Philippe Noiret
as Alfredo

Jacques Perrin
as Salvatore 'Totò' Di Vita (adult)

Marco Leonardi
as Salvatore 'Totò' Di Vita (teen)

Salvatore Cascio
as Salvatore 'Totò' Di Vita (child)

Agnese Nano
as Elena Mendola (teen) / Elena's daughter (in Director's cut)

Antonella Attili
as Maria Di Vita (young)

Pupella Maggio
as Maria Di Vita (aged)

Enzo Cannavale
as Spaccafico

Isa Danieli
as Anna

Leo Gullotta
as Ignazio, usher

Brigitte Fossey
as Elena Mendola (adult) (in Director's cut) (uncredited)

Leopoldo Trieste
as Father Adelfio

Tano Cimarosa
as Fabbro, blacksmith

Nicola Di Pinto
as Village idiot

Roberta Lena
as Lia

Nino Terzo
as Peppino's Father

Turi Giuffrida
as

Mimmo Mignemi
as

Mariella Lo Giudice
as

Giorgio Libassi
as

Beatrice Palme
as

Ignazio Pappalardo
as

Angela Leontini
as

Turi Killer
as

Angelo Tosto
as

Franco Catalano
as

Giuseppe Tornatore
as Projectionist (uncredited)

Nellina Lagana
as

Margherita Mignemi
as

Giuseppe Pellegrino
as

Concetta Borpagano
as