The renowned Italian film and theater actor, Marcello Vincenzo Domenico Mastroianni, was born a century ago as a poor rural boy, and through his talent, he rose to become one of the greatest stars of European cinema in the second half of the 20th century. He was born on September 28, 1924, in the mountain village of Fontana Liri in the Apennines. His father, Ottone Mastroianni, was a carpenter, and his mother, Ida, née Irolle, came from a Russian Jewish family.

In 1928, they moved to Turin, where his younger brother, Ruggero, was born a year later. Even as a ten-year-old, Marcello helped on construction sites, and he became so fascinated by architecture that he later went to Rome to study at the prestigious State Industrial Technical Institute Galileo Galilei. In 1943, he earned a diploma in construction, and after graduating, he worked as a technical draftsman.

However, war broke out, and he became involved in the anti-fascist resistance. He was arrested by the Germans and interned, but he managed to escape and hid in Venice until the end of the war. He and his brother had experimented with acting before the war; their mother's friend was the wife of a theater director who cast both brothers as extras. Ruggero went on to become a very successful film editor, while Marcello worked as an accountant for a film company after the war, took acting lessons, and played roles in the evenings.

In 1948, he made his film debut in "Les Misérables," based on the novel by Victor Hugo. His international fame came in 1960 with the leading role of the cynical journalist Rubini in Federico Fellini's "La Dolce Vita." He received an award from the Italian association of film journalists for this role. Under Fellini's direction, he created other unforgettable roles, such as the director experiencing a creative crisis ("8 1/2"), the dreamy professor ("City of Women"), and the aging and touchingly conceited cabaret performer ("Ginger and Fred"). He also appeared in films by many other famous directors, including Luchino Visconti, Vittorio De Sica, Mario Monicelli, Ettore Scola, Marco Ferreri, Roman Polanski, and Nikita Mikhalkov.

One of his frequent co-stars was Sophia Loren, who once said about their collaboration that "their partnership was so perfect that they didn't even have to rehearse." They created a typical Italian couple in films such as "Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow" and "Divorce Italian Style." Mastroianni himself commented on his acting career with the words: ""In the morning, a limousine comes for you, takes you to the studio, and you get a beautiful woman in your arms... is this a profession? Well, let's get to it!"

And there were countless beautiful women in his arms – in addition to Sophia Loren, there were also Claudia Cardinal, Gina Lollobrigida, Brigitte Bardot, Faye Dunaway, Romy Schneider, Ornella Muti, Annie Girardot, Michèle Mercier, Ursula Andress, and Anouk Aimée... Many of them were not only his film partners but also his lovers. As the shy and timid boy became a European superstar of the silver screen, he also gained a reputation as a ladies' man and an idol of women.

Despite this, he was married to his theater colleague, actress Flora Carabella, from 1950 until his death. They had a daughter, Barbara, who was born in November 1951 and became a costume designer. They separated in 1970, but due to his traditional Catholic upbringing (although he was an atheist, unlike the religious Flora), he never divorced and continued to send Flora flowers every year on their wedding anniversary.

In 1968, during the filming of a movie, he fell in love with American actress Faye Dunaway. When she realized he would not marry her, she left him. His second daughter, Chiara, born in May 1972, is the result of a relationship with actress Catherine Deneuve, with whom he lived for several years. Chiara is a very successful actress, and they have acted together in several films, including the 1994 American film "Prêt-à-Porter," alongside Sophia Loren and Julia Roberts. In 1976, Mastroianni met director Anna Maria Tatò, who became his last lifelong partner. Throughout his career, he played in over 150 film and television roles, some of which are considered classics of world cinema. Even as he aged, he did not lose any of his elegance or his renowned acting abilities, and he was capable of playing comedic, romantic, dramatic, and psychological roles. He was nominated for an Oscar three times in the Best Actor category, and he won two Golden Globes and two BAFTA awards. He also dedicated himself to theater, continuing to perform and receive standing ovations even as an old and ill man. He worked until the end of his days – he passed away in his Paris apartment on December 19, 1996. He died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 72. Two years after his death, the Marcello Mastroianni Award was created, which annually recognizes the best young actor at the Venice Film Festival.