Giancarlo Giannini

Giancarlo Giannini (born 1 August 1942) is an Italian actor and voice actor. He won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor for his performance in Love and Anarchy (1973) and received an Academy Award nomination for Seven Beauties (1975). He is also a four-time recipient of the David di Donatello Award for Best Actor.
Giannini began his career on stage, starring in Franco Zeffirelli's productions of Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream. After appearing predominantly on television throughout the early 1960s, he had his first lead role in a film in Rita the Mosquito (1965), the first of many collaborations with filmmaker Lina Wertmüller. He rose to international stardom through Wertmüller's The Seduction of Mimi (1972), Love and Anarchy (1973), Swept Away (1974), culminating in his Oscar-nominated turn in Seven Beauties (1975).
His other films include The Innocent (1976), Lili Marleen (1980), New York Stories (1990), A Walk in the Clouds (1995), Hannibal (2001), Man on Fire (2004), and the James Bond films Casino Royale (2006) and Quantum of Solace (2008). He is also a dubbing artist, contributing voice work to the Italian-language versions of dozens of films since the 1960s. He has been the official Italian dubber of Al Pacino since 1975, and has also dubbed Jack Nicholson, Michael Douglas, and Helmut Berger.
Early life
Giannini was born in La Spezia and he spent most of his childhood in the settlement of Pitelli. In 1952, Giannini and his family moved to Naples where he received a diploma in electronic engineering at the Alessandro Volta Technological State Technical Institute. During his teen years, he moved to Rome and studied at the Accademia Nazionale di Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico.
Acting career
Stage
Giannini made his stage debut at the age of 18, opposite Lilla Brignone in In memoria di una signora amica, directed by Giuseppe Patroni Griffi. His breakthrough came when he was cast by Franco Zeffirelli in a production of Romeo and Juliet which played at The Old Vic.
Film and television
Giannini made his film debut in a small part in I criminali della metropoli in 1965. He appeared in supporting roles in Anzio and The Secret of Santa Vittoria, and starred in the original version of Swept Away. In 1967, he was a special guest on an episode of Mina's TV show "Sabato Sera". In 1971, he appeared in E le stelle stanno a guardare, a television adaptation of A. J. Cronin's novel The Stars Look Down.
Giannini won a Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor for his performance in Love and Anarchy (1973). In 1976, he starred in Seven Beauties, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Giannini is known for his starring roles in films directed by Lina Wertmüller. In addition to Seven Beauties and Swept Away, he also appeared in The Seduction of Mimi, Love and Anarchy, A Night Full of Rain, and Francesca e Nunziata.
Giannini has also achieved some international success. His fluency in English has brought him a number of featured roles in Hollywood productions, most notably as Inspector Pazzi in Hannibal. He also appeared in Man on Fire. Giannini played Alberto Aragón in A Walk in the Clouds in 1995, and Emperor Shaddam IV in the 2000 Dune miniseries. In 2002, he starred in the horror film Darkness. He later portrayed French agent René Mathis in the James Bond films Casino Royale (2006) and Quantum of Solace (2008).
In 2009, Giannini received a star on the Italian Walk of Fame in Toronto, Canada. He is currently set to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2021.
Voice acting
Giannini has had a successful career as a voice actor and dubber. He helped with the foundation of the C.V.D. along with Renato Turi, Corrado Gaipa, Valeria Valeri, Oreste Lionello, Wanda Tettoni and other dubbers.
Giannini is the official Italian voice dubber of Al Pacino. Both he and Ferruccio Amendola were the primary dubbers of Pacino until Amendola's death in 2001 when Giannini became the main voice dubber. He also dubbed Jack Nicholson's voice as Jack Torrance in the Italian release of The Shining and the Joker in Batman and Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko in Wall Street and the 2010 sequel as well as dubbing other actors such as Dustin Hoffman, Gérard Depardieu, Ryan O'Neal, Jeremy Irons, Mel Gibson, Tim Allen, Leonard Whiting and Ian McKellen in some of their work.
