Alessandro Borghi: The Life Story Behind Italy's Rising Star
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Alessandro Borghi is one of the brightest young stars in Italian cinema, and his rise has been fast, strong, and full of roles that show his range. He was born in Rome, he came to acting through television and film, and he became known to a wide audience as Aureliano in Suburra, a series about crime and power in the capital. Since then he has played a young man on the edge in Non essere cattivo, a king in The First King, a mountain climber in The Eight Mountains, and Rocco Siffredi in Supersex, and each role has shown a new side of his talent.
He is not a star who relies on looks alone. He is an actor who works hard, who studies his roles, and who brings a physical energy to the screen that makes the audience believe him. He can be tough, he can be tender, and he can be funny, and he can switch between those feelings in a single scene. That range is rare for a young actor, and it is why directors trust him with leading roles, and why audiences follow his work.
His story is still at the start of a long road. He is in his late thirties, he has already won a David di Donatello for Best Actor, and he has worked in Italy and abroad. But his best work may still be ahead of him, and that is an exciting thing to watch. This is the story of a boy from Rome who became one of Italy’s rising stars, one role at a time.
Growing Up in Rome
Alessandro Borghi was born on 19 September 1986 in Rome, Italy. He grew up in the capital, in a city full of history, of film, and of life lived in the open. Rome in the 1990s was a lively place, with cinemas, with television, and with a sense of culture that was part of daily life. A boy growing up there could feel that acting was a real job, and Borghi felt that from an early age. He was lively, curious, and full of energy, and he showed an interest in performing that his family supported.
As a schoolboy, he was not thinking only about acting. He was a normal child, going to school, spending time with friends, and growing up in a city that gave him a wide view of the world. But he liked to be in front of people, to make them laugh, and to try out different characters. That love of performing stayed with him, and it became the reason he chose acting as a job. He was not a child star. He was a normal boy who found that acting gave him a way to express feelings that were hard to put into words.
When he finished school, he began to work in television and in small film roles, learning his craft on the job. He was not a person who had studied for years in a drama school. He was a young man who learned by doing, by watching other actors, and by taking every chance he was given. That way of learning is hard, but it gives an actor a natural style, and Borghi’s style is natural, direct, and full of life.
Rome stayed with him, even when he worked in other cities and in other countries. He has often spoken with warmth about his home city, and about the way it taught him to be honest and direct. That honesty is at the centre of his acting, and it is one of the reasons audiences trust him. He does not act as if he is pretending. He acts as if he is living the life of the character, and that comes from Rome, from a city where life is not hidden.
Rome gave Borghi a strong sense of life, because the city is loud, passionate, and full of history, and a boy growing up there learns to feel deeply and to speak directly. He was not a boy from a quiet town. He was a boy from the capital, and he knew its streets, its people, and its energy from the inside. That knowledge gave him a confidence on screen, a sense that he belonged in front of a camera, and it helped him to handle the fame that came later. He did not need to pretend to be strong. He was strong, because Rome had made him strong, and that strength shows in every role he plays.
First Roles and Learning on the Job
Borghi’s first roles were in Italian television and in small films, where he played young men in Rome, in love, in trouble, and in search of a better life. He was learning his craft job by job, and he was building a reputation as a young actor who could be trusted with a part. He was not a star yet, but he was working hard, and he was getting better with each new role. He learned how a film set works, how to work with a camera, and how to give a performance that felt real.
His early work included roles in television series that were popular in Italy, and those roles gave him a chance to be seen by a wide audience. He was a familiar face on Italian television before he became famous in film, and that television work taught him how to work fast, how to keep a character alive over many episodes, and how to connect with an audience that watches at home. Those are valuable skills, and they served him well in the years that followed.
He also appeared in small film roles, where he played friends, brothers, and young men on the edge of trouble. Those roles were not large, but they were important, because they taught him how to be part of an ensemble, how to listen on screen, and how to make his presence felt without taking over a scene. That is a skill that many young actors never learn, and it is one of the reasons directors like working with him.
By the mid-2010s, Borghi was no longer a new face. He was a working actor with a growing list of credits, and he was being offered larger roles in better films. He had learned his craft well, and he was ready for the role that would make him famous. That role was coming, and it would change his life in a way that few young actors experience.
Learning on the job is a hard way to become an actor, because there is no classroom, no teacher to correct you, and no safety net. Borghi learned by watching other actors, by taking every chance he was given, and by making mistakes and learning from them. That way of learning gives an actor a natural style, and Borghi’s style is natural, direct, and full of life. He does not act as if he is showing off a technique. He acts as if he is living the life of the character, and that naturalness is a large part of why audiences like him. It comes from years of working, not from years of studying, and it is just as valid.
