Early life

Golino was born in Naples, Italy, to an Italian father who was a Germanist and scholar, and a Greek mother, Lalla, who was a painter; one of her grandmothers was Egyptian-French. She grew up in an "artistic household" and, after her parents split, was raised between Athens and Sorrento (Naples). Golino is the niece of L'Espresso journalist Enzo Golino; her brother is a musician. As a child her mother would frequently take her to the cinema and it is thanks to her that she quickly became interested in films. But in spite of this, she never thought about pursuing a film career until she made her first movie: in fact she wanted to be a cardiologist. She was diagnosed with scoliosis at 11 and had to have a steel rod implanted in her back for five years; she remained in Chicago for six months where she learned to speak English. At 14 she started to work as a model in Athens, Milan (for Vogue magazine), London and Los Angeles: she shot commercials for beers, perfumes and makeups and modeled bathing suits and jeans. An absent-minded student, she dropped out of high school after her first film.

Career

1983-1987

Golino never formally studied acting. Her career started by chance when her uncle Enzo received a phone call from director Lina Wertmüller, who was searching for a young girl for her movie, and encouraged Golino to go to Wertmuller's house and meet her. The two met and Valeria was eventually cast in her film debut A Joke of Destiny (1983), alongside Ugo Tognazzi after an audition where she performed Shakespeare. Despite her parents' reservations and Wertmuller's demanding on-set behavior, she liked the experience so much that she decided to pursue an acting career. She quit modeling, a profession that she never found fulfilling or interesting, and started to study diction and elocution. Among her early auditions were Una spina nel cuore (an audition that she called "distasteful") and The Name of the Rose but she was passed over for both films. She was offered roles in Giochi d'estate (1984) and other similarly themed romantic films about teenagers, but she turned them down to focus on smaller and more challenging projects.

She followed up her debut with a string of independent films, including roles in My Dearest Son and Little Flames (both 1985), her first leading role, both of which won her a Golden Globe award for Best Breakthrough Actress. Later that year she was involved in a car accident which displaced the metal bar in her back and had to have surgery in order to fix it: she was bedridden for five months. Her true star-making role came the following year, when she played the life-loving cleaning lady who romances two different men in A Tale of Love by Francesco Maselli. Her vibrant performance received rave reviews and garnered her two prizes at the 1986 Venice Film Festival: the official Best Actress award (now called Volpi Cup) and the Golden Ciak award. The same film also won her the oldest and most prestigious critics prize of the Italian cinema: the Silver Ribbon award for Best Actress.

Her following projects were once again independent, auteur-driven films: The Gold Rimmed Glasses and Three Sisters. She was supposed to reunite with Maselli for his following film L'uomo della casa di fronte, co-starring Marcello Mastroianni, but the project never got off the ground. The same director then moved on to another film, Codice privato, and Golino turned down the role that was eventually played by Ornella Muti.

1988-present

She moved to Los Angeles and began to work in Hollywood, with the movie Big Top Pee-Wee (1988). She was cast in Rain Man (also 1988), as the girlfriend of Tom Cruise's chararacter, and the comedy films Hot Shots! (1991) and Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993). Her character's nationality in Rain Man was changed from American to Italian to accommodate her accent. Even though she was known as a dramatic actress in Italy, most of the offers she received in Hollywood were for comedies.

She auditioned for female roles in Pretty Woman and Flatliners but both times she lost the part to Julia Roberts during the final audition. She was first runner-up for both roles and, in the case of Pretty Woman, she revealed many years later: "I was in the running until the final audition: it came to down to Julia Roberts and me. The director asked us to walk in the same corridor, wearing the same clothes and makeup. As soon as I saw her, I knew that she would have been chosen. And since she knew that, she told me: 'Go and get them, big mama!' I wouldn't have dared to say that to my rival. I would have been good in that film but she was perfect". She also turned down the leading role in the Ken Loach film Hidden Agenda, which she called "an offer that I still regret having declined."

In 1993 she was heavily involved in producing and starring in an independent feature film by James Merendino named Cat in the Box (it was never made) and because of that, she was forced to turn down a role in a movie directed by Carlo Verdone.

