Introduction: Working Stars

This chapter describes the rationale of the edited collection, connecting it to the Italian research project it stems from. Building on previous theoretical understandings of actorship and on literature on Italian actors, and showcasing the main methods to survey the subject, i.e., performance studies, celebrity studies, and production studies. It shows describes how the subject of Italian contemporary film and media performers is investigated: by looking at the training and the early steps of actors, by following multifaceted careers across different projects, audiences, and media, and by tracing the design of personas and their recognition through press, PR, awards, and social media. Both the agency of actors and the role of intermediaries are highlighted, scrutinizing the background of a changing landscape, with the aim of providing our readership with a thorough account of the individual Italian case histories.