Non essere cattivo and a David di Donatello
In 2015, Borghi starred in Non essere cattivo, known in English as Don’t Be Bad, directed by Claudio Caligari, a film about two young men in Ostia, near Rome, who live a life of drugs, crime, and friendship in the 1990s. Borghi played Vittorio, a young man who tries to change his life, who wants to work, to love, and to leave the past behind, and his performance was praised for its truth and its power. The film was a success, and it won him the David di Donatello for Best Actor, Italy’s most important film award.
Non essere cattivo was a hard film to watch, because it showed a world of poverty, of drugs, and of young men who have little hope. Borghi played Vittorio with a mix of toughness and tenderness, showing a man who is trying to be good in a world that makes it hard to be good. He did not play him as a hero. He played him as a real person, with flaws, with fear, and with a hope that is hard to hold onto. That honesty is what won him the award, and it is what made the film so powerful.
The David di Donatello win changed his career. It marked him as one of the best young actors in Italy, and it opened doors to larger roles in film and television. He was no longer only a television actor. He was an award-winning film actor, and he was taken seriously by directors around the world. He used that recognition to choose better roles, and to work with directors who could help him grow.
After Non essere cattivo, he continued to work in films that were serious and challenging, and he kept his focus on the craft rather than on the fame. He knew that an award is only a moment, and that a career is made by the work that comes after. He took that lesson to heart, and he kept working, film by film, role by role, building a body of work that is both deep and wide.
Vittorio in Non essere cattivo is a young man who tries to change his life, who wants to work, to love, and to leave drugs and crime behind, and Borghi played him with a mix of toughness and tenderness that is very hard to get right. He showed a man who is trying to be good in a world that makes it hard to be good, and he did it without making the character a hero or a victim. He let Vittorio be real, with flaws, with fear, and with a hope that is hard to hold onto. That honesty is what won him the David di Donatello, and it is what makes the film so powerful, even today, ten years after it was made.
Suburra and the Role of Aureliano
In 2015, Borghi also began his role as Aureliano in Suburra, first in the film directed by Stefano Sollima, and then in the Netflix series that followed. Aureliano, known as Number 8, is a young man from Ostia who is involved in crime, who is loyal to his friends, and who is trying to build a life in a world of power and violence. Borghi played him with a fierce energy that made the character one of the most loved in the series, and his performance became a signature of his career.
Suburra was a huge success, in Italy and around the world, and it made Borghi famous to a global audience. The series told the story of crime, politics, and the church in Rome, and Aureliano was at its centre, a young man who is both a criminal and a person with a heart. Borghi played him with a truth that made the audience care about him, even when he did terrible things. That is a hard balance to strike, and he struck it well.
Playing Aureliano for several seasons was a major commitment, and it taught Borghi how to keep a character alive over many years, how to show growth and change, and how to handle the pressure of being part of a global hit. He learned how to work on a long series, how to keep his energy up, and how to give a strong performance in every episode. That experience served him well in the years that followed, when he took on leading roles in film.
Suburra also showed his physicality as an actor. Aureliano is a man who fights, who runs, and who lives with danger, and Borghi played him with a body that felt real, not trained for a poster. He was not a star who looked good in a suit. He was a man who looked like he lived in Ostia, who knew the streets, and who carried the weight of his life in his walk. That realism is a large part of why the series worked, and why Borghi is so respected.
Aureliano is a character who is both a criminal and a person with a heart, and Borghi played that mix with a fierce energy that made him one of the most loved characters in Suburra. He showed the loyalty, the anger, and the love of a young man from Ostia who is trying to build a life in a world of power and violence, and he did it in a way that made the audience care about him, even when he did terrible things. That is a hard balance to strike, and he struck it well. He did not make Aureliano a simple villain. He made him a person, and that is why the series worked, and why Borghi became famous around the world.
The First King, The Eight Mountains and Leading Roles
In 2019, Borghi starred in The First King, known in Italian as Il primo re, directed by Matteo Rovere, a film about Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome. He played Remus, a warrior and a brother, in a film that was shot in an ancient form of Latin and that showed the harsh world of early Rome. The role was physical, demanding, and very different from his work in Suburra, and it showed that he could play a historical figure with the same truth that he brought to a modern criminal.
The First King was a success, and it confirmed Borghi as a leading man in Italian cinema. He could carry a large film, he could play a character from history, and he could do it in a language that few people speak. That takes courage, and it takes skill, and Borghi showed both. He was no longer only the young man from Suburra. He was a film star, and a versatile one.