The following year she was offered the female leading role in True Lies but she had to turn it down for scheduling conflicts with I Sfagi tou kokora (1996), an independent film shot in Cyprus that she desperately wanted to be part of (she joined the film in 1992 while it was still in pre-production). Later that year she was supposed to star with Gian Maria Volontè in the film Treni sull'acqua: the project would have marked her third collaboration with director Peter Del Monte but it was cancelled after Volonté's death.

In early 1996 she was supposed to play a journalist in the film Bravo Randy, directed by Alessandro D'Alatri and also starring Jovanotti, Greta Scacchi and Olivia d'Abo. Jovanotti was cast in the titular role, a tramp who falls into a coma after an accident, and Scacchi would have played a doctor. However the project fell apart just a few months before shooting was slated to begin: fearing a lack of influence, the Italian production company blocked the funds as the film would have been shot in California.

In January 2001 she was supposed to star with Claudio Amendola in a TV mini-series called Cuore di ghiaccio, directed by Luciano Casciani, produced by Mediaset and set in Cefalù, but the project never took off the ground.

She had a supporting role in the successful French thriller 36, Quai des Orfèvres (2004) and a leading role in Cash (2008), although the producers of the film had wanted Kristin Scott Thomas instead. Her role as Irene in Sacred Heart (2004) had been written specifically for her by director Ferzan Ozpetek, but she was forced to abandon the project for personal reasons. She was replaced by Barbora Bobuľová.

In 2005, she was offered the leading role in Fine pena mai (2008) but she turned it down, considering herself to be too old for the part. The role was eventually played by Valentina Cervi.

In 2006 Theodoros Angelopoulos cast her in The Dust of Time (2008) after being impressed by Golino's work in Respiro. However the many delays in the shooting forced her to drop out of the project in late 2007 for scheduling conflicts. She was replaced by Irène Jacob.

In 2009 she was the subject of the monograph Valeria Golino: Respiro d'attrice by Massimo Causo.

The following year she was offered the chance to direct a short film by the company Pasta Garofalo, Armandino e il Madre, for which she also wrote the script.

Golino's first feature film as director, Honey (2013), was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival and won a commendation from the Ecumenical Jury.

Despite her self-deprecating reluctance, she also sang in several films, most notably her English-language films Hot Shots! and Big Top Pee-Wee. She also recorded two LPs in 1987, the song 'Maybe Once More' for L'inverno and 'Piangi Roma' for Giulia Doesn't Date at Night (featuring Baustelle), the latter of which won her a Silver Ribbon award for Best Song.

She is a member of AMPAS thanks to the invitation of Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau.

In 2016 she was a member of the main competition jury of the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.

