Have you ever spotted a celebrity name and thought, “Hang on, that sounds Italian!” Yep, some surnames carry that unmistakable Italian rhythm, you just know it as soon as you hear them said aloud. But what’s the story behind them? Are they tied to deep-rooted family heritage, or just some distant cousin in the family tree? Let’s take a fun, behind-the-scenes look at 19 famous actors with unmistakably Italian surnames!
1. Al Pacino
Let’s start strong. Alfredo James Pacino (that’s Al’s full name) is of full Italian descent. Born in East Harlem, New York, he traces his roots back to San Fratello and Corleone in Sicily. Yes, that Corleone that became world-famous thanks to The Godfather, where Al Pacino famously played Michael, the youngest son of Don Vito Corleone. That’s destiny! He once proudly declared, “In America, most everybody who’s Italian is half Italian. Except me. I’m all Italian.” And you can tell: the intensity, the passion… it’s all pure Italian soul!
2. Robert De Niro
Another Hollywood legend, De Niro’s Italian heritage runs back to Ferrazzano, a small town in the Molise region. His great-grandparents emigrated to the U.S. in 1890, and fun fact: his surname was probably “Di Niro” originally but got tweaked at Ellis Island, something that happened frequently when arriving in the US. In 2006, he obtained an Italian passport and said he would have moved to Ferrazzano if Trump had won the 2024 election. We’ll see if he meant it…
3. Jane Fonda
Also the iconic Jane Fonda can claim some Italian heritage on both sides of her family tree. On her father’s side, she descends from a Ligurian family (from Genoa), whose descendants where among the first settlers in the state of New York and even founded a small village called Fonda, which still exists. As for her mother’s lineage, it includes Giovanni Gualdo, a nobleman from Vicenza. Who would have thought a bit of Genoa and Vicenza was hiding behind all that California cool!
4. Leonardo DiCaprio
With a name like that, the Italian connection is pretty obvious. The story goes that Leo got his name thanks to a kick in the womb while his mum was admiring a painting by Leonardo da Vinci in Italy. As for his surname, his dad’s side hails from Campania: great-grandparents Salvatore Di Caprio and Rosina Cassella came from Piedimonte d’Alife, in the province of Caserta, though they met and married in the US in the 1890s. Oh, and he’s currently dating Italian model Vittoria Ceretti, just in case his Italian credentials weren’t strong enough.
5. Sylvester Stallone
And now, my personal favourite. The legend behind Rocky and Rambo was born Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone (I know, that Gardenzio might soften the tough-guy image just a bit, but it definitely reinforces the Italian credentials!). His paternal grandparents, Silvestro Stallone and Pulcheria Nicastri, came from Gioia del Colle in Puglia and emigrated to the US in the 1930s. Almost a century later, in 2023, Stallone visited the town and won hearts by showing the original key to his grandfather’s barbershop. And here’s a fun fact: he once auditioned for The Godfather but was rejected for “not looking Italian enough.” Seriously?
6. Marisa Tomei
Marisa Tomei boasts a rich mix of Italian roots, spanning Tuscany, Calabria, Campania, and Sicily. She even won an Oscar playing the ultimate Italian-American girlfriend, Mona Lisa Vito, in My Cousin Vinny. But her connection to Italy goes way beyond the screen. In a 2012 episode of Who Do You Think You Are?, she traveled to Tuscany to investigate a real-life family mystery: the murder of her great-grandfather, Francesco Leopoldo Bianchi, in the early 1900s. Along the way, she also discovered how her great-grandmother remarried and emigrated to New York, piecing together an emotional chapter of her family’s past.
7. John Travolta
Sicily is at the heart of John Travolta’s Italian heritage: his paternal grandparent, Salvatore Travolta came from Godrano (a town known for its delicious caciocavallo cheese), while his paternal grandmother, Giuseppina Marsala, was from Villafrati. Fun linguistic twist: “travolta” means “swept away” in Italian, which feels pretty fitting for a man who conquered the dance floor in iconic movies like Saturday Night Fever and Grease! There’s some debate around the original spelling of his surname, with some saying it was Travotta and became Travolta due to a wrong transcription in the US.
8. Joe Pesci
Forever in my memory for that distinctive smirk as the bungling burglar in Home Alone, Joe Pesci’s Italian roots stretch from north to south. His mother’s family hailed from Aquilonia, in the province of Avellino, while his father’s side came from Turin up in the north. Curiously, his surname, Pesci, means “fishes” in Italian, a small linguistic detail that adds a bit of charm to an already unmistakably Italian name.
9. Danny DeVito
Danny DeVito’s family comes from San Fele, a tiny village near Matera, and from an Arbëreshë village in Calabria (the Arbëreshë are ancient Albanian communities that settled in southern Italy centuries ago). He’s even worked in Italian cinema, appearing in La mortadella, directed by Mario Monicelli and starring Sophia Loren, and years later in Christmas in Love alongside Italian actors Massimo Boldi and Christian De Sica. Oh, and he loves limoncello so much, he launched his own brand: Danny DeVito’s Premium Limoncello. Cin cin!
10. Ralph Macchio
Who doesn’t remember Daniel LaRusso’s famous “wax on, wax off” moves in The Karate Kid? That iconic role belongs to Ralph Macchio, another American actor with strong Italian heritage. The guy is now in his 60s and still looking fresh… must be those Italian genes working their magic! His dad’s family came from Villanova del Battista, near Avellino, while his mom’s side traces back to Toritto, in the province of Bari. Earlier this year, he was awarded honorary citizenship and the keys to Villanova del Battista, surely a well-deserved recognition to his Italian background.
