Valeria Golino is as rare as her works. You will not find Golino in every movie because she knows how to select the ones that suit her. Despite her selective nature, she has acted in numerous movies and at this point, one can say that she is one of the Italian screen goddesses of her time.
Valeria Golino biography
Valeria Golino was born in Naples, Italy. Despite growing up in a household filled with art, her initial passion was not for acting; she aspired to become a cardiologist. However, her interest in movies developed as her mother took her to the cinema often during her childhood.
During her teenage years, the actress was bogged down by scoliosis and had a steel rod inserted in her back for five years. At the age of 14, she entered the world of fashion modelling, working in cities like Athens, Milan, London and Los Angeles. She appeared in TV commercials and modelled various products, including beer, perfume, cosmetics, swimsuits, and jeans.
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Golino dropped out of high school to be involved in her first movie production. This marked the beginning of her journey in the world of acting.
Valeria Golino career
Golino got into acting accidentally. Her uncle, Enzo, got a call from a director named Lina Wertmüller. Wertmüller needed a young girl for her movie and told Golino to meet her at her house.
Golino met Wertmüller and ended up being cast in her first movie, A Joke of Destiny (1983). She auditioned by performing Shakespeare. Even though her parents were unsure and Wertmüller was demanding on set, Golino enjoyed the experience. She decided to pursue acting and gave up modelling.
Speaking to A Rabbit’s Foot during an interview about her first experience, the actress said: “It started in Athens. I went to do a photoshoot in Italy for bathing suits, for Greek Vogue. I stayed at my uncle’s house in Parioli, in Roma. I have school two days later, and my uncle is taking me to the airport to go back to Greece. My aunt comes to the terrace and shouts ‘Valeria, Valeria, come back! Listen, Valeria. Lina Wertmüller is on the phone, do you know who she is?’
“Lina Wertmüller, who was a very big female director at a time when female directors didn’t exist, was a friend of my aunt. I said, ‘Of course, I know who she is.’ I was a cinephile. So, my uncle and I went to Lina Wertmüller’s house, And that is how everything started. She was making a movie called A Joke Of Destiny”.
She started studying speaking and pronunciation. She auditioned for other movies like Una spina nel cuore and The Name of the Rose but did not get the roles. She was offered parts in romantic movies for teenagers, but she declined to work on more challenging projects.
Gollino starred in films such as My Dearest Son and Little Flames in 1985. These roles won her a Golden Globe award for “Best Breakthrough Actress”. That year, she had a car accident that required surgery and five months of bed rest.
Her big break came in the next year with the movie, Storia d’amore (A Tale of Love). She played a cleaning lady who falls in love with two men. She received great reviews and won awards at the Venice Film Festival. Her next projects were also in the films – The Gold Rimmed Glasses and Three Sisters.
She was supposed to work with Francesco Maselli again for L’uomo della casa di fronte, but it did not happen. The director made another movie, Codice Privato, and Golino turned down a role in it. Golino went to Los Angeles to work in Hollywood. She got her start with the movie, Big Top Pee-wee, in 1988. She also acted in Rain Man the same year as “Susanna”. She was also in comedies such as Hot Shots! (1991) and its sequel Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993).
In Rain Man, her character was that of an Italian-American because of her accent. Even though she was known for dramatic acting in Italy, she mostly got comedy offers in Hollywood. She auditioned for lead roles in Pretty Woman and Flatliners, but Julia Roberts got those parts.
Golino was offered the lead role in True Lies but could not do it because of scheduling conflicts with another movie. She was involved in producing and starring in a movie called Cat in the Box that did not get made. She turned down some roles and faced project cancellations due to various reasons.
She had roles in films like 36, Quai des Orfèvres (2004) and Cash (2008). She had to leave the movie Sacred Heart (2004) due to personal reasons. Golino was also offered a role in Fine Pena Mai (2008) but declined.
Golino’s directorial debut was Honey (2013), which got positive feedback. She acted in Like the Wind (2013) and sang in movies like Hot Shots! and Big Top Pee-wee. She recorded songs for movies and won a Silver Ribbon award for Best Song. She is a member of the AMPAS (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences). In 2016, she was part of the jury for the Cannes Film Festival.
She continued her acting journey by appearing in films such as II Colore Nascosto delle cose (2017), The Invisible Boy: Second Generation (2018), Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019), 5 Is The Perfect Number (2019) and Fortuna, and the television series, The Morning Show (2021-present). Additionally, she was part of The Lying Life of Adults (2023).
