Personal details
Born:
- Birthday: 1971-03-23
- Born Place: Palermo, Sicily, Italy
Also Known As:
Picone
Valentino Picone
Valentino Picone, born on March 23, 1971, in Palermo, Sicily, is a multifaceted Italian actor, comedian, writer, and director. He gained prominence as part of the comedy duo Ficarra e Picone, alongside Salvatore Ficarra. The duo began their collaboration in 1993 and have since become a staple in Italian entertainment, known for their work in television, film, and theatre. Picone's early education was at the Liceo Classico Vittorio Emanuele II in Palermo, where he was a student of Father Pino Puglisi, a priest and educator tragically killed by the mafia. He later earned a degree in Law but chose to pursue his passion for cinema and comedy. Influenced by the works of Massimo Troisi and Charlie Chaplin, he began his career as a cabaret performer before transitioning to television and film. In 2000, Picone made his film debut with a cameo in Chiedimi se sono felice by Aldo, Giovanni & Giacomo. He and Ficarra co-directed and starred in several films, including Il 7 e l'8 (2007), La matassa (2009), L'ora legale (2017), and Il primo Natale (2019). Their work has been recognized with various awards, such as the Nastro d’Argento for Best Comedy for L'ora legale and the David di Donatello for Best Audience Award for Il primo Natale. In addition to his film career, Picone has been a prominent television personality. He co-hosted the satirical news program Striscia la notizia from 2005 to 2020, becoming a familiar face to Italian audiences. The duo also starred in the Netflix series Framed! A Sicilian Murder Mystery (Incastrati), which premiered in 2022 and was renewed for a second season in 2023 . Beyond entertainment, Picone is a passionate football fan and supports the Palermo football club. He also played as a forward for the Misilmeri team in the Italian Eccellenza league. As of 2025, Picone continues to be active in the entertainment industry, with recent projects including the film L'Abbaglio, directed by Roberto Andò, and the documentary Laggiù qualcuno mi ama by Mario Martone .
