Raoul Bova
Born: August 14 1971
Where: Rome, Italy
The model and former champion swimmer is made a name for himself outside Italy by playing the love interest of Diane Lane in Under The Tuscan Sun.
He studied at the Italian Institute of Physical Education and was a swimming champion with Rome's SS Lazio team.
He first attracted attention in his homeland with his big screen debut Una Storia Italia which he followed up with Comincio Tutto per Casso with Margherita Buy.
Subsequent appearances included The Pretty Princess with Susannah York and the French production Madame de... with Carole Bouquet.
Bova also enjoys a parallel modelling career - in 1999 he appeared alongside Madonna in a Max Factor advert.
Outside Italy, he could be seen in Avenging Angelo alongside Sylvester Stallone and Madeleine Stowe and with Sophia Loren in Francesca e Nunziata.
After Under The Tuscan Sun he appeared in Front Window, which was Italy's top grossing film of 2003.
His highest profile role to date was in the much-derided Alien Vs Predator, in which he played something of an action hero.
