Maria Pia Calzone

Maria Pia Calzone is an Italian actress born on 10 October 1967 in Reino, Campania, Italy. She grew up in Naples and pursued a solid academic foundation, earning a bachelor's degree in literature with a specialization in contemporary art from the Università degli Studi di Napoli “L'Orientale” before graduating from the prestigious Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome, the national film school that has produced many of Italy’s cinematic talents. Calzone made her screen debut in 1988 with Lello Arena’s Chiari di luna and gradually built a versatile portfolio that spans film, television, and theater, showcasing a remarkable ability to inhabit both dramatic and comedic roles. Her early breakthrough came with the 2002 international production Equilibrium, where she played the wife of Christian Bale’s character, introducing her to a broader audience beyond Italy. In the mid‑2000s she achieved critical acclaim with leading parts such as the trans woman Desideria in Mother Nature (2005) and the Madonna in Giulio Base’s The Inquiry (2007), earning awards like the Premio Riccardo Cucciolla (2006) for best lead actress and the Premio Ippocampo (2006) at the Festival di Trieste Maremetraggio. The role that cemented her fame was Immacolata “Imma” Savastano, the boss’s wife in the gritty television series Gomorrah (2014‑present), a performance that highlighted her talent for portraying complex, powerful women in a male‑dominated criminal world. Beyond the screen, Calcone has been active on stage, appeared in popular Italian comedies such as Io che amo solo te (2015) and its sequel La cena di Natale (2016), and contributed to music videos like Luciano Ligabue’s “Non ho che te” (2015). Since 2020 she has served as a founding board member of the National Union of Theatre and Audiovisual Performers (UNITA) and acts as an ambassador for Telethon, reflecting her commitment to the arts community and charitable causes. Her recent work includes the 2023 film SottoCoperta, demonstrating her ongoing relevance and adaptability in contemporary Italian cinema.