Leonardo Maltese he is only 25 years old but he has managed to establish himself on the big screen as one of the most promising Italian actors of his generation. He has already demonstrated his talent in films such as Kidnapped and Lord of the Ants, where he worked alongside directors of the caliber of Marco Bellocchio and Gianni Amelio respectively, carving out an unexpected space for himself in auteur cinema. “I would sign it if I could do this job all my life,” he admitted in his first interview in 2022.
Leonardo Maltese, from Ravenna to great cinema
Born in 1997, Leonardo Maltese was born in Ravenna to a Sicilian father and an English mother. Having left his city to complete his studies in the United Kingdom, he then moved to Rome to work on his great dream: becoming an actor. After attending theSofia Amendolea Theater Academybegan to take his first steps in the theater, but his passion began much earlier.
“In my house no one works in the entertainment field, but I knew right away that I wanted to do something creative – he had told to Vanity Fair in 2022 -. When I was in second grade my babysitter, who was a punk bass player, gave me a bass. Since then I have been playing and singing. And from a very young age I learned the lines from all the films.”
“I started acting since I was a childto the scouts – he added in another interview with Corriere Romagna -. I already said that when I grew up I would be an actor, then the turning point came when I participated in the theater workshop of the Ravenna Teatro non-school, directed by Marco Martinelli. I was one of the pinocchios of the project Pinocchio which involved two hundred kids. There I understood, and those who were close to me also understood, including my parents, who that was my path. That show stayed with me, I then remade another one Pinocchio at the theater in Rome, but playing the role of the fox”.
Film roles and awards
The turning point for Leonardo Maltese, however, came thanks to Gianni Amelio who chose him to play the role of Ettore in the film The lord of the ants, in which he worked alongside Luigi Lo Cascio. For the young actor it was the first film job for which he was awarded the Guglielmo Biraghi Award at the 2023 Silver Ribbonsawarded every year to young actors who reveal themselves in the field of Italian cinema.
“To create Ettore I did some research – said the actor – but The lord of the ants It’s also about a love story. I took my character out of the script and did my best to do it justice.” Maltese later starred in Kidnapped, film directed by Marco Bellocchio on the case of little Edgardo Montara. here too the actor managed to stand out for the intensity of his interpretation.
Leonardo Maltese is Giacomo Leopardi
From theater to cinema, up to television. Leonardo Maltese was chosen by Sergio Rubini to play Giacomo Leopardi in the mini-series of the same name produced by Rai Fiction, whose filming ended in March 2024. Here too the young actor acted alongside some big names such as Alessio Boniwho plays the role of the poet’s father, Valentina Cervi in those of the mother, and again Alessandro PreziosiFausto Russo Alessi e Giusy Buscemibroadcast on Canale 5 with the new fiction Vanina – An assistant commissioner in Catania.
The passion for music
In addition to acting, Leonardo Maltese dedicates himself to music. “I’m also a musician and singerI have a group called Fulcro, my professional name is Leo Fulcrum. We also released EPs,” she explained in an interview. It is a collective project that combines various artistic disciplines and boasts the collaboration of the DJ and producer Dost and other musicians. Lastly Maltese published Boy on Earthwhich contains songs like Yin and Yang And The map.