In 2022, he starred in The Eight Mountains, known in Italian as Le otto montagne, directed by Felix van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch, a film based on the novel by Paolo Cognetti about two friends who grow up in the mountains and whose friendship lasts for decades. Borghi played Bruno, a man who lives in the mountains, who works with his hands, and who struggles with his father and with his own life. His performance was praised for its quiet power and its truth, and the film won the Jury Prize at Cannes.
The Eight Mountains showed a different side of Borghi, a quieter and more reflective side, and it proved that he could play a man who says little but feels a lot. He played Bruno with a stillness that was very different from the energy of Aureliano, and that contrast showed his range as an actor. He was not a one-note star. He was an actor who could play many kinds of men, and who could make each one feel real.
Supersex and Playing Rocco Siffredi
In 2024, Borghi starred in Supersex, a Netflix series about Rocco Siffredi, one of the most famous adult film stars in the world. He played Siffredi, a man whose life is both public and private, and whose story is about fame, about family, and about the cost of a life lived in the spotlight. The role was brave, because it asked Borghi to play a real person who is still alive, and whose life is controversial, and to do it with honesty and with respect.
Supersex was a success, and Borghi’s performance was praised for its depth and its humanity. He did not play Siffredi as a caricature. He played him as a man, with a family, with doubts, and with a need to be loved. That is a hard thing to do, especially when the subject is famous for one thing only, and Borghi did it by focusing on the person behind the image. He showed that he is an actor who is not afraid of a difficult role, and who is willing to take a risk.
The series also showed his willingness to work in international projects, and to take on roles that are not safe. He could have stayed in Italian cinema, playing safe leading men, but he chose a role that was challenging, and that choice has paid off. It has shown the world that he is an actor who can play any kind of man, and who can make any story feel real.
Supersex is a recent work, and it is a sign of where Borghi’s career is going. He is not afraid to take on a controversial subject, he is not afraid to play a real person, and he is not afraid to be seen in a new light. That courage will serve him well in the years to come, as he takes on more leading roles in Italy and abroad.
What Comes Next for Alessandro Borghi
Borghi is still in his late thirties, and his career is still at the start of a long road. He has already won a David di Donatello, he has been in a global Netflix hit, he has played a king, a mountain man, and a famous adult star, and he has shown a range that few young actors can match. That is a strong start, but the real test will be what he does next. He will need to keep choosing roles that challenge him, to keep working with good directors, and to keep learning as he gets older.
He has a strong base in Italy, and he has a global audience that knows his name. That gives him a freedom that many actors do not have. He can work in Italian cinema, he can work in international projects, and he can choose the stories that matter to him. That freedom is valuable, and it is something he has earned through years of hard work since his first television roles.
His future will depend on his choices. If he keeps taking risks, if he keeps playing characters who are different from each other, and if he keeps his focus on the craft rather than on the fame, he has a long career ahead of him. He has already shown that he can play a criminal, a king, a friend, and a star, and that range will serve him well as he takes on older and more complex roles.
In the end, his story is a story of a young man from Rome who worked his way to the top of Italian cinema, and who is still learning. He did not become famous by chance. He became famous because he was ready when the chance came, and because he had spent years learning his craft. That is a lesson for any young person who dreams of acting, or of any other creative work. The work comes first, the fame comes later, and the work must keep coming first if the career is to last.
My Take:
When I think about Alessandro Borghi, I think about energy, because energy is the quality that runs through his whole career. He does not act in a quiet or still way. He acts with a physical force, with a walk, with a look, and with a voice that makes the audience feel the character’s life. I have watched many young actors who are good, but few who have the energy that Borghi has, and that energy is what makes his work so alive. He does not let the audience look away. He makes them feel the character’s hunger, anger, and hope, all at once.
I think his performance in Non essere cattivo is the best example of that energy. He plays Vittorio, a young man in Ostia who tries to change his life, who wants to work, to love, and to leave drugs and crime behind, and he plays him with a mix of toughness and tenderness that is very hard to get right. He shows a man who is trying to be good in a world that makes it hard to be good, and he does it without making the character a hero or a victim. He lets Vittorio be real, with flaws, with fear, and with a hope that is hard to hold onto. That honesty is what won him the David di Donatello, and it is what makes the film so powerful.