11. Ellen Pompeo
Grey’s Anatomy’s Dr. Meredith Grey grew up with plenty of Southern Italian influence from her dad’s side, as her grandparents were from Gesualdo, in the province of Avellino. Ellen has always been proud of her Southern Italian origins, so much so that when she got pickpocketed in Florence a few years ago, she posted on Instagram: “I am nice but let’s not forget my heritage… NAPOLITANO.” Iconic!
12. Ray Liotta
Ray Liotta’s story is a bit different. He wasn’t Italian by blood, but was adopted by an Italian-American family and grew up immersed in their culture. It wasn’t until he was 40 that he discovered his birth parents were mostly Scottish, but by then, his identity was already firmly rooted in Italian-American culture. He embraced it fully, also screen, especially in Goodfellas, where his his role as Henry Hill became one of the most iconic portrayals of Italian-American life on screen.
13. Stanley Tucci
Stanley Tucci hardly needs an introduction: the star of Searching for Italy has practically become one of the most recognizable champions of Italian cuisine and culture! But here’s something you might not know: he’s got Calabrian blood running through his veins, with grandparents hailing from Marzi, Serra San Bruno and Cittanova. As a kid, he even lived in Florence, after his father, an art teacher obsessed with Michelangelo and Leonardo, decided the family should soak up Italy’s culture firsthand. These days, Stanley lives in London, is an active part of the Italian community there, and was even made a Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. Not bad!
14. Paul Giamatti
Paul Giamatti gets his Italian heritage from his dad’s line. The surname Giamatti is actually an Americanized form of Giammattei, originally from Telese Terme, near Naples, where his paternal grandfather was born before heading to the US. Paul’s dad, Angelo Bartlett “Bart” Giamatti, was a Yale professor who went on to become one of the university’s youngest presidents at only 39. He was even nominated Commissioner of the country’s Major League Baseball. And here’s a bit of irony: despite his Italian heritage and famously playing a wine-loving character in Sideways, Paul is not a big wine guy. Oh well, nobody’s perfect!
15. James Gandolfini
Immortalised on screen as Tony Soprano in The Sopranos, James Gandolfini came from a richly Italian heritage. His mom was raised in Naples, while his dad came from the Emilia-Romagna region, and at home, Italian was the only language he spoke growing up. A curious fact: the Gandolfinis used to buy tires from John Travolta’s father back when young John was just beginning his rise to fame, and he quickly became an inspiration to James. Sadly, Gandolfini died unexpectedly at the age of 51 while visiting Italy, the country that shaped so much of his life and work.
16. John Turturro
I have to admit, I wasn’t super familiar with John Turturro before writing this piece, but wow, his connection to Italy is impressive! Born to a Sicilian mom and an Apulian dad, John grew up deeply immersed in Southern Italian culture. He holds dual citizenship, has starred in Italian movies (like Mia Madre directed by Nanni Moretti), and has even been awarded honorary citizenship in both his parents’ hometowns, Aragona and Giovinazzo. If you haven’t watched his work, I’d recommend starting with La Tregua or The Name of the Rose—pure class.
17. Steve Buscemi
Steve’s Italian roots trace back to Menfi, a Sicilian town famous for its wines (it actually accounts for about 40% of all the region’s exports). Now, here’s something fun: he’s always pronounced his surname boo-SEHM-ee, until he found out it was totally wrong: in Italy we say boo-SHEM-ee! Before his Hollywood fame with memorable roles like Carl Showalter in Fargo and Nucky Thompson in Boardwalk Empire, Steve worked as a firefighter, and even returned to serve as a volunteer during 9/11. A legend both on screen and in real life!
18. Mark Ruffalo
The Hulk from The Avengers has a rich Calabrian background. Mark’s paternal grandfather came from Girifalco, near Catanzaro, once known for housing one of Italy’s largest psychiatric hospitals, which is now a preserved heritage site under FAI (Italy’s National Trust). In an interview with La Repubblica newspaper, Mark once said the Hulk reminds him of his dad, impulsive and passionate, in true Italian style. And speaking of Italian style, judging by Mark’s timeless charm, the Ruffalo gene clearly includes excellent aging!
19. Hayden Panettiere
Hayden’s Italian heritage comes from both parents, who are each half Italian. His surname alone couldn’t be more Italian, directly translating to “baker.” She even took on a role in Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial, stepping into the heart of a well-known Italian true-crime story. And here’s a fun quirk: she once got a tattoo in Italian (vivere senza rimpianti – to live without regrets), but an extra “i” in rimipianti was accidentally added, making it grammatically incorrect. Let’s just call it a charmingly imperfect tribute to her roots!
… and Marlon Brando?
We all assumed The Godfather himself had to be Italian, right? Well, not exactly. Marlon Brando’s original surname was “Brandau,” coming from his German father. It was later simplified to Brando, which just happens to sound very Italian. To give you an idea of how non-Italian he was: during the premiere of On the Waterfront in Rome, he reportedly left the cinema because he didn’t like hearing himself dubbed in Italian!
Hav you got a favorite Italian-American actor? Parliamone!
Valentina Nicastro is a travel writer in love with her home country, Italy. Having travelled widely around the globe, she realised there was more to explore closer to home and decided to put the passport aside for a while. When she is not immersed in documenting Italy, you’ll find her donning her communication consultant hat, weaving words as a content writer and bridging linguistic divides as a translator.