Filmography

Acting

• A Joke of Destiny (1983)
• Blind Date (1984) - Girl in Bikini
• My Dearest Son (1985) - Francesca
• Little Flames (1985) - Mara
• A Tale of Love (1986) - Bruna Assecondati
• Detective School Dropouts (1986) - Caterina
• Dernier été à Tanger (1987) - Claudia Marchetti
• The Gold Rimmed Glasses (1987) - Nora Treves
• Three Sisters (1988) - Sandra Parini
• Big Top Pee-wee (1988) - Gina Piccolapupula
• Rain Man (1988) - Susanna
• Torrents of Spring (1989) - Gemma Rosselli
• Traces of an Amorous Life (1990)
• The King's Whore (1990) - Jeanne de Luynes
• Hot Shots! (1991) - Ramada Thompson
• The Indian Runner (1991) - Maria
• Year of the Gun (1991) - Lia
• Puerto Escondido (1992) - Anita
• Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993) - Ramada Rodham Hayman
• Clean Slate (1994) - Sarah Novak/Beth Holly
• Like Two Crocodiles (1994) - Marta
• Immortal Beloved (1994) - Giulietta Guicciardi
• Fallen Angels (TV series) - episode Red Wind (1995) - Eugenie Kolchenko
• Submission (1995 short)
• Leaving Las Vegas (1995) - Terri
• Four Rooms (1995) - Athena (segment "The Missing Ingredient")
• Il fratello minore (1996 short) - Valeria
• Escoriandoli (1996) - Ida
• Escape from L.A. (1996) - Taslima
• I Sfagi tou kokora (1996)
• An Occasional Hell (1996) - Elizabeth Laughton
• Le acrobate (1997) - Maria
• Nostalgia di protezione (1997 short) - Secretary
• Shooting the Moon (1998) - Silvia
• Side Streets (1998) - Sylvie Otti
• Spanish Judges (1999) - Jamie
• Alexandria Hotel (TV mini-series) - episode L'alibi (1999) - Justine
• La vita che verrà (1999 TV mini-series) - Nunzia
• Harem Suare (1999) - Anita
• Tipota (1999 short) - Actress
• To Tama (2000)
• Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her (2000) - Lilly (segment "Goodnight Lilly, Goodnight Christine")
• Ivans Xtc (2000) - Constanza Vero
• Controvento (2000) - Nina
• Hotel (2001) - Italian Actress
• Winter (2002) - Anna
• Respiro (2002) - Grazia
• Frida (2002) - Lupe Marín
• Julius Caesar (2002 TV movie) - Calpurnia
• Take Me Away (2003) - Luciana
• San-Antonio (2004) - The Italian woman
• Alive (2004) - Elisa
• 36 Quai des Orfèvres (2004) - Camille Vrinks
• Mario's War (2005) - Giulia
• Texas (2005) - Maria
• Olé! (2005) - Carmen Holgado
• Solo cinque minuti (2006 short) - Valeria
• Our Country (2006) - Rita
• Il Sole nero (2007) - Agata
• Ma place au soleil (2007)
• Don't Waste Your Time, Johnny! (2007)
• Actrices (2007) - Natalia Petrovna
• The Girl by the Lake (2007) - Chiara Canali
• Caos calmo (Quiet Chaos) (2008) - Marta
• Cash (2008) - Julia Molina
• La Fabbrica dei Tedeschi (2008) - Wife
• Giulia Doesn't Date at Night (2009) - Giulia
• The Cézanne Affair (2009) - Franca Rossetti
• Dark Love (2010) - Psicologa
• School Is Over (2010) - Daria Quarenghi
• Come un soffio (2010 short) - Hostess
• Un Baiser Papillon (2011) - Billie
• Kryptonite! (2011) - Rosaria
• Nuts (2013) - Giovanna
• In Treatment (2013 TV series) - Eleonora
• Like the Wind (2013) - Armida Miserere
• Human Capital (2014) - Roberta Morelli
• Jacky in Women's Kingdom (2014) - Bradi Vune
• The Invisible Boy (2014)
• An Italian Name (2015)
• Per amor vostro (2015)
• The Very Private Life of Mister Sim (2015) - Luigia

Directing

• Armandino e il Madre (2010 short)
• Honey (2013)

Music videos

She also appeared in several music videos:

• Bittersweet Me by R.E.M. (1996)
• Piangi Roma by Baustelle and herself (2009)
• Va così by Le Vibrazioni (2011)
• These Boots Are Made for Walkin' by Planet Funk (2011)

