Tommaso Ragno

Tommaso Ragno, born on 1 June 1967 in the coastal town of Vieste in Apulia, Italy, emerged from a modest family background as the eldest of two children. Though his maternal lineage traces back to the former Yugoslavia, his formative years were spent after the age of two in Piacenza, where he cultivated an introspective temperament, devouring literature and dreaming of a writing career. This early fascination with books eventually guided him to the Paolo Grassi School of Dramatic Art in Milan, where he swapped the pen for the stage and began a lifelong dedication to acting. After a brief stint living in Berlin, Ragno settled in Rome, a city that has remained his home even through the pandemic lockdown, allowing him to continue a prolific career across theatre, cinema, radio, and television.

Ragno’s professional debut arrived in 1988 with the Greek tragedy La seconda generazione, directed by Mario Martone, marking the start of a collaboration with Carlo Checci that he later described as his “greatest teacher.” His screen breakthrough came in 1997 with We All Fall Down (Davide Ferrario), and he subsequently led films such as Chimera (2001) and Medea Miracle (2007) alongside Isabelle Huppert. Notable performances include the enigmatic Tancredi in Happy as Lazzaro (2018), earning a CinEuphoria nomination, and roles in Nanni Moretti’s Three Floors (2021) and Paolo Virzì’s Dry (2022). In 2022 he won the Nastro d'Argento for Best Supporting Actor for Mario Martone’s Nostalgia. On television, he became a familiar face in series like Distretto di polizia, Il tredicesimo apostolo, and the acclaimed Il miracolo (2018), for which he received the Flaiano Prize and Golden Screen Award. His narration work on Rai Radio 3’s Ad alta voce showcases his versatile voice, while his portrayal of mafia boss Donatello Fadda in the fourth season of Fargo (2020) introduced him to an international audience.