# Francesco Salvi

Francesco Salvi (born 7 February 1953) is an Italian actor, singer, screenwriter, and director.

## Biography

Born in the northern town of Luino, near the Italian border with Switzerland, Salvi started his career in the mid-1980s. His performances over the years have included but are not limited to: cabaret, cinema, animated cinema, music, writing, theatre and television, with varying degrees of success.
During 1985–1987, Francesco Salvi was one of the main characters of the satirical TV variety show Drive In.
From 1988 to 1989, Salvi hosted his own television program, MegaSalviShow;. The title song of the show, C'è da spostare una macchina (Gotta Move a Car), of which Salvi was author and singer, gained a great commercial success, topping the Italian hit parade. In 1989 he also made his directorial debut with the film Vogliamoci troppo bene (Let's love too much) and took part in the Sanremo Music Festival with the song Esatto (Correct), which obtained critical and commercial success. He later took part to three more editions of the Festival between 1990 and 1996.
In 1991, he took part to the musical L'Odissea, a satirical music show inspired from Homer's Odyssey, aired by Canale 5 and directed by Beppe Recchia. Salvi interpreted Telemachus and Polyphemus, while Andrea Roncato played Ulysses and pornographic actress Moana Pozzi played Penelope. The same year Salvi starred in another satirical musical show, inspired by Alexandre Dumas's The Three Musketeers: I Tre Moschettieri, in which he played Athos.
On 1 March 1992, Francesco Salvi appeared in comics in the comic magazine Topolino, issue 1982, in the comic strip Pippo e l'ospite d'onore ("Goofy and the guest star"), which Salvi co-authored. In the same year, he hosted the Italia 1 television show La strana coppia ("The Odd Couple"), together with fellow Italian comedian Massimo Boldi.
During 1995 and 1996, Salvi worked with Disney for the radio program Radiotopogiro, aired by Rai Radio 2. He also took part in Antonio Ricci's satirical television show Striscia la notizia, both as host and as fake cultural correspondent.
In 1997, he voiced the title-character in the Rai animation series Lupo Alberto.
In 2001 Salvi played his first dramatic role in the film The Comeback, and was nominated for Silver Ribbon for best actor. From 2004 he started working in the successful television series Un medico in famiglia, in which he starred for three seasons.
In 2006, Francesco Salvi co-hosted the third edition of the reality show La Fattoria (Italian version of The Farm), set in Morocco. In the same year he starred in the television shows Suonare Stella and Comedy Club (where he taught comedy to Italian singer Syria) and had a significant role in the crime film 10th & Wolf.
In 2008, Salvi was the recipient of the "Penisola Sorrentina Arturo Esposito" Best Male Character Award.
Francesco Salvi is the most cited author in Gino Vignali and Michele Mozzati's comedy quotes anthology Anche le formiche nel loro piccolo si incazzano ("Ants also, for their humble part, lose patience").

## Filmography
### Films

| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes |
| 1971 | Le inibizioni del dottor Gaudenzi, vedovo, col complesso della buonanima | Young boy | Cameo appearance |
| 1978 | Per vivere meglio, divertitevi con noi | Stableman | Segment: "Non si può spiegare, bisogna vederlo" |
| 1979 | Hunted City | Policeman | Cameo appearance |
| 1980 | Men or Not Men | Soldier | Cameo appearance |
| 1981 | Miracoloni | Giosuè | |
| 1981 | Fracchia la belva umana | Neuro | |
| 1982 | I'm Going to Live by Myself | Friend | Cameo appearance |
| 1982 | Sturmtruppen II: Tutti al fronte | Francesco | |
| 1982 | Attila flagello di Dio | Grippo | |
| 1985 | Joan Lui | TV Journalist | Cameo appearance |
| 1989 | Vogliamoci troppo bene | Matteo Zampini | Also writer and director |
| 1997 | Camera obscura | Prisoner | Short film |
| 1999 | All the Moron's Men | Relocation Man | Cameo appearance |
| 2001 | The Comeback | Mario Gibellini | Also writer |
| 2003 | Esercizi di magia | Condor | Short film |
| 2003 | The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part 1: The Moab Story | Paul / Pierre | |
| 2004 | The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part 2: Vaux to the Sea | Paul / Pierre | |
| 2005 | Never Again as Before | Enrico's father | |
| 2006 | 10th & Wolf | Luciano Reggio | |
| 2007 | Il giorno, la notte. Poi l'alba | Francis of Assisi | |
| 2009 | Butterfly Zone: Il senso della farfalla | Mr. Chenier | |
| 2012 | Piazza Fontana: The Italian Conspiracy | Cornelio Rolandi | |
| 2014 | Stalker | Coach | |
| 2017 | The Music of Silence | Ettore | |
| 2019 | The Game Changers | Chirico Del Monte | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes |
| 1980 | Un matrimonio in provincia | Mr. Crosio | Television movie |
| 1985 | Yesterday: Vacanze al mare | Paolo | 2 episodes |
| 1988 | I ragazzi della 3ª C | Inspector Marino | Episode: "Gli evasi" |
| 1991 | L'Odissea | Telemachus | Television film |
| 1997 | I misteri di Cascina Vianello | Giacomo | Episode: "Quattro assi per una rapina" |
| 1997 | Tutti gli uomini sono uguali | Psychiatrist | 2 episodes |
| 1997–2002 | Lupo Alberto | Lupo Alberto (voice) | 104 episodes |
| 1998 | Lui & Lei | Italo Incerti | 8 episodes |
| 2001, 2018 | Don Matteo | Luciano Viti | Episode: "Peso massimo" |
| 2001, 2018 | Don Matteo | Father Adelmo | Episode: "La notte dell'anima" |
| 2002 | Padri | Gigi Sergenti | Television film |
| 2003 | Una famiglia per caso | Mimmo | Television film |
| 2003–2007 | Un medico in famiglia | Augusto Torello | 42 episodes |
| 2004 | Polizeiruf 110 | Mr. Nobody | Episode: "Mein letzter Wille" |
| 2005 | L'amore non basta | Mario | Television film |
| 2005 | Nebbie e delitti | Inspector Bondan | Episode: "Bersaglio, l'oblio" |
| 2005 | Ricomincio da me | Andrea | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | Bartali: The Iron Man | Eberardo Pavesi | Television film |
| 2006 | I figli strappati | Nonino | Television film |
| 2007 | Graffio di tigre | Uncle Piero | Television film |
| 2007 | Crimini | Samuele | Episode: "Ultima battuta" |
| 2009 | Bakhita | Father Antonio | Television film |
| 2009 | Nell'aria | Count Ruggeri | Television film |
| 2009 | Pane e libertà | Bruno Buozzi | Television film |
| 2010 | Saint Philip Neri: I Prefer Heaven | Persiano Rosa | Television film |
| 2011–2017 | Un passo dal cielo | Roccia Scotton | 57 episodes |
| 2012 | Talent High School - Il sogno di Sofia | Sirio Perri | 24 episodes | 2013 | Angry Birds Toons | Professor Pig |
| 2014 | Madre, aiutami | Vittorio | 4 episodes |
| 2015 | La dama velata | Giovanni Staineri | 11 episodes |