Biography
His parents are Arturo Cura' and Ornella Cardinali. Ornella moved from Bologna to the mountains near Parma (Bedonia) in 1973 when she married Arturo. Francesco has one older sister, Valentina Cura', who is a make up artist and artisan in Parma.
Francesco grew up in Bedonia where he attended the "Giovanni Agazzi Elementary School”. His father was a local filmmaker, a painter, a sculptor, a musician, and theatre director, as well as a television entertainer. Hence, Francesco was raised in an ultra artistic environment and very encouraged to explore his creativity. Even from an early age, he showed artistic ability leaning especially toward visual arts. Arturo often used Francesco and his sister Valentina for some of his theatre, film, and television productions. In one of them (Robe de L'Etru Mondu - 1984) Francesco played a little devil from a phantasmagoric hell, wearing a mask built by his father. Shortly after, he became part of another production at Teatro Orfeo ("Bestie" - 1985), a comedic and allegoric tour de force in a world where humans become animals and vice versa. Following these two productions, he appeared as one of the sons of Pontius Pilot in "The Passion of the Christ", which partly took place in the streets of Bedonia and was filmed by the national television network RAI TRE.
In 1987 his father made a transition to a local television station (VideoTaro) and decided to use Francesco for a water commercial (Lynx) during which he portrayed a thirsty Arab crawling on a desert dune. In 1988 he played the part of an elementary school student on the variety show during which he improvised with Domenico Zambelli, who played a caricature of a teacher.
In the following three years he attended grammar school and, at the age of fourteen (on September 15th 1991) moves to the city of Parma. Following his growing passion toward visual arts, he registers at the famous "Paolo Toschi Art Institute" and enrolled in the graphic design section. He became a very talented portraist and developed much interest in the history of art. Francesco was a great student, attaining excellent grades - except for math, where he showed very little interest. But his involvement in the arts affected his appearance as well. His interest in grind core, avant-garde, goth, punk, grunge and rock music led him to wear the thriftiest clothes in town. A pair of “cow pants” he picked up in Paris became famous throughout the small town. A rasta hairstyle followed soon after as well as a colorful mohawk. In his high school -which was famous, and infamous simultaneously- all of this was considered normal. Francesco frequented the Irish bar/club Onirica, in Pasubio Street and often would travel to Bologna to go to the "Livello 57" punk venue.
During this time a photographer noticed him and asked him to pose as a modern day Saint Sebastian. The pictures were meant to be part of an exposition, but shortly after their shoot the photographer unfortunately died of cancer. Not long after, another photographer (Corrado Dalco') began to photograph him, sometimes paired up with his sister and with friend Corrado Franchini. Francesco started to find more confidence in front of the camera and immortalized many of his peculiar street looks alla Johnny Rotten. Valentina Cura' also became the designer of many of his clothes, one of which was a metal made hat.
In 1995, before the last year in high school, he decided to attend school during the night, almost like a call to maturity. He graduated high school with 58/60 and contemplated the idea of enrolling at the University of Parma (Universita' di Parma) to pursue history of Arts. But, instead, decides that while waiting to begin mandatory civil service (the alternative to military service) to go move to Milan (where his sister worked as a make up artist and a costume designer). So, in September, 1996 he moved to the smoggy capital of fashion in an attempt to work as a male model. He lived in a horrid part of town (close to Piazzale Loreto) which contributed to his hatred toward the city. Francesco took a few pictures during his time in Milan, but with little results. He was only nineteen and the competition was ferocious.
In April,1997 Francesco returned to Parma, and began work as a bartender in the nightclub Kremlin, while concurrently fulfilling his civil service requirement working for the Provincia di Parma. In July of that year he began studies at the Academy of Music of Parma where he met soprano Caterina Grandi, who he would train with as a tenor for the next year. Revealing a four-octave range, he started to train as a sopranista (the so called castrato), tenor and baritone, worked intensely on the baroque repertoire and developed a deep interest toward music. Mrs. Grandi tried to convince Francesco to continue operatic training in Milan, but he refused to go back to the city and had also begun leaning more toward blues, jazz, soul and R&B than opera. With this revelation, he decided to move to the United States to pursue a music career more centered on popular music.
On November 2, 1998, with his civil service mandate completed, Francesco left Italy – destination New York, NY.
Career beginnings
Francesco arrived in New York City on a sunny November day. He took a cab from the Newark International Airport to a hostile on 83rd Street and Columbus Avenue. He stayed there only two days and then moved with a friend to a four-bedroom house on Washington and Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn, and then to Park Place and Washington Avenue. Within a couple of months, Francesco moved to Manhattan at 300 East 79th Street and finally settled in a one-bedroom apartment on 78th Street and Second Avenue.
While working as a bartender (one of the many odd jobs he found in the big apple) he started to check out the prices of singing schools (Julliard especially) but the costs were far too high for his pockets. He also searches the Village Voice for recording studios, but, likewise, his finances wouldn’t allow him to do anything. One day, while trying to find a recording studio on Bleecker Street, he happened to see an acting school. He walked in and saw a stage - the same sort of stage on which he performed some fifteen years earlier. It totally fascinated him and consequently he tried to enroll at the HB Studio, but the overwhelming number of students kept him from being accepted. He then decides to train at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute. On April 3rd 2000 he began an intensive method training that would become his fundamental acting tool.
Filmography
Francesco Cura', Los Angeles, CA
Lord Randall (2005)
Scrubs (2003)
Again (2003)
Singularity (2003)
The Portrait (2002)
Wit - short (2002)
Hannah Can't Swim (2001)
Honeysuckle Rose (2001)
Project 350 (2000)
Revelations (2000)
Trivia
Changed his hair color four times a week during his youth - he has had dreadlocks, a rasta, a mohawk and purple and green hair.
Francesco is a classically trained opera singer with a four-octave range.
Is an accomplished artist. He in fact, degreed as a Graphic Designer and Art History Specialist from a prestigious visual arts school in Europe.
Was voted the "Most Beautiful Guy" for two consecutive years at his high school of over 1,000 students.
Miraculously got his coveted Screen Actors Guild card completely by happenstance while attending a mass at "The Sony Church" (located just across from Sony Studios in Los Angeles.
Quotes
“I’m a character actor trapped in a leading man’s body.”
“I’m addicted to precision.”
“I believe in color.”