What I like most about his role as Aureliano in Suburra is the loyalty in the character. Aureliano is a criminal, he does terrible things, and he lives in a world of violence, but he is loyal to his friends, and he loves his family. Borghi plays that loyalty with a truth that makes the audience care about him, even when they know he is doing wrong. That is a hard balance to strike, and he strikes it well. He does not make Aureliano a simple villain. He makes him a person, and that makes the series more powerful, because the audience can see how a real person becomes a criminal, step by step, and how loyalty can keep a person in a bad life.
I also think about his role in The Eight Mountains, because it shows a different side of him. As Bruno, a man who lives in the mountains, who works with his hands, and who says little, Borghi plays a quiet and reflective character, very different from the loud energy of Aureliano. He shows that he can be still, that he can listen, and that he can let a feeling grow in silence. That contrast tells me that he is not a one-note actor. He can be loud and he can be quiet, he can be angry and he can be tender, and he can make each one feel true. That range is a sign of a great actor, and it is one that I admire deeply.
There is something sad in his story too, and it is the fact that many of his best roles are about young men in trouble. Vittorio is in trouble, Aureliano is in trouble, and many of his other characters are in trouble too. That is a lot of darkness to carry, film after film, and it must be hard to live with those characters. But I think that is also why his work matters. He tells stories about young men who are trying to find a better life, and he tells them with honesty, which helps the audience to understand a world that many people never see. That is a valuable thing, even if it is sad.
I admire his choice to play Rocco Siffredi in Supersex, because it was a brave choice. Siffredi is a real person, a famous adult film star, and playing him could have been a joke, or a caricature, or a simple imitation. Borghi did not do that. He played him as a man, with a family, with doubts, and with a need to be loved, and he did it with respect. That takes courage, because it is easy to play a famous person as a stereotype, and it is hard to play them as a real person. He did the hard thing, and I respect him for it.
If I have a criticism, it is only that I want to see him take on even more kinds of roles. He has played criminals, kings, mountain men, and adult stars, but there are many other kinds of men he has not yet played. I would like to see him play a father, a teacher, a man who has failed and is trying again, or a character in a comedy that lets him use his timing in a new way. He has the talent for it, and I think the audience would follow him. The danger for any young actor who becomes famous is that they get stuck in the roles that made them famous, and I hope he keeps pushing against that.
I think young people who dream of acting can learn a lot from him. The lesson is to work hard, to learn on the job, and to be ready when a big role comes. Borghi did not study for years in a drama school. He learned by doing, by taking small roles in television, and by working hard on every job. That is a lesson for any kind of work, not only acting. You do not need a perfect start. You need to work, to learn, and to be ready, and the chance will come if you are prepared for it.
I keep thinking about Rome, the city where he was born, because I believe that home matters. Rome is a city of strong feelings, of history, and of life lived in the open, and Borghi carries that with him. He is a Roman actor, with a Roman energy, and his work feels like Rome, loud, passionate, and real. I think that is part of why he is so loved in Italy. He is not a star from somewhere else. He is from Rome, and Rome is proud of him.
In the end, I think Alessandro Borghi is still at the start of a long story. He has already achieved more than most actors achieve, but he is still young, and he still has time to grow, to fail, and to try again. I hope he keeps choosing roles that challenge him, I hope he keeps learning, and I hope he keeps the energy that made people notice him in the first place. If he does those things, I believe his best work is still ahead of him, and I look forward to seeing what he does next.
One more thought stays with me, and it is about the power of Italian television. Suburra showed the world that an Italian series could be loved everywhere, and Borghi was at the centre of it. That is not a small thing. He helped to open a door for Italian actors, Italian writers, and Italian directors, and that door is still open. I think he knows that, and I think he carries it with a sense of duty. He is not only building his own career. He is part of a moment in Italian culture, and that moment will be remembered for a long time.
