RAOUL BOVA
Though he’s been hot on the Italian scene for a while, I first took notice of actor Raoul Bova when he did a Gap jeans commercial in 2003. Suddenly I saw him everywhere, courting Diane Lane in Under the Tuscan Sun and the object of Giovanna Mezzogiorno’s affection in Facing Windows (La Finestra di fronte). It’s this second film, directed by Ferzan Ozpetek (His Secret Life), about an unhappily married mother and housewife (Mezzogiorno) who daydreams about the man next door that made an impact on me. In his complicated and passionate role of Lorenzo, the Clark Kent-glasses (or mini-windows) Raoul wears do nothing to detract from the Italian heartthrob.
Born August 14, 1971 in Rome, Italy, Raoul was a swimming champion in his teens and began acting after serving in the Italian Army. His first starring role was for television but he easily moved into a wide variety of film parts. Somewhat accessible to Americans, Bova can be seen, when not wearing a space helmet, in diverse parts such an archaeologist in Alien vs. Predator, a priest in the 2005 TV 
movie Karol: A Man Who Became Pope, and briefly as Rosanna Arquette’s husband Lorenzo on the ABC show “What About Brian.” He has been happily married to Chiara Giordano since March 2000 and has squashed the dreams of many hoping to make a love connection with him. With several upcoming English and Italian-language movies, Raoul Bova is someone you'll want to keep your eyes on.
Buon compleanno, Raoul!
- Apparently successful with the first, Raoul made a second Gap ad.
- Another Italian, Madonna Louise Ciccone, had lips stuck with Raoul in a Max Factor commercial in 1999.
- And be sure to check out Raoul's Official Website.
