia or Everything Calls for Salvation. For historical storytelling, explore Kidnapped, Leopardi or The Count of Monte Cristo. For a different tone, try Gloria!, Freaks Out or The Last One for the Road.
Several names appear together in the same productions. Following those connections is an enjoyable way to discover Italian cinema: a familiar face in one film may lead you to a director, genre or television series you have not explored before.
For more viewing ideas, explore Italia Mia’s guide to the best Italian movies, our selection of Italian actresses under 50 and these Naples film and television locations.
