Favino was born in Rome Italy He has appeared in more than forty European films and television series since the early 1990s including Gabriele Muccinos The Last Kiss Gianni Amelios The Keys to the House Giuseppe Tornatores The Unknown Woman and Ferzan Özpeteks Saturn in Opposition In 1999 he starred in the HBO film Excellent Cadavers adaptation of Alexander Stilles novel of the same name He received the David di Donatelloaward Italian equivalent of the Oscar in 2006 for his role in the crime film Romanzo Criminale directed by Michele Placido