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Valeria Golino movies
Golino has starred in several movies such as:
- A Joke of Destiny (1983)
- Blind Date (1984)
- My Dearest Son (1985)
- Piccoli Fuochi (1985)
- Deceptive School Dropouts (1986)
- A Tale of Love (1986)
- The Gold Rimmed Glasses (1987)
- Dernier Ete a Tanger (1987)
- Love and Fear (1988)
- Big Top Pee-Wee (1988)
- Rain Man (1988)
- Torrents of Spring (1989)
- Traces of an Amorous Life (1990)
- The King’s Whore (1990)
- Hot Shots! (1991)
- The Indian Runner (1991)
- Year of the Gun (1991)
- Puerto Escondido (1992)
- Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993)
- Clean Slate (1994)
- Immortal Beloved (1994)
- Like Two Crocodiles (1994)
- Submission (1995)
- Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
- Four Rooms (1995)
- Fallen Angels (1995)
- Escape from L.A (1996)
- Escoriandoli (1996)
- Le Acrobate (1997)
- Shooting the Moon (1998)
- Side Streets (1998)
- La Vita Che Verra (1999)
- Harem Suare (1999)
- Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her (2000)
- Ivans Xtc (2000)
- Controvento (2000)
- Hotel (2001)
- Winter (2002)
- Respiro (2002)
- Julius Caesar (2002)
- Frida (2002)
- Prendimi e portami via (2003)
- San Antonio (2004)
- 36 Quai des Orfeves (2004)
- Mario’s War (2005)
- Texas (2005)
- A casa nostra (2006)
- Actrices (2007)
- The Girl by the Lake (2007)
- Don’t Waste Your Time Johnny! (2007)
- Black Sun (2007)
- Quiet Chaos (2008)
- Tigri di carta (2008)
- Cash (2008)
- La Fabbrica dei tedeschi (2008)
- Giulia Doesn’t Date at Night (2009)
- The French Kisser (2009)
- The Cezanne Affair (2009)
- Come un soffio (2010)
- Dark Love (2010)
- School is Over (2010)
- Kryptonite (2011)
- Like the Wind (2013)
- In Treatment (2013)
- Human Capital (2013)
- Jacky in Women’s Kingdom (2014)
- The Invisible Boy (2014)
- An Italian Name (2015)
- Per amor vostro (2015)
- The Very Private Life of Mister Sim (2015)
- La Vita Possibile (2016)
- II Colore Nascosto delle cose (2017)
- The Invisible Boy: Second Generation (2018)
- Daughter of Mine (2018)
- The Summer House (2018)
- Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)
- 5 Is The Perfect Number (2019)
- Adults in the Room (2019)
- Volare (2019)
- Un Confine Incerto (2019)
- You Came Back (2020)
- Fortuna (2020)
- La Terra Dei Figli (2021)
- The Catholic School (2021)
- Occhi blu (2021)
- The Morning Show (2021-Present)
- The Lying Life of Adults (2023)
Valeria Golino net worth
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Golino’s net worth is estimated to be $10 million.
Valeria Golino family
The Golino family name might not be a common one, but it has deep roots in Naples, Italy. Her father was an Italian scholar specialising in the German language and her mother, Lalla, was a painter of Greek origin. With one of her grandmothers having Egyptian-French heritage, Golino had a diverse family background. Growing up in an artistic environment, her parents’ separation led her to split her time between Athens (Greece) and Sorrento (Italy).
Golino spent her childhood in Greece, where her mother, a painter, took her and her brother after her separation from their father.
During those years in Greece, Golino’s family experienced a unique blend of cultures. Despite missing their father, who was a communist intellectual, the family was enveloped in happiness. Golino fondly remembers her father’s letters and the monthly Brothers Grimm fables he sent.
As time went on, Golino returned to Italy to live with her father, who had settled in Sorrento. However, her father’s passing in 2007 left a void in her heart.
Valeria Golino age
Golino was born on October 22, 1965. She is currently 64 years old and will be 65 years old in 2023.
Valeria Golino now
Valeria Golino is still actively engaged in her acting career. Her recent involvement includes the 2023 Netflix mini-series, The Lying Life of Adults.
PHOTOS CREDIT: Getty Images
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