In Giannini's animated roles, he voiced Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Ed Asner) in the Italian dub of the Pixar film Up. He also provided the Italian voice of Raul Menendez in the Call of Duty game franchise. Outside of dubbing, he provided a voice role in the 2001 Italian animated film Momo in which he voiced the main antagonist.
Other ventures
Aside from acting, Giannini took up inventing as a hobby. Some of the gadgets he designed were used in the 1992 film Toys starring Robin Williams. Giannini also collaborated with Gabriella Greison on his memoir Sono ancora un bambino which was published by Longanesi in 2014. A year later, he received the Premio Cesare Pavese.
In 2012 he collaborated with Italian singer Eros Ramazzotti in "Io sono te", from his album Noi.
Personal life
From 1967 until 1975, Giannini was married to actress Livia Giampalmo and they had two children. Their eldest son was Lorenzo, who died in 1987 from an aneurysm shortly before his 20th birthday. Their second-born son is actor Adriano Giannini, who played his father's role in the 2002 remake of Swept Away.
Since 1983, he has been married to Eurilla del Bono and they have two sons, Emanuele and Francesco who are musicians.
Selected filmography
Films
Libido (1965) as Christian
Rita the Mosquito (1966) as Paolo Randi
I criminali della metropoli (1967) as Gerard Lemaire
Don't Sting the Mosquito (1967) as Paolo Randi
Stasera mi butto (1967) as Carlo Timidoni
Arabella (1967) as Saverio
Anzio (1968) as Pvt. Cellini
Fräulein Doktor (1969) as Lt. Hans Rupert
Le sorelle (1969) as Dario
The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1969) as Fabio
Giacomo Casanova: Childhood and Adolescence (1969) as Giacomo Casanova (voice, uncredited)
The Pizza Triangle (1970) as Nello
Una macchia rosa (1970) as Giancarlo
Una prostituta al servizio del pubblico e in regola con le leggi dello stato (1971) as Walter
Mazzabubù... Quante corna stanno quaggiù? (1971) as Lucio, the newly wed
Un aller simple (1971) as Weber
Mio padre monsignore (1971) as Oreste
Black Belly of the Tarantula (1971) as Inspector Tellini
Hector the Mighty (1972) as Ulisse
The Seduction of Mimi (a.k.a. Mimi metallurgico ferito nell'onore) (1972) as Carmelo Mardocheo detto Mimí
Don Camillo e i giovani d'oggi (1972) as Veleno
La prima notte di quiete (1972) as Giorgio Mosca aka 'Spider'
Love and Anarchy (1973) as Antonio Soffiantini 'Tunin'
It Was I (1973) as Biagio Solise
The Sensual Man (1973) as Paolo Castorini
How Funny Can Sex Be? (1973) as Domenico ("Signora sono le 8") / Cesaretto ("Due cuori e una baracca") / Enrico ("Non è mai troppo tardi") / Lello ("Viaggio di nozze") / Giansiro ("Torna piccina mia") / The Donor ("Lavoratore italiano all'estero") / Michele Maccò ("La vendetta") / Saturnino ("Un amore difficile") / Dottor Bianchi ("L'ospite")
Drama of the Rich (1974) as Tullio Murri
The Beast (1974) as Nino Patrovita
Swept Away (1974) as Gennarino Carunchio
The Immortal Bachelor (1975) as Gino Benacio
Seven Beauties (1975) (a.k.a. Pasqualino Settebellezze) as Pasqualino Frafuso aka Settebellezze (Nomination Academy Award for best actor)
The Innocent (1976) as Tullio Hermil
A Night Full of Rain (1978) as Paolo
Blood Feud (1978) as Nicola Sanmichele detto 'Nick'
Lovers and Liars (1979) as Guido Massacesi
Good News (1979) as L'Innominato
Life Is Beautiful (1979) as Antonio Murillo
Lili Marleen (1981) as Robert
My Darling, My Dearest (1982) as Gennarino Laganà
Where's Picone? (1984) as Salvatore Cannavacciuolo
American Dreamer (1984) as Victor Marchand
Fever Pitch (1985) as Charley
Saving Grace (1986) as Abalardi
Ternosecco (1987) as Domenico
The Rogues (1987) as Guzman
Snack Bar Budapest (1988) as Avvocato
'o Re (1989) as Francis II of the Two Sicilies
