Ciro Petrone, from "Gomorra" to Big Brother: the story of "pisellino" and his epic race

The 2023 edition of Big Brother is enjoying great success on social media, and one of the most beloved contestants is Ciro Petrone, an actor known for his role as "Pisellino" in Matteo Garrone's 2008 film "Gomorrah."

Fifteen years after the film that launched him as 'Pisellino' (his real-life nickname), the 35-year-old actor is back in the news by participating in the longest-running reality show on Italian television.

A well-known face, then. After Gomorra, Ciro Petrone participated in several television productions, some reality shows and acted in several films: eleven to be precise, many of which by Garrone himself and the Manetti Bros.

Yet the Neapolitan actor is known to the general public for a scene, yes, but not in a film.

It was 2019, Ciro Petrone and his girlfriend Federica were participating in Temptation Island VIP. Couples and singles had only been in their respective villages at Is Morus Relais for a few days, and the temptations hadn't really begun yet. The young man, however, had immediately shown signs of impatience with being away from his girlfriend.

And here's the dramatic turn of events: Ciro Petrone, unable to bear not seeing Federica for a few days, improvises a dash unheard of at the Six Nations rugby tournament, sprinting from the boyfriends' village to the girlfriends'. He literally leaves behind an unimaginable number of cameramen and assistants, who fall like bowling pins trying to stop him. And in the end, love triumphs. And Ciro Petrone's dash rightfully becomes one of the epic moments of Italian television.

Ciro Petrone's run has become a meme and an internet icon, and has helped make the actor a very popular and beloved figure among the public.

Now, four years later, Ciro Petrone returns to the limelight by participating in Big Brother.

Ciro Petrone: an actor and a television personality

Ciro Petrone is an Italian actor and television personality. Born in Naples in 1987, he began his career in entertainment in 2008, appearing in Matteo Garrone's film "Gomorrah."

After Gomorrah, Ciro Petrone appeared in several television productions, including "Squadra Antimafia," "Il clan dei camorristi," and "La mafia uccide solo d'estate." He also acted in several films, including "Reality," "Tale of Tales," and "La piranha dei bambini."

In 2019, Ciro Petrone participated in the reality show "Temptation Island Vip", where he won over the audience with his love story with his girlfriend Federica.

In 2023, Ciro Petrone is one of the contestants of the new edition of Big Brother.

Ciro Petrone's Race to Temptation Island Vip

Ciro Petrone's run on Temptation Island Vip is one of the most iconic moments in the history of the reality show.

During the second episode, Ciro Petrone, unable to bear the distance from his girlfriend Federica, improvised a race that took him from the boyfriends' village to the girlfriends' village.

Ciro Petrone's run was epic. The Neapolitan actor literally took down an unimaginable number of cameramen and assistants, who fell like bowling pins trying to stop him.

Eventually, Ciro Petrone managed to reach Federica, and the couple reunited in a touching embrace.

Ciro Petrone's run has become a meme and an internet icon, and has helped make the actor a very popular and beloved figure among the public.