Athina Cenci


Athina Cenci, is a Greek-born Italian former actress, stand-up comedian and politician.

Life and career

Born in Kos, Greece, Cenci was co-founder and member, together with Francesco Nuti and Alessandro Benvenuti, of the comedy ensamble "GianCattivi" with whom she achieved her first successes on stage and on television. She made her film debut with GianCattivi in Ad Ovest di Paperino, then, after the group split, she started a successful solo career winning two David di Donatello Awards for best supporting actress for her performances in Mario Monicelli's Speriamo che sia femmina and Carlo Verdone's Compagni di scuola. She later also worked with other notable directors, including Paolo and Vittorio Taviani and Ettore Scola, and was active on stage and on television, in TV-series and variety shows. In 1999 Cenci was elected with the Democrats of the Left in the city council of Florence. In 2001 she suffered a stroke that forced her to interrupt her artistic and political activities for many years. She reappeared in public in 2014 and the year after returned on stage as protagonist.