# Vincenzo Nicoli

Vincenzo Nicoli (born 27 July 1958) is a British actor who appears in film, television and theatre. He is best known for roles in blockbuster films, such as Alan Jude in the 1992 science fiction film Alien³ (1992), Enrico Biscaglia in the romantic drama film In Love and War (1996), Tony Genova in the 2016 short film The Naughty List (2016) and in the television programme Auf Wiedersehen, Pet as Sandro.
He is also known for his role as Papa Pete in the CBBC children's programme Hank Zipzer (2014–2016) and as the voices of Lorenzo and Beppe in Thomas & Friends (2019–2021). Along with actress Flaminia Cinque, he has appeared in Leap Year, The Knot, Brothers of Italy and Mama Cannelloni.

## Early life

Nicoli was born in Worcester on 27 July 1958 to Italian parents originally from the region of Apulia.
He graduationed from a three-year acting course at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), in London.

## Career

He made his acting career when he appeared in the musical Bashville and as a minor character in Accidental Death of an Anarchist.
His television appearances include Rome, Dalziel and Pascoe, Dempsey and Makepeace, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Mr. Selfridge, EastEnders and Foyle's War.
Nicoli appeared as Antinous in the 1997 miniseries The Odyssey for two episodes of the miniseries. From 2014 to 2016, he played Papa Pete in the comedy programme Hank Zipzer with American actor and creator of the series Henry Winkler, who plays Mr. Rock, the music teacher of the title character.
He played a crime boss in the Christopher Nolan superhero film The Dark Knight, featuring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman. He has appeared in films such as Captain Phillips (featuring Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi and Catherine Keener), Leap Year, Alien³ (with Sigourney Weaver), Buster, In Love and War (featuring Sandra Bullock and Chris O'Donnell) and The Naughty List.
Nicoli played the role of Jono in the 2014 critically acclaimed short film The Double Deal, where Mark Holden produced and starred in after which Holden receives four awards.
In 2019, he joined the voice cast of Thomas & Friends as the voices of Lorenzo and Beppe in the UK & US versions, respectively.
In 2020, Nicoli appeared as the mobster known as Vincenzo Murgida in the Father Brown episode, "The Folly of Jephthah", which aired on 10 January 2020. Nicoli's character Vincenzo Murgida is considered the most notorious Italian mobster who wants Hercule Flambeau (John Light) to choose his fate.

