Francesco Castiglione

Francesco Castiglione was born in Germany on June 16, 1982. In 1992, he moved to Sicily, where he continued his studies until graduation. His introduction to theater began with a workshop led by Lucia Sardo and Marcello Cappelli, who encouraged him to move to Rome in 2002 at the age of 19. There, he won a scholarship to the Academy of Performing Arts “Teatro del Sogno,” directed by Anna Mazzamauro. He subsequently attended the European Academy of Theater and Entertainment and participated in various workshops, including those with Giancarlo Sepe and Oreste Lionello.

A particularly valuable mentor was Gianni Nardoni, under whose guidance Castiglione made his debut in 2005 at the Teatro dei Satiri in Rome. In 2008, his performance in L’altra metà del niente, directed by Francisco E.R. Villarusso, earned him the Muse Award for “Best Leading Actor.”

Following this success, Castiglione embarked on an uninterrupted series of stage performances. Some of his most recent works include Ricordami dietro una foglia, Un Cappello Pieno di Pioggia (directed by Alessandro Carvaruso), and Libertà tra musica e parole, which Castiglione conceived himself, with direction by Marco Simeoli, a student of Gigi Proietti.

Since 2007, in addition to his theater work, Castiglione has appeared in short films, cinema, and television. His notable screen credits include Dòn (2007) and La fabbrica dei volti noti (2011), both directed by Riccardo Papa and awarded in Italy and Europe. In 2011, he starred in Cruel Tango, directed by Salvatore Metastasio, which was presented at the Fantafestival in Rome in 2012. He also appeared in I fiori del male (2014), directed by Claver Salizzato, and Shades of Truth (2014), an international film featuring Christopher Lambert, Gedeon Burkhard, Giancarlo Giannini, and Remo Girone, directed by Liana Marabini.

On television, Castiglione has taken on various roles, including appearances in Le tre rose di Eva 2, Che Dio ci aiuti 3, Sotto Copertura, and I Medici (alongside Dustin Hoffman, directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan). Since season 10, he has been part of the cast of Don Matteo, portraying the character Appuntato Barba. He also played Gunther in seasons four and five of Un passo dal cielo. In 2018, he starred as Saint John the Baptist in Il precursore, directed by Omar Pesenti.

In 2019, Castiglione appeared in Devils, directed by Nick Hurran and Jan Michelini, and portrayed Nicola in L’isola di Pietro 3. After completing Don Matteo 12 in 2020, he guest-starred in an episode of Doc – Nelle tue mani. In 2021, he played the lead role in the docu-film The Iron Pope, where he portrayed Pope Sixtus V. That same year, he returned to the set of Don Matteo 13.

In 2022, Castiglione returned to the theater with his own show and appeared in Ficarra and Picone’s Incastrati for Netflix. In 2023/24, he plays Santo Tomarchio in a new TV series by Palomar, Vanina – Un vicequestore a Catania, while also continuing his role on Don Matteo 14.