Cilenti was born in Bradford, to Italian parents. He is married to the actress Sienna Guillory, with whom he has appeared in several films. The couple have two daughters, Valentina and Lucia Cilenti born in February 2011. After attending Bradford Grammar School, a degree in French and Spanish at the University of Nottingham followed and led to him working as a night porter and a bodyguard on the Cote D'Azur and in Mexico City respectively. He completed a one year postgraduate course in acting at Drama Studio London, after which he worked at The Duffer of St. George. His first professional acting role came in Trial & Retribution, which led to the role of Grant in the world premiere of Liz Lochhead's Perfect Days at The Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh. Here he was spotted by Wendy Brazington who was casting Michael Winterbottom's film Wonderland which at the time had the working title 'Snarl Up." Enzo played graphic artist Peter Saville on his second collaboration with Winterbottom: the Palme d'Or-nominated 24 Hour Party People. He has appeared in plays both on and off the West End, notably lead roles in Neil la Bute's The Shape of Things at The New Ambassadors Theatre, and the European premiere of the Pulitzer prize-winning play Anna in the Tropics at the Hampstead Theatre.