Biography

Coming from a show-business family (his father Eduardo Scarpetta was a famous stage actor), Eduardo de Filippo made his stage debut at age 5 playing the role of "Peppiniello" in his father's comedy "Miseria e Nobiltà". At 32 he formed his own stage company with his brother Peppino de Filippo and sister Tina de Filippo, and the three began making appearances in films, starting in 1933. The trio enjoyed success in both mediums, but broke up soon after World War II ended. De Filippo, who had begun directing films in 1940, began enjoying success as a director in the 1950s, turning out a string of light comedies, many based on his own plays. In addition to writing and directing his own films, he also wrote or collaborated on films with such directors as Vittorio De Sica.

- IMDb mini biography by: Gianluca Toscano

De Filippo was born in Naples to playwright Eduardo Scarpetta and theatre seamstress and costumier Luisa De Filippo. He began acting at the age of five and in 1932 formed a theater company with his brother Peppino and sister Titina, called "Compagnia del Teatro Umoristico I De Filippo". Peppino left the troupe in 1944 and Titina departed by the early 1950s. De Filippo starred in De Sica's "L'oro di Napoli" with Totò and Sophia Loren in 1954. In 1973 a production of his "Sabato, domenica e lunedi" (1959, Saturday, Sunday and Monday), starring Laurence Olivier in the lead role, won the London drama critics' award. His translation of "Shakespeare's The Tempest" into Neapolitan was published in 1982. In 1981, De Filippo was appointed life senator of the Italian Republic. He died three years later in Rome. His artistic legacy has been carried over by his son Luca De Filippo.

- IMDb mini biography by: Anonymous