Raoul Bova is an Italian actor, director and style icon born in Rome on August 14, 1971 to parents with Calabrians and bells.
Grew up with a passion for swimming, Bova won the youth championships in the 100m backstroke at fifteen. Subsequently he served in the military in the Bersaglieri corps, where he held the position of swimming instructor at the non-commissioned officer school of the army. After his military service, he enrolled in Beatrice Bracco's acting school to pursue an acting career.
Early career years
After some small parts in several films, Raoul Bova gets his first leading role in the film “A little big love” by Carlo Vanzina in 1993.
From here start a myriad of interpretations that give him a great national and international success. Thanks to his statuesque physique as a former swimmer and his charm, he is universally recognized as one of the sex symbols of Italian cinema.
The success
Raoul Bova has starred in several successful films such as “Palermo Milan one way” (1996), “I'm sorry but I call you love” (2008) by Federico Moccia, “Our life” (2010), “Nobody can judge me” (2011), “Fratelli Unici” (2014) and “All the roads lead to Rome” (2015). He has also acted in TV series such as "The octopus 7 - Investigation into the death of Commissioner Cattani" and "Don Matteo".
In 2008, Raoul Bova also directed the film “A summer at the sea”, which was a big box office success.
Fictions and TV series
Raoul Bova has participated in numerous TV series and dramas throughout his career. In 2021, Bova was chosen as the protagonist of the mediaset fiction "Buongiorno, mamma!" together with Matteo Oscar Giuggioli, Maria Chiara Giannetta, Federico Cesari and Serena Autieri. The series follows the story of a young woman, played by Giannetta, who decides to become a mother through in vitro fertilization, but she discovers that she has an incurable disease.
Bova plays Dr. Marco, a gynecologist who helps the protagonist in her journey.
Previously, Bova starred in a number of other TV series, including "The octopus 7 – Investigation into the death of Commissioner Cattani”, “Come un delfino”, “Don Matteo” and “Made in Italy”. In the latter, he played the great stylist Giorgio Armani in the new Mediaset fiction that tells the fashion of the 70s together with actors of the caliber of Margherita Buy, Stefania Rocca, Claudia Pandolfi and Nicoletta Romanoff, Greta Ferro and Marco Bocci.
Style icon
Besides being a successful actor, Raoul Bova is also an icon of Italian style, with an elegant and refined style that has led him to become the testimonial of important fashion brands. In 2021, he was chosen as the interpreter of the great stylist Giorgio Armani in the new Mediaset fiction "Made in Italy", which tells the fashion of the 70s.
Private life
Raoul Bova has been married with the actress Chiara Giordano from 2000 to 2013, from which he had two sons. In 2013 he met the Spanish actress Rocio Munoz Morales on the set of the film "Immaturi - Il viaggio", from which he had two daughters. In 2015, the couple got married.
Curiosity
When he was only 4 he almost drowned in an accident, so his parents enrolled him in swimming, a sport in which he excelled.
He has an eye tattooed on his back.
