Luca Marinelli was born on October 22, 1984, in Rome. Through his father, a dubbing artist, he was introduced to the world of film early on and made his own debut as a voice actor in a Mickey Mouse cartoon. After finishing secondary school, he completed a course in screenwriting and acting, followed by formal acting studies from 2006 to 2009 at the state drama school Accademia Nazionale d'Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico in Rome.  

Marinelli's first leading role in a feature film was in the sibling drama "Die Einsamkeit der Primzahlen" (IT/DE/FR 2010). In the German-Italian TV film "Ihr Name war Maria" (2012), he portrayed Joseph alongside his future wife, Alissa Jung.

For his lead performance in the Italian romantic comedy "Tutti i santi giorni" ("Every Blessed Day," 2012), Marinelli was nominated in 2013 for the David di Donatello, Italy's most prestigious film award. Three years later, he won the award for his leading role in the tragic friendship story "Non essere cattivo" ("Don't Be Bad," IT 2015). That same year, he earned a nomination for Best Supporting Actor for the superhero film "Lo chiamavano Jeeg Robot" ("They Call Me Jeeg Robot," IT 2015).  

Marinelli played a major role in a German production in Christian Schwochow's two-part TV drama "Die Pfeiler der Macht," appearing as a ruthless South American businessman. He went on to receive further David di Donatello nominations for his title roles in the musician biopic "Fabrizio De André: Principe libero" (IT 2018) and in the Jack London adaptation "Martin Eden" (IT/DE/FR 2019). The latter performance also earned him the Best Actor Award at the Venice Film Festival and, among other honors, a nomination for the European Film Award.  

In the following years, he appeared in a leading role in the fantasy action film "The Old Guard" (US 2020) and in the miniseries "M. Il figlio del secolo" ("Mussolini: Son of the Century") which premiered in Venice in 2024. Directed by his wife Alissa Jung, Marinelli also starred in "Paternal Leave – Drei Tage Meer" ("Paternal Leave") about a 15-year-old girl who meets her father for the first time on the wintry coast of northern Italy, only to find him increasingly overwhelmed by the situation. The film won multiple festival awards and was released in German cinemas in November 2025.  

Luca Marinelli lives in Berlin and Rome.