After attending the Silvio d'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Art, he made his debut as an actor in 1963 and was directed by such directors as: Giorgio De Lullo, Orazio Costa, Giorgio Strehler, Giuseppe Patroni Griffi, Giancarlo Sbragia, Luigi Squarzina, Mario Missiroli, Aldo Trionfo, Marco Sciaccaluga. He considers Orazio Costaand Giorgio Strehler his Masters.

In 1975 he signed with Othello by W. Shakespeare his first direction. As a director he stages and performs: by W. Shakespeare, Hamlet (three editions), Macbeth (two editions), Othello (two editions), Richard ll, Richard III, Measure for Measure, Much Noise for Nothing. By Molière: the Miser, the Imaginary Sick Man, the Misanthrope . By A. Chekhov: The Seagull, The Cherry Orchard, Ivanov, Uncle Vania, Platonov. By H. Ibsen: Spectres, The Pillars of Society. By F. Shiller: the Masnadiers (two editions), Don Carlos. By A. Strindberg: the Father (two editions), The Pelican, Dance of Death, Miss Julia. By Sophocles: Oedipus Rex (three editions), Euripides' Electra and Medea (two editions); by I. Bergman, Scenes from a Marriage and After the Trial; by F. Dostoevsky, The Meek, Memoirs from the Underground, The Dream of a Ridiculous Man. We also recall Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf (E. Albee), Life of Galileo (B. Brecht), The Duel and the Prince of Homburg (H. von Kleist), The Lady's Maid (K. Mansfield) and Immortal History (K. Blixen), Rameau's Nephew (D. Diderot). He is director and performer of Luigi Pirandello's plays L'Uomo la Bestia e la Virtù, Tutto per bene, Non si sa Come (two editions), Il Giuoco delle Parti, Sei Personaggi in cerca d'Autore, I Giganti della Montagna, La Trappola, L'uomo dal Fiore in Bocca of which he also edited a film edition. By JeanTeulè: The Laws of Gravity. By Goldoni: A Curious Accident.

As a film actor he has been directed by Francesco Nuti, Dario Argento, Gabriele Muccino, Tonino Cervi, Giuseppe Tornatore, Pupi Avati, Francesco Maselli, Damiano Damiani, Mauro Bolognini, among others.
He is himself a film director. In 1984 for his first film as director, The Prince of Homburg he won the Nastro d'Argento.

He was director of the Teatro Metastasio in Prato, co-director of the Teatro Eliseo in Rome, director of Taormina Arte, director of the Teatro Stabile in Turin, director of the Teatro di Roma, artistic director of the Teatro della Toscana.

As a director of opera he obtains numerous national and international awards. We highlight among the many opera productions he has signed: for the Teatro alla Scala in Milan he curated I Pellegrini alla Mecca, I Lombardi alla Prima Crociata , and Attila; For the Suntory Hall in Tokyo he developed a three-year Mozart project curating Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Così Fan Tutte.
For the S. Francisco Opera House he stages Attila, Don Giovanni and Così Fan Tutte.

In Italy, in addition to Teatro alla Scala, he collaborates with Teatro Regio in Turin, Teatro S. Carlo in Naples, Teatro Comunale in Bologna, Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Teatro Verdi in Trieste, Teatro Regio in Parma, and the Festival della Valle d'Itria in Martina Franca, among others.

He curates many theatrical adaptations, is the author of numerous film scripts and two books: Se vuoi essere contemporaneo leggi i classici published PIEMME in 2017 and Fare anima fare corpo (just completed).