ARIES
High-energy and confident Aries can count among their numbers Terence Hill (March 29th, 1939), made famous for his roles in comic Spaghetti Westerns. Born Mario Girotti, Hill (and his costars) adopted American names for movies like God Forgives… I Don’t! (1967), Django, Prepare a Coffin (1968), They Call Me Trinity (1971) and My Name is Nobody (1973) so that the films would sell better in non-Italian speaking countries. It’s no surprise that few know Hill by his real name: Aries are sweet-talkers who can easily convince people by their words–whether truthful or not! Playful Aries just can’t sit still: this trait is easily seen in Hill, who made high-action comedies and westerns for decades. As the first sign of the zodiac, Aries are youthful and energetic, known for being passionate and enthusiastic partners (although married, Hill’s most iconic counterpart is friend and costar Bud Spencer!). Also a favorite of famed director Sergio Leone, Hill couldn’t have been a better choice for characters like a gunslinging investigator and hangman Django–perfect roles for a fearless and courageous Aries!
TAURUS
Tauruses have two feet firmly planted on the ground. So did Roberto Rossellini (May 8th, 1906), director, producer and father of Italian neorealism during the 1950s. Tauruses are secure in their world views and have a very strong sense of what’s right. These earth signs are grounded in reality, so it makes perfect sense that a Taurus would be drawn to Neorealism, a cinematic genre that focuses on the everyday life of real people (and often used unprofessional actors) to shine light on the poverty and despair created at the hands of politicians. This Taurean sense of ethical tension can be perfectly seen in Rossellini’s films like Roma città aperta (1945) and Paisan (1946). A classic Taurus in his personal life as well, Rossellini, when he wasn’t working, was known for his languorous days in bed, spent lounging and reading newspapers. Though focused and hardworking professionally, Tauruses really do know how to put their feet up!
GEMINI
One of the greatest Italian comedians of all time, Alberto Sordi (June 15th, 1920) was a textbook Gemini. Like all Geminis, Sordi had a BIG personality. Gregarious Geminis are quick-on-their-feet and can talk to anyone: Sordi had no trouble making a witty joke about anything (just watch Un americano a Roma, I vitelloni or Lo sceicco bianco for proof). Often mistaken as two-faced, the Gemini twins are never malicious; they just don’t like to show their whole personalities to everyone. Sordi too was publicly playful, friends with everyone, beloved by Italians of all generations. But he also had a private side; Sordi, when asked why he never wanted to get married, famously joked, “Why would I want to let a stranger live in my house?” Said house was actually a large villa, designed in 1929 by architect Clemente Busiri Vici, on Rome’s Piazza Numa Pomilio, where Sordi loved to host dinners and parties for his friends: he no doubt inherited the Gemini penchant for entertaining!
CANCER
Intuitive and artistic Cancers are represented by none other than the late, great Gina Lollobrigida (July 4th, 1927). Ruled by gut feelings, Cancers tend to protect their hearts behind their hard crab shells: the same was true of Lollobrigida, who fended off more than a handful of men–among them Humphrey Bogart, who she starred with in Beat the Devil (1953), and pilot-producer Howard Hughes, who pursued Lollobrigida for over a decade. (He was completely obsessed with “the most beautiful woman in the world”–the actress’s nickname after her movie Beautiful but Dangerous, 1955.) Cancers are one of the most artistic signs of the zodiac, and Lollobrigida was no different. Talented in sculpture, painting and photography, Lollobrigida eventually dropped acting for these other arts and traveled the world from Australia to the then Soviet Union (Cancers are adventurous too!) taking photos. (In 1974, she even stayed at Fidel Castro’s in Cuba for 12 days while on a photo project!) Ruled by the Moon, Cancers change as quickly as the moon’s phases, so it’s no surprise that they’re trendsetters: in the 1950s, Lollobrigida launched a fever for the “poodle cut” hairstyle.
LEO
Who else but a Leo could write, direct and star in a three-chapter movie all about them? Caro Diario (1993) by Nanni Moretti (August 19th, 1953) is just this: a loud and proud Leo strutting in the spotlight. (A large portion of his films really do star himself: Mia Madre, 2015; La stanza del figlio, 2001; Ecce bombo, 1978–just to name a few.) Headstrong Leos are known for being a bit self-absorbed, but that’s not to say Moretti isn’t one of our favorite directors. Like a classic Leo, you either love him or you hate him: Moretti stirs up some controversy among us Italians! Opinionated Leos are never afraid to speak their minds, and Moretti, an outspoken leftist, unapologetically does so in real life and in his films. In 2002, the director organized protests against Silvio Berlusconi’s government, and in 2006, just before the start of that year’s elections, released Il caimano, a film in part about the politician’s controversies. Leos do what they do well (they would never stick with something they weren’t great at!) and Moretti is a prime example: not just a successful director, Moretti’s second passion is water polo, and he competed in the Serie B Italian championship.
VIRGO
Industrious and practical Virgos are represented by none other than Sofia Costanza Brigida Villani Scicolone, better known as Sophia Loren (September 20th, 1934). Virgos are methodical and hardworking, ready to take the required steps to succeed. Loren is a great example of this Virgoan characteristic: she grew up in the small town of Pozzuoli near Naples, malnourished and impoverished during WWII, before winning a beauty competition in 1950 and using the prize money to move to Rome by herself. Through seven decades of work and more than 100 films (Ieri, oggi, domani! La ciociara!), she never stopped grinding. Virgos are not ones to have inflated egos: they never forget their roots, and Loren also remained connected to her Neapolitan heritage. She once said, “The two big advantages I had at birth were to have been born wise and to have been born in poverty.” Loren luckily learned the most important and hardest lesson for perfectionist Virgos to learn: flaws are not defects. At early auditions, when directors would recommend Loren to consider plastic surgery for her nose and mouth, Loren didn’t take it to heart–a great example for all Virgos!