Awards and nominations

Event	Year	Film	Award	Category	Result
Annecy Italian Film Festival, France	2012	Kryptonite!	Best Actress Award		Won
Athens Panorama of European Cinema, Greece	2009	Giulia Doesn't Date at Night	Special Award for Acting		Won
Barcelona Italian Film Festival, Spain	2013	-	Honorary CSCI Award		Won
Bari International Film Festival, Italy	2014	Come il vento	Italian Competition Award	Best Actress	Won
Brussels European Film Festival, Belgium	2013	Honey	Euromillions Audience Award		Won
			Studio L'Équipe Award		Won
Busto Arsizio Film Festival, Italy	2003	Respiro	Best Actress Award		Won
Cannes Film Festival, France	2013	Honey	Special Mention of the Ecumenical Jury		Won
			Golden Camera Award		Nominated
			Un Certain Regard Award		Nominated
Capri Hollywood, Italy	2013	Come il vento	Capri European Actress Award		Won
Castle of Precicchie Prize, Italy	2014	-	Castle of Precicchie Prize		Won
Cervia Spettacoli e Dintorni Festival, Italy	1986	-	Best Newcomer Award		Won
Cinema Italian Style, USA	2006	-	Innovator Award		Won
David di Donatello Awards, Italy	2015	The Invisible Boy	David di Donatello	Best Supporting Actress	Nominated
	2014	Human Capital	David di Donatello	Best Supporting Actress	Won
		Honey	David di Donatello	Best New Director	Nominated
				Best Screenplay	Nominated
	2012	Kryptonite!	David di Donatello	Best Actress	Nominated
	2009	Giulia Doesn't Date at Night	David di Donatello	Best Actress	Nominated
	2008	Quiet Chaos	David di Donatello	Best Supporting Actress	Nominated
	2006	Mario's War	David di Donatello	Best Actress	Won
	2003	Respiro	David di Donatello	Best Actress	Nominated
	1998	Le acrobate	David di Donatello	Best Actress	Nominated
	1988	The Gold Rimmed Glasses	David di Donatello	Best Actress	Nominated
	1987	A Tale of Love	David di Donatello	Best Actress	Nominated
Eolie Film Festival, Italy	1987	-	Plate of the City of Lipari		Won
European Film Awards	2013	Honey	European Film Award	Discovery of the Year	Nominated
	2003	Respiro	Audience Award	Best Actress	Nominated
Federazione Italiana Cinema d'Essai, Italy	2011	Kryptonite!	FICE Award	Best Actress	Won
	2006	Our Country	FICE Award	Best Actress	Won
	2005	Mario's War	FICE Award	Best Actress	Won
Festival delle Cerase, Italy	2007	Mario's War	Winter Award		Won
Flaiano International Awards, Italy	2013	Honey	Golden Pegasus	Best Director	Won
	2006	Mario's War	Golden Pegasus	Best Actress	Won
Gallio Film Festival, Italy	2013	Honey	Best Screenplay Award		Won
Gavoi Film Festival, Italy	2005	-	Honorary Silver Tumbarinu		Won
Giffoni Film Festival, Italy	2011	-	Giffoni Award		Won
	2002	Respiro	Bronze Gryphon	Best Actress	Won
Golden Ciak Awards, Italy	2015	The Invisible Boy	Golden Ciak	Best Supporting Actress	Nominated
	2014	Honey	Golden Ciak	Best First Feature	Won
				Best Screenplay	Nominated
	2012	Kryptonite!	Golden Ciak	Best Actress	Won
	2011	L'amore buio	Golden Ciak	Best Supporting Actress	Nominated
	2008	Quiet Chaos	Golden Ciak	Best Supporting Actress	Nominated
	1987	A Tale of Love	Golden Ciak	Best Actress	Won
Golden Globe Awards, Italy	2013	Honey	Golden Globe	Best Debut Feature Film	Won
	2012	Kryptonite!	Golden Globe	Best Actress	Nominated
	2006	Mario's War	Golden Globe	Best Actress	Won
	2004	Take Me Away	Golden Globe	Best Actress	Nominated
	2002	L'inverno	Golden Globe	Best Actress	Nominated
	1986	Little Flames	Golden Globe	Best Breakthrough Actress	Won
		My Dearest Son
Golden Goblet Awards, Italy	1997	Le acrobate	Golden Goblet	Best Actress	Won
Golden Graal Awards, Italy	2009	Quiet Chaos	Golden Graal	Best Dramatic Actress	Nominated
	2008	The Girl by the Lake	Golden Graal	Best Dramatic Actress	Won
	2007	Mario's War	Golden Graal	Best Dramatic Actress	Nominated
	2006	Texas	Golden Graal	Best Dramatic Actress	Nominated
