Writer/co-director/star Massimo Troisi postponed heart surgery so he could complete the film. The day after filming was complete, he suffered a fatal heart attack.
Writer and lead actor Massimo Troisi and producer Mario Cecchi Gori received posthumous Oscar nominations for their work in this film.
Massimo Troisi was so weak that it was only possible for him to work for about an hour each day. Most of his scenes were shot in one or two takes. A shooting schedule was designed to allow the film to be shot around him. This was aided greatly by the fact his stand-in bore such a striking resemblance to Troisi. He was used for all back to camera, long/medium shots and most of the bicycle riding sequences. Director Michael Radford has said that watching the film after it was cut together even he was unable to tell the difference between the two men.
A public square on Procida (one of the islands were the movie was shot) was named after the late Massimo Troisi to homage his last performance.
Theatrical run in New York City was so long (almost two years), it was still in theaters after the video release and its premium cable run.
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