Massimo Troisi as Mario Ruoppolo

Philippe Noiret as Pablo Neruda

Maria Grazia Cucinotta as Beatrice Russo

Renato Scarpa as Telegrapher

Linda Moretti as Donna Rosa

Mariano Rigillo as Di Cosimo

Anna Bonaiuto as Matilde

Sergio Solli as Peasant

Carlo Di Maio as Priest

Nando Neri as

Vincenzo Di Sauro as

Orazio Stracuzzi as

Alfredo Cozzolino as Di Cosimo's Associate

Simona Caparrini as Elsa Morante (uncredited)

Calogero Azzaretto as Bookseller (uncredited)

Assunta Stacconi as Old Woman in Church (uncredited)

Angelo Casadei as Cinema Spectator (uncredited)