I also think about his physicality as an actor, because Borghi brings his body to every role in a way that few young actors do. He does not just speak his lines. He walks, he fights, he runs, and he carries the weight of his character in his shoulders. That physical energy makes his performances feel real, because the audience can see the life in his body, not only in his face. I think that is a gift, and it is one that comes from his work in television and in film, where he learned to use his whole self, not only his voice. Another thing I admire is his willingness to take on a role like Rocco Siffredi in Supersex, because it was a brave choice. Siffredi is a real person, a famous adult film star, and playing him could have been a joke, or a caricature, or a simple imitation. Borghi did not do that. He played him as a man, with a family, with doubts, and with a need to be loved, and he did it with respect. That takes courage, because it is easy to play a famous person as a stereotype, and it is hard to play them as a real person. He did the hard thing, and I respect him for it. I think about his role in The Eight Mountains, because it shows a quieter side of him that many people had not seen before. As Bruno, a man who lives in the mountains and works with his hands, Borghi plays a character who says little but feels a lot, and he does it with a stillness that is very different from the energy of Aureliano. That contrast tells me that he is not a one-note actor. He can be loud and he can be quiet, he can be angry and he can be tender, and he can make each one feel true. That range is a sign of a great actor. There is a lesson in his career for young people, and it is the lesson of learning on the job. Borghi did not study for years in a drama school. He learned by doing, by taking small roles in television, and by working hard on every job. That is a lesson for any kind of work, not only acting. You do not need a perfect start. You need to work, to learn, and to be ready, and the chance will come if you are prepared for it. He was prepared, and when the chance came, he took it and made it his own. I also think about Rome, and about how it shapes his work. Rome is a city of strong feelings, of history, and of life lived in the open, and Borghi carries that with him. He is a Roman actor, with a Roman energy, and his work feels like Rome, loud, passionate, and real. I think that is part of why he is so loved in Italy. He is not a star from somewhere else. He is from Rome, and Rome is proud of him. I keep returning to the idea of energy, because energy is the quality that runs through his whole career. He does not act in a quiet or still way. He acts with a physical force, with a walk, with a look, and with a voice that makes the audience feel the character’s life. That energy is what makes his work so alive, and it is what makes the audience believe him. He does not let the audience look away. He makes them feel the character’s hunger, anger, and hope, all at once, and that is a rare gift. One more thought stays with me, and it is about his future. He is still in his late thirties, he has already won a David di Donatello, he has been in a global Netflix hit, and he has shown a range that few young actors can match. That is a strong start, but his best work may still be ahead of him. I hope he keeps choosing roles that challenge him, I hope he keeps learning, and I hope he keeps the energy that made people notice him in the first place. If he does, I believe he will have a long and interesting career. Finally, I think about what his career means for Italian television. Suburra showed the world that an Italian series could be loved everywhere, and Borghi was at the centre of it. That is not a small thing. He helped to open a door for Italian actors, Italian writers, and Italian directors, and that door is still open. I think he knows that, and I think he carries it with a sense of duty. He is not only building his own career. He is part of a moment in Italian culture, and that moment will be remembered for a long time.
I also think about the way he uses his fame to open doors for other Italian actors, because Suburra showed the world that an Italian series could be loved everywhere, and Borghi was at the centre of it. That is not a small thing. He helped to open a door for Italian actors, writers, and directors, and that door is still open. I believe he understands that, and he seems to carry it with a real sense of responsibility. He is not only building his own career. He belongs to a moment in Italian culture that people will remember for years to come. Finally, I want to say that his story is still at the start of a long road, and that is an exciting thing to watch. He is in his late thirties, he has already won a David di Donatello, and he has shown a range that few young actors can match. His best work may still be ahead of him, and I look forward to seeing what he does next. If he keeps choosing roles that challenge him, keeps learning, and keeps the energy that made people notice him, I believe he will have a long and interesting career, and I am glad to be watching it unfold.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Alessandro Borghi born?
He was born on 19 September 1986 in Rome, Italy. He grew up in Rome and began acting in Italian television and small film roles, learning his craft on the job before he became famous in film.
What film won Alessandro Borghi the David di Donatello for Best Actor?
He won the David di Donatello for Best Actor for Non essere cattivo, known in English as Don’t Be Bad, released in 2015 and directed by Claudio Caligari, in which he played Vittorio, a young man trying to change his life.
Who did Alessandro Borghi play in Suburra?
He played Aureliano, known as Number 8, a young man from Ostia involved in crime, in the film Suburra and then in the Netflix series. Aureliano became one of his most loved roles, and the series made him famous around the world.
What is The First King, and what did Borghi play in it?
The First King, released in 2019 and directed by Matteo Rovere, is about Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome. Borghi played Remus, a warrior and brother, in a film shot in an ancient form of Latin.
What is The Eight Mountains, and what did Borghi play in it?
The Eight Mountains, released in 2022, is about two friends who grow up in the mountains, and Borghi played Bruno, a man who lives in the mountains and works with his hands. The film won the Jury Prize at Cannes.
Who did Alessandro Borghi play in Supersex?
He played Rocco Siffredi, the famous adult film star, in Supersex, a Netflix series released in 2024. His performance was praised for showing Siffredi as a real man, with a family and doubts, not as a caricature.
Is Alessandro Borghi still acting now?
Yes, he is still working in major Italian and international films and series. He is in his late thirties, he has already won a David di Donatello, and his career is still growing, with new leading roles ahead of him.
