There are numerous Italian actors who have made it our cinema is also great abroad, so much so that it would be really difficult to try to draw up a ranking of the best. However, looking back on the great talents of the past, we wanted to remember four: Totò, Alberto Sordi, Vittorio Gassman, Marcello Mastroianni. Real sacred monsters of cinema and theater, impossible to forget. But we are aware that the complete list would be much longer. Thinking, instead, of the great actors of today, we wanted to pay homage to the incomparable Gigi Proietti. An all-round artist. A teacher for those who are preparing to make a career in this field. And you, do you agree?
Great Italian actors: Antonio De Curtis, aka Totò
When it comes to actors who have made the history of Italian cinema, one cannot help but think of the immense Antonio De Curtis, aka Totò (Naples 1898 - Rome 1967). Known and loved all over the world, Totò made entire generations laugh and, even today, his films remain the favorites of young and old. The Prince of laughter he was able to conquer everyone with his great self-irony and his hilarious comedy, often improvised and never vulgar. Who has never seen and reviewed his films, to the point of memorizing the most famous lines? Films that have the particularity of never getting tired, on the contrary, every time you end up laughing out loud, just like the first time.
This is why Totò, with his multi-expressive face, his articulated movements similar to those of a puppet, his clean and intelligent irony, remains the undisputed genius of Italian comedy. Immense on the screen, but also in theater, poetry and music. How to forget his gags with Peppino De Filippo, often her companion on set and friend in life. Great was the love that Totò had for Naples, his hometown, which he represented all over the world through his immortal art. Rivers of words could be written about him and they would not be enough to draw a complete profile. Because Totò marked a time. He was not only a master on the stage, but also a master of style and life.
Alberto Sordi
Another well-known and unforgettable vote of our cinema is Alberto Sordi (Rome, 1920 - 2003). Considered one of the greatest interpreters of Italian comedy, Sordi was also a director, screenwriter, composer, singer and voice actor. His sly smile has remained in the hearts of all Italians, who have given him the affectionate nickname of "Albertone". Launched into the world of cinema by his friend Federico Fellini, with the masterpiece "I vitelloni" (1953), he conquers the public and critics. His popularity increases with "An American in Rome", in 1954, in which the joke remains memorable "Maccarone you provoked me and I destroy you now, I me you great!".
In his numerous films, about 200, Sordi plays characters who represent the vices and defects of the idealistic and somewhat mammon average Italian, but also cynical and opportunist. Among the films best known to the general public, "Il vigile", from 1960, by Luigi Zampa, and "Il marchese del Grillo", by Mario Monicelli (1981), in which he is a Roman noble of the black aristocracy, who did not no mercy for the poor. He received prestigious awards: three Silver Ribbons, seven David di Donatello, two Grolle d'Oro, a Golden Globe, a Golden Bear in Berlin and a Golden Lion in Venice to celebrate his career.
Vittorio Gassman
Vittorio Gassman (Genoa 1922 - Rome 2000), as well as a great theater, film and television actor, he was also an Italian director, voice actor, screenwriter and writer. Founder and director of the Italian Art Theater, nicknamed "The Showman", from the homonymous television program he conducted in 1959, is considered one of the best and most representative Italian actors. Gassman starts from the theater, his first passion, but to conquer all Italians, he also tries cinema.
His most decisive interpretation is in "Riso amaro", by Giuseppe De Santis, from 1949. Followed by cult films such as "I soliti ignoti", by Mario Monicelli, from 1958, "Il sorpasso", from 1962, and "In the name of people Italian ”, from 1971, both by Dino Risi. In 1974, with "Profumo di donna", also by Risi, he obtained the award for best actor at the Cannes Film Festival, to which are added other prestigious awards including the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, in 1996. With Alberto Sordi, Ugo Tognazzi and Nino Manfredi, Gassman is considered one of the greatest interpreters of Italian comedy. Marcello Mastroianni has also been associated with this quartet since the 60s.
Marcello Mastroianni
Marcello Mastroianni (Fontana Liri 1924 - Paris 1996), is one of the best known and most appreciated Italian actors abroad, in the 60s and 70s. Often paired with the actress Sophia Loren, is a favorite of director Federico Fellini, for whom he plays leading roles in the films "La dolce vita", from 1960, and "8 ½", from 1963. The scene of "La dolce vita" in which Anita Ekberg invites him to bathe in the Trevi Fountain.
Reserved, elegant, romantic, intelligent, seductive, loved by the public and by women, he is considered the Latin Lover of the screen, a cliché he always tries to get rid of. Three times nominated for an Oscar as best actor, he won 2 Golden Globes, 2 Bafta Awards, 8 David di Donatello, 8 Silver Ribbons, 5 Golden Globes and a Golden Ciak. One of his famous interpretations is the black comedy “Divorzio all'italiana”. He greets his audience with the show "Last Moons", brought to theaters before dying, when he is already seriously ill. It is a spiritual testament for him.
Great contemporary actors: Gigi Proietti
Among contemporary actors, a special place in the hearts of Italians occupies the great Gigi Proietti (Rome 1940), comedian, stand-up comedian, voice actor, television host, singer, artistic director. His encounter with the theater takes place during his university years. In 1955 he participated as an extra in the drama “Our champion”, by Vittorio Duse. In 1963 he made his debut in the cabaret theater at the Arlecchino in Rome, with "The can-can of the Italians", where he immediately distinguished himself for his scenic strength and a thousand resources. In the meantime he cultivates a passion for music, sings, plays and composes. In 1966 he shoots "The pleasant nights", a comedy film, and, in 1967, he starred in "The Bersagliere Girl".
In 1970 he accepted the proposal of Garinei and Giovannini to replace Modugno to interpret the musical comedy “Alleluja brava gente”, alongside Renato Rascel. The success is overwhelming and constitutes the turning point for his career. He is compared to Gassman, whose stage strength he seems to embody. In 1997 he received the Silver Ribbon for the best male dubbing. In 2002, the Silver Ribbon for Best Actor for "Horse fever in La mandrakata". In 2006 the Golden Lectern for Lifetime Achievement. Proietti embodies the great Italian actor of our day, and represents an example to follow for the new generations of actors.
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