Biography
Rocco Papaleo is an Italian actor, film director, comedian and singer. Born on 16 August 1958 in Lauria, Basilicata, he moved to Rome to study mathematics while working as a dishwasher. He left university to attend theatre school and made his theatrical debut in 1984 with Lauria Swing Story, which he wrote and directed.
Papaleo began his screen career with small roles and television appearances before collaborating extensively with directors Leonardo Pieraccioni and Giovanni Veronesi. He is known for performances in Cado dalle nubi (2009), What a Beautiful Day (2011), Escort in Love (2011), The Place (2017) and Pinocchio (2019) as the Cat. He made his directorial debut with Basilicata Coast to Coast (2010), for which he received a David di Donatello and a Nastro d'Argento for best new director. He has also released albums as a singer-songwriter.