LIBRA
There’s a reason everybody loves Marcello Mastroianni (September 28th, 1924)… he’s a Libra. (Not only do all Italians still love him, but the awards did too. He was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar three times, and is one of three to have won Best Actor at Cannes twice.) Sociable Libras are highly adaptable, able to fit into any environment or, in the case of Mastroianni, role. Over his 120-film career, we saw him play a murder-minded husband in Divorzio all’italiana (1961), a pregnant man in A Slightly Pregnant Man (1973), an unfaithful and restless tabloid columnist in La Dolce Vita (1960), and a persecuted gay man during 1930s Fascist Italy in Una giornata particolare (1977)–among many, many others. That’s all to say: the man had range. Such a Libra! Libras, once they make up their minds, are deeply loyal, but these indecisive signs can never do so without first playing the field and weighing their options. It’s fitting that the press built the character of the “Latin lover” around Mastroianni–a reputation partly powered by his hyper-masculine role in La Dolce Vita and partly by his real-life affair with Catherine Deneuve.
SCORPIO
Enigmatic and secretive Scorpios are known for being hesitant to show their hand (sometimes maliciously, sometimes not). So was 1960s star Monica Vitti (November 3rd, 1931), whose intense portrayals of alienation and disenchantment belied the timid person she secretly was. We must never forget that Scorpios, although often mistaken for fire signs, are actually water signs! Vitti was entangled professionally and personally with famed existentialist director Michelangelo Antonioni, who once said of the actress, “[She] certainly inspires me, because I like to watch and direct her, but the parts I give her are a long way from her own character.” Like a classic Scorpio, she had an intense side–perfect for angsty, ethereal roles like in L’Avventura (1960), La Notte (1961) and L’Eclisse (1962)–and was intensely loyal. Scorpios have unmatched emotional ferocity, and Vitti, whose most miniscule of expressions could imbue a powerful lightness or darkness to any scene, was evidence of just this.
SAGITTARIUS
Actress Claudia Gerini (December 18th, 1971) embodies philosophical Sagittariuses. Saucy on the outside and sensitive on the inside, Sagittariuses live for the thrill: Gerini was the perfect casting choice for wild-spirited, spicy characters with big personalities. Just look to Viaggi di nozze (1995) and Sono pazzo di Iris Blond (1996)! The Saggitarian penchant for adventure leads them to love dramatic stories–with a bit of embellishment of course (though they hate being lied to). When they get down to business, Sagittariuses can be intense: Gerini’s dramatic side can be seen in films like La sconosciuta (2006) and the series Suburra (2017). Represented by an archer, Sagittariuses crave the freedom to wander and are often on the move. The perfect Sagittarius, Gerini has lived in Paris, Los Angeles, Madrid and Rome!
CAPRICORN
Overachieving Capricorns are lucky enough to count the great Federico Fellini (January 20th, 1920) as one of their own! These earth signs are known for their industrious natures, and Fellini knew how to work hard from an early age. As a young man, he used to go to the Rimini beach to sell sketches and caricatures to bathers for a few coins, and, later on, no other filmmaker knew how to keep Cinecittà’s wheels turning like him (La Dolce Vita, I Vitelloni, Giulietta degli Spiriti, Fellini Satyricon, I clowns, Roma, Amarcord, Casanova, Prova d’Orchestra, La città delle donne, E la nave va were all shot in the studios). These initiative-takers are often forging new paths: how fitting that he’s one of few directors whose characteristic style spawned its own adjective? Capricorns crave structure, and Fellini likewise hated “approximations,” leaving no cinematic detail–whether music, costumes or location–to chance. But the thing about Capricorns is that, despite their buttoned-up reputations, they really know how to let loose. Fellini’s wild side is easily seen through his films–fantastical, dreamy, non-realist–and his lifelong obsession with the circus–just look at his caricatures for proof!
(Now this one was an edge case. If you were born on January 20th today, you’d be an Aquarius! In 1920, however, the sun was transiting through Capricorn.)
AQUARIUS
One of the most intellectual zodiac signs, Aquarians are known for their humanitarian and innovative nature. Who else could be a better representative than Elvira Notari (February 10th, 1875), Italy’s first female director? From 1916 to 1930, Notari paved the way for Italian Neorealism, producing and directing a vast collection of about 60 feature films and a hundred short films and documentaries on her hometown of Naples. Aquarians are not fans of small talk and would much rather use their energy to change the world and progress the greater good: Notari would use her platform to tell stories of a city and people in turmoil, creating a commentary on taboo subjects like femicides, guappi, divided families and illegitimate pregnancies in the Campanian city. And, like the consummate Aquarius she was, she was rebellious–so much so that the Fascist regime shut down her production company and destroyed her repertoire. Thankfully, these assertive air signs aren’t ones to go with the flow!
PISCES
Pisces have endless imaginations and boundless creativity, able to romanticize even the smallest of moments. We love Massimo Troisi (February 19th, 1953) for this exact reason. His strength as both an actor (watch Il postino, 1994!) and director (Non ci resta che piangere, 1984, to name one) was that of bringing everyday life to the silver screen and making it fun. Pisces have one foot in reality and one in fantasy, and so too did Troisi: he lived in the clouds and yet he was always onto something. He knew how to identify the contradictions of Italians and to tell the truth in a straightforward manner, but he never took himself too seriously. To Pisces, there is beauty in chaos–this was exactly the source of Troisi’s inspiration. About everything from faith to politics–no matter how thorny the issue–Troisi found a joke, calling out our quirks while making us smile. Troisi clearly got this water sign’s spontaneous character: he was known for having a hard time following scripts!
