Real Men: Full list of cast explored

Real Men is an Italian comedy drama series that premiered on Netflix on May 21, 2025. The show follows the lives of four middle-aged men, who have been friends since their university days, as they face challenges in various aspects of their lives and navigate the complexities of modern masculinity.

Real Men was directed by Letizia Lamartire and Matteo Oleotto, and its official synopsis reads:

"Four old friends, Massimo, Mattia, Luigi and Riccardo, juggle relationships, careers and dating in a modern world set on giving masculinity a hard time."

The show features Maurizio Lastrico, Matteo Martari, Francesco Montanari, and Pietro Sermonti as the four friends.

Complete list of the cast of Real Men

1) Maurizio Lastrico as Massimo

Maurizio Lastrico portrays Massimo, one of the four core friends. His life takes an unexpected twist when he loses his job and delivers a misguided, sexist speech in a desperate attempt to reclaim his former status. The fallout doesn’t stop there as his partner, Daniela, ultimately decides to leave him, pushing Massimo to confront the consequences of his actions.

Lastrico graduated in 2006 from the school of the Teatro Stabile, the National Theatre of Genoa. Since then, he has appeared in numerous Italian projects, such as the biographical film Io Sono Mia and the comedy TV series Don Matteo. He is also a stand-up comedian.

2) Francesco Montanari as Riccardo

Francesco Montanari plays Riccardo, the second of the four friends. Riccardo, the co-owner of a restaurant, finds his life taking a new turn when his wife makes an unexpected proposal. Things quickly get worse as he not only loses his share in the restaurant but also his wife, who discovers he’s been having an affair with his business partner’s wife.

Montanari graduated from the Accademia Nazionale di Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico in Rome. He has appeared in Romanzo Criminale, a TV series inspired by a real-life Italian criminal organization. He has also starred in movies like Hill of Vision and the third season of Medici: The Magnificent.

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3) Matteo Martari as Mattia

Matteo Martari appears as Mattia, the third of the four friends. A middle-aged single father, Mattia, juggles parenting responsibilities with the demands of everyday life. His romantic life gets a boost when his daughter, Emma, secretly creates a Tinder profile for him, thrusting him back into the world of dating.

Martari moved to Milan when he was 21 and began studying drama at the Scuola di teatro Quelli di Grock while working as a model. He made his film debut in 2015's The Complexity of Happiness, and has since appeared in films like The Goddess of Fortune and Four to Dinner.

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4) Pietro Sermonti as Luigi

Pietro Sermonti plays Luigi, the last of the four friends in Real Men. Feeling stuck in his marriage, Luigi makes an effort to revive the relationship. Though he and his wife decide to live apart for a while, the distance helps them rediscover their bond and eventually start over with a renewed sense of connection.

Sermonti initially wanted to pursue a professional football career, but had to give it up due to health problems. He is an alumnus of the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and the New York Film Academy. His breakthrough came in 2003 when he appeared as Guido Zanin in the TV series Un medico in famiglia.

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Supporting cast members of Real Men

Besides the aforementioned lead actors, several others appear in Real Men. Here is a list of the actors:

Anna Favella as Roberta
Alexia Cozzi as Maestra Elena
Giulia Eugeni as Valentina
Caterina Marino as Angelica
Massimiliano Franciosa as Guido
Edoardo Boschetti as Francesco
Giulia Pirolli as Sara

Other actors such as Nicole Grimaudo, Sarah Felberbaum, Alice Lupparelli, Maurizio Lastrico, Francesco Montanari, Laura Adriani, Pietro Sermonti, Thony, and Corrado Fortuna also appear in the show.

Real Men is available to stream on Netflix.

About the author

Ankita Shaw is an Entertainment Writer at Sportskeeda. While she has a Bachelor's degree in Physiology, her interest in films, television shows, and books has propelled her into the world of entertainment journalism.

With a passion for storytelling, she has worked as a writer for the digital publication TheThings and served as a full-time Entertainment News Writer at Animated Times, accumulating over one and a half years of experience. As an entertainment reporter, she enjoys reading and writing about the personal experiences of celebrities, with a particular emphasis on their human side beyond fame, wealth, and glamour.

Outside of her professional commitments, she is an aficionado of compelling narratives and enjoys watching films across diverse genres. In music, her favorite is the British-Irish boyband One Direction. She is fascinated by their creative output, which evokes joy and positivity through themes such as self-discovery, heartbreak, and love.

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Edited by Meghna