Born and raised in a small town in southeastern Italy, Sergio Rubini is a film director, writer, and actor best known for his work in such films as "Our Land" and "The Talented Mr. Ripley." After moving to Rome to study acting, Rubini appeared in numerous local plays before making his film debut in the 1985 drama "Desiring Julia." A few years later he landed a supporting role as an investigative reporter in Federico Fellini's "Intervista." Rubini, who was married to Italian actress Margherita Buy during the '90s, made his directorial debut in 1990 with the award-winning film "The Station," about the lonely life of a railway master. He continued writing and directing throughout the '90s and appeared as a police inspector in the 1999 thriller "The Talented Mr. Ripley." In 2004 he accepted the role of Saint Dismas in the controversial Mel Gibson biblical epic "The Passion of the Christ," and has since written and directed the 2006 family drama "Our Land" as well as the 2009 comedy "L'uomo nero."