British actor Colin Firth gets Italian citizenship after Brexit vote

APD NEWS

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British actor Colin Firth, who has often played the role of a quintessential Englishman in films such as Pride and Prejudice, The King's Speech and Kingsman, has become an Italian citizen, Italy’s Interior Ministry said.

British media reported last year that Firth had applied to become Italian following the British referendum to quit the European Union.

“The very famous actor, who won an Oscar for the film The King’s Speech, is married to a citizen from our country and has often declared his love for our land,” the Interior Ministry statement said.

Colin Firth with his wife Livia on the red carpet. ‍/Photo via ent.sina.com.cn

Firth has been married to Italian film producer Livia Giuggioli since 1997 and the couple lives with their two sons in Britain. Unlike other EU countries, Italy allows dual nationality, so Firth can keep his British passport.

A number of EU countries, including Germany, France and Ireland, have reported a surge in British nationals seeking a new nationality in the wake of the Brexit vote.

The Italian announcement about Firth’s new passport came just hours after British Prime Minister Theresa May flew to Florence to make a keynote speech to try to revive stalled Brexit negotiations and reassure worried business leaders.

(REUTERS)