New York Stories (1989) as Claudio (segment "Life without Zoe")
Blood Red (1989) as Sebastian Collogero
The Sleazy Uncle (1989) as Riccardo
Brown Bread Sandwiches (1989) as Alberto
Time to Kill (1989) as Major
Dark Illness (1990) as Giuseppe Marchi
Nel giardino delle rose (1990) as Tramontano
The Amusements of Private Life (1990) as Charles Renard
Once Upon a Crime (1992) as Inspector Bonnard
Giovanni Falcone (1993) as Paolo Borsellino
Like Two Crocodiles (1994) as Pietro Fraschini
A Walk in the Clouds (1995) as Alberto Aragón
Palermo – Milan One Way (1995) as Turi Leofonte
Celluloide (1996) as Sergio Amidei
The Elective Affinities (1996) as narrator (voice)
The Border (1996) as Von Zirkenitz
La lupa (1996) as Padre Angiolino
The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca (1996) as Taxi
Ultimo bersaglio (1996) as Leo Steiner
Más allá del jardín (1996) as Bernardo
Cervellini fritti impanati (1996)
Mimic (1997) as Manny
Una vacanza all'inferno (1997) as Avv. Ortega
Heaven Before I Die (1997) as Thief
The Dinner (1998) as Professore
Dolce far niente (1998) as Count Nencini
The Room of the Scirocco (1998) as Marquis of Acquafurata
Vuoti a perdere (1999) as Francesco Cesena
Milonga (1999) as Commissioner
Terra bruciata (1999) as Macrì
Una noche con Sabrina Love (2000) as Leonardo
Viper (2000) as Guastamacchia
Welcome Albania (2000)
Hannibal (2001) as Inspector Pazzi
Una lunga lunga lunga notte d'amore (2001) as Marcello
CQ (2001) as Enzo
The Whole Shebang (2001) as Pop Bazinni
Momo (2001) as Capo degli Uomini Grigi (voice)
I Love You Eugenio (2002) as Eugenio
Ciao America (2002) as Zi' Felice
The Bankers of God: The Calvi Affair (2002) as Flavio Carboni
Joshua (2002) as The Pope
Darkness (2002) as Albert Rua
The Council of Egypt (2002) as narrator (voice)
Mario Monicelli, l'artigiano di Viareggio (2002) as himself
Incantato (2003) as Cesare
My House in Umbria (2003, TV Movie) as Inspector Girotti
Five Moons Square (2003) as Branco
L'acqua... il fuoco (2003) as David
Forever (2003) as Giovanni
Man on Fire (2004) as Miguel Manzano
13 at a Table (2004) as Older Giulio
Raul: Straight to Kill (2005) as Giudice Porfirio
The Shadow Dancer (2005) as Father Moretti
Tirant lo Blanc (2006) as Emperor of Visantia
Salvatore – Questa è la vita (2006) as Timpaliscia
Casino Royale (2006) as René Mathis
Milano Palermo – Il ritorno (2007) as Turi Leofonte
Bastardi (2008) as Il Gatto
Quantum of Solace (2008) as René Mathis
La bella società (2010) as Dott. Guarrasi
La prima notte della luna (2010) as Ivan
(2012) as Lorenzo
AmeriQua (2013) as Don Cesare Ferracane
Ti ho cercata in tutti i necrologi (2013) as Nikita
Promakhos (2014, directed by Coerte Voorhees, John Voorhees) as Petros
Shades of Truth, (2015, directed by Liana Marabini) as Aaron Azulai
On Air: Storia di un successo (2016) as Presidente
Il ragazzo della Giudecca (2016) as Giudice Mangrella
Prigioniero Della Mia Liberta (2016)
Oggi a te... domani a me (2016)
Nobili bugie (2017) as Franco
The Neighborhood (2017) as Gianluca Moretti
Tulipani, Love, Honour and a Bicycle (2017) as Catarella
Pipi, Pupu & Rosemary: the Mystery of the Stolen Notes (2017) as narrator (voice)
Liubov pret-a-porte (2017) as Giorgio's father
The Catcher Was a Spy (2018) as Professor Eduardo Amaldi
Magical Nights (2018) as Leandro Saponaro
Cabrini (2024) as Pope Leo XIII
Television
"Sabato Sera" (1967, one episode)
E le stelle stanno a guardare (1971) as Arthur Barras
Sins (1986)
Vita coi figli (1990) as Adriano Setti
Frank Herbert's Dune (2000) as Emperor Shaddam IV
Catch-22 (2019) as Marcello
Leonardo (2021) as Verrocchio
Dubbing roles
Live action
Sonny Wortzik in Dog Day Afternoon
Steve Burns in Cruising
Ivan Travalian in Author! Author!
