Produced several prestigious Italian films in collaboration with Carlo Ponti in the 1950s before turning to grandiose international productions. After the failure of his massive Dinocitta' Studios in Rome, De Laurentiis moved to the US. His taste for overblown spectacle has led to some expensive failures (Hurricaneand Tai-Pan), though he was also behind such critically lauded productions as Ragtime and Blue Velvet. In 1984 De Laurentiis unveiled the DEG (DeLaurentiis Entertainment Group) Film Studios in Wilmington, NC, but the venture was a failure and its founder bowed out in 1988. Raffaella De Laurentiis, the second of his four children with actress Silvana Mangano, is a Hollywood-based producer who formed her own company in 1987.


Born at 5:0am-CEST. Announced on February 13, 2001, as recipient of the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award at the 2001 Academy Awards. Uncle of Aurelio De Laurentiis. Grandfather of Dino De Laurentiis, Giada De Laurentiis, Eloisa De Laurentiis and Igor De Laurentiis. Children with with second wife Martha De Laurentiis: Carolyna De Laurentiis and Dina De Laurentiis.