Mario Brega

Mario Brega (25 March 1923 – 23 July 1994) was an Italian character actor. His heavy build meant that he regularly portrayed a thug in his films, particularly earlier in his career in westerns. Later in his career, however, he featured in numerous Italian comedy films. Brega stood at and well over at his heaviest but after the 1960s slimmed down significantly.
Biography
Brega was born in Rome. He was a butcher before he drifted into acting, where his heavy physique ensured him a plethora of character roles. Debuting with director Dino Risi, he then played some minor roles in Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Western movies: A Fistful of Dollars, as Chico; For a Few Dollars More, as Niño; The Good, the Bad and the Ugly as Corporal Wallace; and also as a gangster in Once Upon a Time in America. He appeared in many other Spaghetti Westerns, including Death Rides a Horse, The Great Silence, and My Name is Nobody. Later in his career he had comical roles with director Carlo Verdone, such as in Un sacco bello and Talcum Powder.
He died of heart attack in Rome in 1994.
Filmography
La mascotte dei diavoli blu (1947)
L'uomo di paglia (1958) – Man who blocks Andrea davanti versus the driver (uncredited)
Il mondo dei miracoli (1959) – Man with a black eye (uncredited)
Gli scontenti (1961)
Giorno per giorno disperatamente (1961)
I motorizzati (1962) – Edoardo
La marcia su Roma of Dino Risi (1962) – Mitraglia
La parmigiana (1963) – Brega – policeman (uncredited)
Uno strano tipo (1963)
Le ore dell'amore (1963)
Il Fornaretto di Venezia (1963)
I mostri (episodio La nobile arte) (1963) – Rocchetti (segment "La nobile Arte")
Se permettete parliamo di donne (1964)
Due mafiosi nel Far West (1964) – Uomo con Rio
A Fistful of Dollars (1964, by Sergio Leone) – Chico
Diciottenni al sole (1964)
Buffalo Bill, l'eroe del far west (1964) – Big Sam Donaldson
I complessi (1965) – (segment "Il complesso della schiava nubiana")
For a Few Dollars More (1965, by Sergio Leone) – Nino (Indio's Gang)
Un angelo per Satana (1966) – Carlo Lionesi
El precio de un hombre (1966) – Miguel
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966, by Sergio Leone) – Cpl. Wallace
Omicidio per appuntamento (1967) – Mario Galante
No Diamonds for Ursula (1967) – Sansone
Da uomo a uomo by Giulio Petroni (1967) – Walcott's Henchman in Waistcoat
Hallelujah for Django (1967) – Andreas / Yanaro
A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die (1968) – Krant
Il suo nome gridava vendetta (1968) – Dirty
The Girl Who Couldn't Say No (1968) – Cripple
Il Grande Silenzio by Sergio Corbucci (1968) – Martin
A Noose for Django (1969) – Brandon's Partner
Death Knocks Twice (1969) – Riccardo Beni
La taglia è tua... l'uomo l'ammazzo io di Edoardo Mulargia (1969) – Tim
Il divorzio (1970) – News-vendor
New York-Parigi per una condanna a morte (1970)
Cose di Cosa Nostra (1971) – Bellacque
Se t'incontro t'ammazzo (1971) – Grendel
Return of Sabata (1971) – Cameo (uncredited)
In Prison Awaiting Trial (1971) – Detenuto amico di Scalia (uncredited)
A Girl in Australia (1971) – Cameriere italiano a Brisbane (uncredited)
Decameron No. 2 - Le altre novelle del Boccaccio di Mino Guerrini (1972) – Ferondo
Sotto a chi Tocca! (1972) – Fregonese
Le mille e una notte e un’altra ancora… (1973) – Vizier
I racconti di Canterbury N. 2 (1973)
Even Angels Eat Beans (1973) – Angelo's Weapon Master (uncredited)
Da Scaramouche or se vuoi l'assoluzione baciar devi sto... cordone! (1973)
My Name Is Nobody (1973) – Pedro
Basta con la guerra, facciamo l'amore (1974) – Garozzi
Anche gli angeli tirano di destro (1974) – Barman
I sette del gruppo selvaggio by Gianni Crea (1975) – Tornado
Simone e Matteo, un gioco da ragazzi di Giuliano Carnimeo (1975) – Gang Member
Due cuori, una cappella (1975) – Il macellaio
Quant'è bella la Bernarda, tutta nera, tutta calda by Lucio Dandolo (1975) – Mirafiore (segment "Il Cavalier Mirafiore")
Genio, due compari, un pollo, Un (1975) – Officer at Fort
Il conto è chiuso (1976) – Bobo Belmondo
La banda del trucido (1977) – Questore Alberti
Il gatto (1977) – killer
Agonas horis telos (1978)
Il giocattolo (1979) – Un rapinatore
Un sacco bello di Carlo Verdone (1980) – Mario
Bianco, rosso e Verdone by Carlo Verdone (1981) – The 'Prince'
Una vacanza del cactus (1981) – Zio Michele, zio di Augusto
Pierino la Peste alla riscossa (1982) – Giulio, padre di Pierino
Borotalco by Carlo Verdone (1982) – Augusto
Pè sempe (1982) – Don Enrico
Occhio, malocchio, prezzemolo e finocchio (episodio Il mago) (1983) – Alberigo
Vacanze di Natale (1983) – Arturo Marchetti
Amarsi un po' (1984) – Augusto Coccia
Sogni e bisogni (1984) – Er Policlinico
Once Upon a Time in America by Sergio Leone (1984) – Mandy
Troppo forte di Carlo Verdone (1986) – Sergio
Asilo di polizia (1986) – Don Lombardi
Montecarlo Gran Casinò (1987) – Luciano
Crack (1991) – (final film role)
References
External links
1923 births
1994 deaths
20th-century Italian male actors
Male actors from Rome
Male Spaghetti Western actors
Male Western (genre) film actors
People of Lazian descent
Burials at Campo Verano