Teresa Saponangelo (born 22 October 1973) is an Italian film, television and stage actress.
Born in Taranto, Saponangelo is the daughter of a workman and a housewife. Her father died when she was two years old, and in 1976 she moved to Naples with her mother and her brother.[1] [2] [3]
After attending several dramatic societies, Saponangelo made her official stage debut in Giacomo Rizzo's Ce penza mammà. After not being admitted to the acting schools of Piccolo Teatro and Accademia Nazionale, Saponangelo studied at the Palmi Drama School in Reggio Calabria, at the suggestion of Giorgio Albertazzi.
In 1994 she made her film debut in Il Verificatore by Stefano Incerti, and then appeared in films directed by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, Sergio Rubini, Paolo Virzì, and Silvio Soldini, and on stage with directors Toni Servillo, Antonio Capuano, and Mario Martone, among others. In 2000 she was nominated for Nastro d'Argento's Best Actress thanks to her performance in Anna Negri's In the Beginning There Was Underwear;[4] the same year she won the Ubu Award for her performance as Dorina in the stage play Tartufo.
| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Il verificatore | Valeria | ||
| Travelling Companion | Friend at Café | Cameo appearance | ||
| 1996 | August Vacation | Irene Vitiello | ||
| Isotta | Caterina | |||
| Sacred Silence | Annamaria Pica | |||
| 1997 | The Acrobats | Giusy | ||
| The Vesuvians | Teresa | Segment: "Il diavolo in bottiglia" | ||
| The Grey Zone | Patient | Cameo appearance | ||
| 1998 | The Dust of Naples | Teresa | ||
| Dolce far niente | Rosa | |||
| 1999 | In the Beginning There Was Underwear | Imma | ||
| 2000 | Tutto l'amore che c'è | Maura | ||
| 2002 | Two Friends | Maria | ||
| La vita degli altri | Luisa | |||
| 2004 | I Can See It in Your Eyes | Chiara | ||
| 2007 | Ossidiana | Maria Palligiano | ||
| 2008 | Black and White | Esmeralda | ||
| Your Whole Life Ahead of You | Movie actress | Cameo appearance | ||
| 2010 | La pecora nera | Teresa | ||
| Come Undone | Miriam | |||
| 2011 | Il paese delle spose infelici | Natuccio's mother | ||
| 2014 | La stoffa dei sogni | Maria Campese | ||
| 2017 | Gramigna | Anna | ||
| 2018 | Il bene mio | Rita | ||
| 2019 | Procelain | Cristina | ||
| 2021 | The Hand of God | Maria | ||
| 2023 | Born for You | Teresa |
| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Luisa Sanfelice | Assunta | Television film | |
| 2006 | Attacco allo Stato | Maria Amore | Television film | |
| 2008 | La squadra | Alessia Marciano | Episode: "Panni sporchi" | |
| 2008–2011 | La nuova squadra | Main role | ||
| 2011–2013 | Rossella | Paolina Andrei | Main role | |
| 2014–2015 | Squadra antimafia – Palermo oggi | Carmela Ragno | 5 episodes | |
| 2015 | La dama velata | Maddalena Staineri | Main role | |
| 2016 | Il sindaco pescatore | Carla | Television movie | |
| 2017 | Sirene | Stefania Maldini | Main role | |
| Purché finisca bene | Paola | Episode: "Bastano un paio di baffi" | ||
| 2020 | Vivi e lascia vivere | Daniela Sonnino | Main role | |
| 2022 | Vincenzo Malinconico, avvocato d'insuccesso | Nives | Recurring role |