	2005	36 Quai des Orfèvres	Golden Graal	Best International Performer	Won
Golden Sacher Awards, Italy	1997	Le acrobate	Golden Sacher	Best Actress	Won
Haifa International Film Festival, Israel	2013	Honey	Special Mention of the Jury		Won
Ischia Global Film and Music Festival, Italy	2013	Honey	Breakout Italian Director of the Year Award		Won
Kinéo Awards, Italy	2013	Honey	Kinéo Award		Won
	2012	Kryptonite!	Kinéo Award	Best Actress	Nominated
	2009	Giulia Doesn't Date at Night	Kinéo Award	Best Actress	Nominated
	2008	The Girl by the Lake	Kinéo Award	Best Supporting Actress	Nominated
		Quiet Chaos	Kinéo Award	Best Supporting Actress	Nominated
	2003	Respiro	Kinéo Award	Best Actress	Won
Lecce European Film Festival, Italy	2007	-	Honorary Award		Won
Ljubljana International Film Festival, Slovenia	2013	Honey	Kingfisher Award		Won
Los Angeles Italia, USA	2014	-	Excellence Award		Won
Lux Prize	2013	Honey	Lux Prize		2nd place
Magna Graecia Film Festival, Italy	2013	Honey	Best First Feature Award		Won
Mantova Film Festival, Italy	2013	Honey	Golden Laurel		Won
Maremetraggio International Festival, Italy	2012	Kryptonite!	Ippocampo Competition Award	Best Actress	Won
Marzamemi Border Film Festival, Italy	2007	-	WindJet Award		Won
Mons International Love Film Festival, Belgium	2003	Respiro	Best Actress Award		Won
New Italian Cinema Events Festival, Italy	2012	Kryptonite!	Susan Batson Award	Best Acting Performance	Won
Nice Italian Film Festival, France	1985	My Dearest Son	Best Newcomer Award		Won
Primavera del Cinema Italiano Festival, Italy	2009	Giulia Doesn't Date at Night	Federico II Award	Best Actress	Won
Rome Film Festival, Italy	2013	Come il vento	L.A.R.A. Award		Won
Sergio Amidei Prize	2013	Honey	Sergio Amidei Prize		Won
Silver Ribbon Awards, Italy	2014	Come il vento	Silver Ribbon	Best Actress	Nominated
	2013	Honey	Silver Ribbon	Best Debut Feature Film	Won
	2012	Kryptonite!	Silver Ribbon	Best Actress	Nominated
	2011	Armandino e il Madre	Silver Ribbon	Best Debut Short Film	Won
				Best Short Film	Nominated
	2010	The Cézanne Affair	Silver Ribbon	Best Actress	Nominated
	2009	Giulia Doesn't Date at Night	Silver Ribbon	Best Original Song	Won
				Best Actress	Nominated
	2007	Mario's War	Silver Ribbon	Best Actress	Nominated
	2006	Texas	Silver Ribbon	Best Actress	Nominated
	2004	Take Me Away	Silver Ribbon	Best Actress	Nominated
	2002	Respiro	Silver Ribbon	Best Actress	Won
	1999	Shooting the Moon	Silver Ribbon	Best Actress	Nominated
	1989	Rain Man	Silver Ribbon	Best Supporting Actress	Nominated
	1988	Three Sisters	Silver Ribbon	Best Actress	Nominated
	1987	A Tale of Love	Silver Ribbon	Best Actress	Won
	1986	Little Flames	Silver Ribbon	Best Actress	Nominated
Sulmona Film Festival, Italy	2002	Respiro	Best Actress Award		Won
Taormina Film Festival, Italy	2006	Mario's War	Best Actress Award		Won
		-	Taormina Arte Award for Cinematic Excellence		Won
Terra di Siena Film Festival, Italy	2009	-	Honorary Award		Won
Tétouan International Mediterranean Festival, Morocco	2014	Honey	Best First Work Award		Won
Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Greece	2006	-	Honorary Golden Alexander		Won
	1996	I sfagi tou kokora	Greek Competition Award	Best Actress	Won
Trani Film Festival, Italy	2002	-	Stupor Mundi Award		Won
Valenciennes Festival 2 Cinéma, France	2014	Come il vento	Best Actress Award		Won
Vasto Film Festival, Italy	2012	-	Honorary Award		Won
Venice Film Festival, Italy	2015	For Your Love	Volpi Cup	Best Actress	Won
			Pasinetti Award	Best Actress	Won
	1986	A Tale of Love	Best Actress Award		Won
			Golden Ciak	Best Actress	Won
Viareggio EuropaCinema Festival, Italy	2003	Take Me Away	EuropaCinema Award	Best Actress	Won
Vittorio De Sica Awards, Italy	2013	Honey	Vittorio De Sica Award		Won
	1986	-	Vittorio De Sica Award		Won

[ Source: Wikipedia ]