## Personal life

Nicoli is married to actress Heather Bleasdale. He has a daughter, Ella Nicoli-Horne, from a previous relationship who studies at Bournemouth University. He speaks English and Italian. He upholds his British-Italian citizenship.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1988 | Buster | Gang Members | |
| 1992 | Alien³ | Alan Jude | |
| 1992 | The Ballad of Kid Divine: The Cockney Cowboy | Diablo | |
| 1995 | The Perfect Life | Dr. McCawley | |
| 1996 | In Love and War | Enrico Biscaglia | |
| 2006 | The Detonator | Yuri Mishalov | Direct-to-video |
| 2006 | Rabbit Fever | Italian Man | |
| 2006 | Sixty Six | Leo | |
| 2007 | Flight of Fury | Peter Stone | Direct-to-video |
| 2007 | Dangerous Parking | Greek Fisherman | |
| 2008 | The Journey Home | "Terry" | Short film |
| 2008 | Bathory: Countess of Blood | Zsigmond Bathory | |
| 2008 | The Dark Knight | Crime Boss | |
| 2010 | Leap Year | Stefano | |
| 2010 | Rojin | Man in Suit | Short film |
| 2010 | Papa | Edwardo | Short film |
| 2011 | National Theatre Live: The Kitchen | Alfredo | |
| 2011 | Will | Broker | |
| 2012 | The Knot | Mr. Fernandez | |
| 2013 | Spiders 3D | Caz | |
| 2013 | Captain Phillips | Andrew Brezinski | |
| 2014 | The Double Deal | Jono | Short film |
| 2016 | The Naughty List | Tony Genova | |
| 2016 | Slugterra: Mark of the Streaker Slug | Sa'mul (voice) | Direct-to-video |
| 2018 | Artichoke | Massimo, The Boss | |
| 2018 | Brothers of Italy | Giuseppe Petrucco | Short film |
| 2019 | Thomas & Friends: Digs and Discoveries | Lorenzo, Beppe, Workers, Passenger (voices) | UK/US version |
| 2019 | Holy Cannelloni | Papa Tony | Short film |
| 2020 | Artemis Fowl | Goblin Sergeant | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1983 | The Accidental Death of an Anarchist | Policeman | Television movie |
| 1984 | On the Shelf | Vincenzo | Television movie |
| 1985 | Blue Money | Second Colombian | Television movie |
| 1985 | Up the Elephant and Round the Castle | Lumps | Episode: "One in the Rough" |
| 1986 | Auf Wiedersehen, Pet | Sandro | Episode: "Marjorie Doesn't Live Here Anymore" |
| 1986 | The Kit Curran Radio Show | Robber | Episode: "The Street of Shame" Titled as Kit Curran in the second season |
| 1986 | The Return of Sherlock Holmes | Pietro Venucci | Episode: "The Six Napoleons" |
| 1986 | Mixed Doubles | Pat | Episode: "It's in the Book" |
| 1986 | Dempsey and Makepeace | Colombian | Episode: "The Cortez Connection" |
| 1986 | Call Me Mister | Dave | Episode: "The Carve Up" |
| 1987 | Truckers | Mafioso | Episodes: "Stinking Fish" and "The Heat of the Moment" |
| 1987 | 1914 All Out | Stapleton | Television movie |
| 1987 | Boon | Vito Rossi | Episode: "Paper Mafia" |
| 1987–2011 | EastEnders | Terry / Mad Dog | 3 episodes |
| 1988 | Hannay | Gypsy | Episode: "Death with Due Notice" |
| 1988 | Wish Me Luck | Maurice Granier | 5 episodes |
| 1988 | Home James! | Bouncer | Episode: "A Sheep's Eye for an Eye" |
| 1989 | Blind Justice | Italian | Episode: "Crime and Punishment" |
| 1989 | Me and My Girl | Geordie | Episode: "A Bit of Overtime" |
| 1989 | Making Out | Nico | 2 episodes |
| 1989 | Flying Lady | Rambo Hawkshaw | Episode: "The Match" |
| 1989 | Made in Spain | Johnie | Television movie |
| 1989 | Hit the Pitch | Michael | Television movie |
| 1990 | The Ruth Rendell Mysteries | John Fassbender | Episode: "Put on by Cunning" |
| 1991 | Very Big Very Soon | Georgio | Episode: "Double Dealing" |
| 1992 | Zorro | Jorge Santiago | Episode: "Mendoza the Malevolent" |
| 1993 | The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles | Kazim | Episode: "Palestine, October 1917" |
| 1994 | Frank Stubbs Promotes | Suggett | Episode: "Chinatown" |
| 1995 | Joseph | Simeon | Television movie |
| 1995 | Fist of Fun | | Episode: "#1.4" |
| 1995 | Shine on Harvey Moon | Azzopardi | 3 episodes |
| 1996 | The Vet | Bruno Pirroda | Episode: "A Fresh Start" |
| 1997 | The Odyssey | Antinous | Television miniseries Episodes: "Part I" and "Part II" |
| 1997 | Dalziel and Pascoe | Dave Lee | Episode: "A Killing Kindness" |
| 1998 | The Bill | Paul Kane | Episode: "Watching the Detectives" |
| 1999 | Grange Hill | Mr. Savi | 2 episodes |
| 1999 | Boyz Unlimited | Mick McNamara | 4 episodes |
| 2002 | Black Books | Frederick | Episode: "Blood" |
| 2003 | Twelfth Night, or What You Will | Fabian | Television movie |
| 2004 | Gory Greek Gods | Poseidon | Television movie |
| 2005 | Judge John Deed | DS Rex Massey | Episode: "Lost and Found" |
| 2005 | Rome | Lysandros | Episode: "Pharsalus" |
| 2005 | Ten Days to Victory | Colonel Valerio | Television documentary movie |
| 2006 | Suburban Shootout | Emile Lesoux | 4 episodes |
| 2008 | The Royal | Tony Dannini | Episode: "To Love and to Lose" |
| 2009 | Henry VIII: Mind of a Tyrant | Venetian Ambassador | Episode: "Warrior 1509–1525" |
| 2010 | Holby City | Lloyd Fisher | Episode: "The Short Straw" |
| 2013 | Run | Zak | Episode: "Richard" Television miniseries |
| 2013 | The Prey | Antonio Fazio | Television miniseries Episode: "Mergers and Acquisitions" |
| 2014–2016 | Hank Zipzer | Peter "Papa Pete" Zipzer | Main cast 26 episodes |
| 2014 | Mr. Selfridge | Uncle Gio | 3 episodes |
| 2015 | Foyle's War | Grant | Episode: "High Castle" |
| 2016 | The Coroner | Tam Bryant | Episode: "The Captain's Pipe" |
| 2016 | I Want My Wife Back | M'aitre D | Episode: "Chapter Four" |
| 2016 | Hank Zipzer's Christmas Catastrophe | Papa Pete | Television movie |
| 2019 | Urban Myths | Alberto Vitale | Episode: "The Trial of Joan Collins" |
| 2019–2021 | Thomas & Friends | Lorenzo, Beppe (voices) | UK/US versions |
| 2020 | Father Brown | Vincenzo Murgida | Episode: "The Folly of Jephthah" |
| 2020 | Housebound | Giuseppe | 6 episodes |
| 2020 | Roadkill | George | Episode: "#1.3" Television miniseries |

### Video games

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2020 | Zombie Army 4: Dead War | Additional Voices (voice) | |

### Stage

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1983 | Bashville | Performer |
| 2003 | Things You Shouldn't Say Past Midnight | Gene |
| 2011 | The Kitchen | Alfredo |
| 2012 | The Revenger's Tragedy | The Duke |
| 2013 | The Shawshank Redemption | Bogs Diamond |
| 2014 | The Merchant of Venice | Duke Of Venice / Prince of Arragon |

### Radio

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2020 | Doctor Who: Cry of the Vultriss | Pagus | |
| 2020 | Assets of War | Vibax | |