Marcello Mastroianni

One of the biggest international film stars to emerge from Italy in the 1960s, Marcello Mastroianni rose to worldwide prominence in films directed by the modern masters of European cinema and opposite its most radiant actresses. After toiling for years in small roles, Mastroianni became a cinematic superstar with his performance in Fellini's "La Dolce Vita" (1960). Acclaimed turns in "La Notte" (1961) and "Divorce, Italian Style" (1961) - the latter of which won him a Golden Globe - preceded Mastroianni's iconic performance in Fellini's visual masterpiece "8 ½" (1963). He was crowned Italian cinema's most prominent leading man in films such as "Marriage, Italian Style" (1964), "The 10th Victim" (1965), and "Shoot Loud, Louder... I Don't Understand" (1966), which cast him opposite the likes of screens sirens Sophia Loren, Ursula Andress and Raquel Welch, respectively. The incredibly prolific and affable actor worked continuously in projects such as "The Big Feast" (1973), "Ginger and Fred" (1986) - another of his many collaborations with Fellini - and the star-studded Robert Altman haute couture comedy "Ready-to-Wear" (1994). In a screen career that spanned nearly 150 films, Mastroianni's unabashed love for his craft allowed him to consistently surprise audiences as he explored the limitless vistas of life through the medium of cinema.