Edoardo Costa

Edoardo Costa
Born	Edoardo Cicorini (1967-08-07) 7 August 1967 Varese, Italy
Nationality	Italian
Alma mater	Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
Occupation	Model, actor, entrepreneur
Parent(s)	Pietro Cicorini Rosangela Cicorini
Website
edoardocosta.com

Edoardo Cicorini (born 7 August 1967; better known as Edoardo Costa) is an Italian-born fashion model, actor and entrepreneur. Costa's career began in the fashion industry in the early 1990s, when he worked for the fashion agency, Why Not. While working as a model, Costa decided to begin studying acting in Paris, Milan, and Los Angeles. Following his studies, Costa went onto make various television appearances on US television. Some series included Baywatch, Arliss, and The Bold and the Beautiful.

Following his success on US television, Costa also made a variety of independent American films, which led him to play his first major role in the film Live Free or Die Hard starring Bruce Willis.^[1] In the film, Costa played the role of Thomas Gabriel's henchman, Emerson.^[2] His debut major role in an American film was in the soon to be released drama about a Kiddie Ride called Down the shore alongside James Gandolfini and Famke Janssen. Costa has made forays into theater by acting in the plays Bread Love Fantasy and Very Old Man, alongside Marcello Mastroianni (Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita). Costa has worked on numerous Italian soap operas, television series, films, and reality shows throughout his career.

Early life

Costa was born on 7 August 1967 in the town of Varese in Northern Italy, around 34 miles north of Milan. His father, Pietro, was a transport business owner, and his mother, Rosangela, worked at the local electric company. He had some sibling, a younger sister, Monica. Costa was educated in Italy and attended Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, which is considered the largest Catholic University in the world.^[3] He studied Philosophy while at the University.^[4]

After completing his education, Costa served his military service as a Carabinieri in the mid-1980s. It was during this period in his life when he was discovered by a modelling scout in a local bar in Milan.^[4]

Career

1980s - 2007: Early work

After being spotted by a modelling scout, Costa began to work for the modelling agency, Why Not. The modelling agency was originally founded in 1976 and had managed many famous models, including Naomi Campbell.^[5] Following his modelling career, Costa's first acting appearance came in 1988, when he featured in the film, Human Error.^[6]

After appearing in Human Error, Costa featured in a number of US TV shows, including Baywatch, Arliss, and The Bold and the Beautiful. His appearances on American television coincided with various roles on Italian television series. This began in 1996, when he played the role of Lorenzo Macchia on the show Un posto al sole. Over the next decade, he spent a number of years working on various Italian TV shows.^[4]

His first major film role came in 2007, when he played the villains henchman in Live Free or Die Hard. In the 4th edition of the Die Hard films, he played Emerson who was second in command and featured in the plot on a regular basis throughout the film. Costa's character was part of a crime syndicate attempting a fire sale. He frequently featured in the film and was the last terrorist in the film to die. The film received positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.^[7]

In 2007, Costa took control of Beatrice International Models, which is considered within the fashion industry as a similar agency to Ford Models, Elite and Next with former models including Iman and Stephanie Seymour. The venture catapulted Costa into the international spotlight. The modeling agency also recently began a formal dialogue with the National Eating Disorders Association and its CEO, Dr. Lynne Grefe. Beatrice International Models will be the first international modeling agency that will work together with the association to spread awareness and positive prevention about the diseases that have plagued the industry for decades. In 2007, Costa also opened The Actor’s Academy Milano. Inspired by his experience studying acting in America, Costa began one of the first schools in Europe to exclusively recruit Lifetime Members of the Actor’s Studio—as well as teachers from other prestigious American acting schools including the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, the Beverly Hills Playhouse and the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, all of whom specialized in method acting using the system created by Konstantin Stanislavski.

The Actor's Academy Milano has hosted acclaimed actors such as Academy Award winner Martin Landau and has organized encounters between academy students and other professionals such as Oscar nominated actor Mickey Rourke. The Actor's Academy Milano has asked Gary Swanson to play a pivotal role in its development. Swanson was one of the first teachers to start "Inside the Actor's Studio" hosted by James Lipton. Swanson was among the few personally chosen by the executive committee that included Paul Newman, Ellen Burstyn, and Arthur Penn.

2008 - present

In 2008 and in 2009, Striscia la notizia, a news program in Italy, raised concerns about the alleged embezzlement of funds of a non-profit organization founded by Costa for the benefit of children in Kenya and the inhabitants of the favelas of Rio de Janeiro.^[8]

On May 24, 2011, Edoardo Costa was charged with fraud by prosecutors in Milan, Italy.^[9][10] On July 12, 2012, Costa was sentenced to three years of prison, a fine of 2,000 Euros and 7,000 Euros.^[11] Costa denied the charges and later appealed against the original verdict.^[12]

The following years saw Costa return to the film industry. The first major role was in the film The Black Tulip, which was originally released in 2010. In the film he played the role of Colonel Tanelli. The film revolves around the Mansouri family, who open a restaurant in Kabul.^[13] The restaurant becomes a target for the Taliban after they begin to host poetry readings from locals and also members of the U.S. military. As a Colonel in the military, Costa regularly featured during the film.^[14] The film was selected for screening as Afghanistan's entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 83rd Academy Awards.^[15][16]

In 2013, he starred in the film Non-Stop with Liam Neeson. In the film he played the role of Herve Philbert.^[17]

Filmography

References

External links

• Official Site
• Photo Gallery
• Striscia la Notizia interroga Edoardo Costa sui soldi non donati