Richard Roma in Glengarry Glen Ross
Frank Slade in Scent of a Woman
Carlito Brigante in Carlito's Way
Vincent Hanna in Heat
Mayor John Pappas in City Hall
Richard III in Looking for Richard
Benjamin "Lefty" Ruggiero in Donnie Brasco
John Milton / Satan in The Devil's Advocate
Lowell Bergman in The Insider
Tony D'Amato in Any Given Sunday
Will Dormer in Insomnia
Viktor Taransky in Simone
Starkman in Gigli
Walter Burke in The Recruit
Shylock in The Merchant of Venice
Willy Bank in Ocean's Thirteen
Val in Stand Up Guys
Marvin Schwarzs in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Jimmy Hoffa in The Irishman
Aldo Gucci in House of Gucci
Jack Kevorkian in You Don't Know Jack
Phil Spector in Phil Spector
Joe Paterno in Paterno
Meyer Offerman in Hunters
Jack Torrance in The Shining
Jack Napier / Joker in Batman
David Locke in The Passenger
Jimmy Hoffa in Hoffa
Jerry Black in The Pledge
Harry Sanborn in Something's Gotta Give
Frank Costello in The Departed
Thomas Levy in Marathon Man
Pope John XXIII in John XXIII: The Pope of Peace
Gordon Gekko in Wall Street
Gordon Gekko in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Andrew Shepard in The American President
Buddy Ackerman in Swimming with Sharks
Richard III in Richard III
Romeo in Romeo and Juliet
Larry Kelly in Callas Forever
Scott Calvin in The Santa Clause
John Valentine in Twilight Zone: The Movie
Mark in Zabriskie Point
Georges Danton in Danton
Obelix in Asterix & Obelix Take On Caesar
Edmond Dantès in The Count of Monte Cristo
Joseph Fouché in Napoléon
Andrei Chikatilo in Evilenko
Prince Hamlet in Hamlet
Tony in Looking for Mr. Goodbar
Crowe Wheelwright in Lawman
Charles Serking in Tales of Ordinary Madness
Animation
Carl Fredricksen in Up
Fritz the Cat in Fritz the Cat
Video games
Raul Menendez in Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Raul Menendez in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
Awards and nominations
Academy Awards
David di Donatello
Nastro d'Argento
Film festivals
Other awards
Honours
Grand Officer (2nd Class), Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (2003)
Knight Grand Cross (1st Class), Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (2007)
References
External links
1942 births
Living people
People from La Spezia
Italian male television actors
Italian male film actors
Italian male voice actors
Italian male stage actors
Italian male video game actors
Italian film directors
20th-century Italian inventors
Accademia Nazionale di Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico alumni
Commanders of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor winners
David di Donatello winners
Nastro d'Argento winners
Ciak d'oro winners
20th-century Italian male actors
21st-century Italian male actors