Virginia Raffaele

Virginia Raffaele (born 27 September 1980 in Rome) is an Italian comedian, actress, impersonator and presenter. The daughter of two circus performers of Sinti origins, she studied classical and modern dance at the Accademia nazionale di danza and in 1999 graduated at the Accademia Teatro Integrato directed by Pino Ferrara. Raffaele started her career on stage, often working as a sidekick of the comedy duo Lillo & Greg.

After her television debut as a correspondent in the Rai 2 program Quelli che... il Calcio, she became first known for her imitations and parodies in the Italia 1 show Mai dire Grande Fratello Show. She went on to appear in several other shows, including Victor Victoria, Striscia la notizia, two episodes of Le invasioni barbariche and Amici, and also appeared as an actress in several films and TV series.

After appearing as a guest at the 65th edition of the Sanremo Music Festival, Raffaele was chosen to co-host the 66th and 69th editions. Among her honours, Wikidata lists the Premio Regia Televisiva, the Nastro d'argento for Best Actress in a Comedy Film, the Premio Eleonora Duse, the Flaiano Prize and the Premio Simpatia. In 2025 her film Life Goes This Way opened the 20th Rome Film Festival on 15 October 2025.