Giancarlo Giannini
Encyclopedia
Giancarlo Giannini is an Italian actor and dubber
.
Giannini was born La Spezia
, Liguria
, Italy. He studied at the Accademia Nazionale d'Arte Drammatica in Rome, and made his film debut in a small part in Fango sulla 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 1971, he appeared in E le stelle stanno a guardare
, a television adaptation of A. J. Cronin
's novel, The Stars Look Down
.
In 1976, he starred in Seven Beauties
, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor
, which is unusual in that his performance was given entirely in Italian
. He dubbed Jack Nicholson
's voice in the Italian release of both The Shining
and Batman
; he is the official Italian dubber of Al Pacino
. His fluency in English has brought him a number of featured roles in Hollywood productions, most notably as Inspector Pazzi in Hannibal
. He has also appeared in Man on Fire
.
Giannini's best-known starring roles have been in films directed by Lina Wertmuller
. In addition to Swept Away and Seven Beauties
, he also appeared in The Seduction of Mimi
, Love and Anarchy, A Night Full of Rain, and Francesca e Nunziata.
He played the role of the protective father, Alberto Aragón, in A Walk in the Clouds
in 1995. He played the Padishah Emperor
Shaddam IV in the 2000 Dune miniseries
. In 2002, he starred in the horror film
Darkness
.
Perhaps his best-known recent role is as French agent René Mathis in the 21st and 22nd James Bond films, Casino Royale
and the sequel, Quantum of Solace.
He has a son, Adriano Giannini
, who is also an actor and dubber.
In 2009, Giannini received a star on the Italian Walk of Fame
in Toronto, Canada.
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
.
Giannini was born La Spezia
La Spezia
La Spezia , at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the Liguria region of northern Italy, is the capital city of the province of La Spezia. Located between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian Sea, it is one of the main Italian military and commercial harbours and hosts one of Italy's biggest military...
, Liguria
Liguria
Liguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. Its capital is Genoa. It is a popular region with tourists for its beautiful beaches, picturesque little towns, and good food.-Geography:...
, Italy. He studied at the Accademia Nazionale d'Arte Drammatica in Rome, and made his film debut in a small part in Fango sulla metropoli
Fango sulla metropoli
Fango sulla metropoli is a 1965 Italian film directed by Gino Mangini.-Cast:*Tony Kendall ... Sergente Perier*Dorian Gray... Denise*Vassili Karis ... Pierre *Greta Polyn ... Zizi*Enzo Tarascio ... Brigadiere Lemaire...
in 1965. He appeared in supporting roles in Anzio
Anzio (film)
Anzio, also known as Lo Sbarco di Anzio or The Battle for Anzio, is a 1968 war film about Operation Shingle, the 1944 Allied seaborne assault on the Italian port of Anzio in World War II...
and The Secret of Santa Vittoria
The Secret of Santa Vittoria
The Secret of Santa Vittoria is a 1969 film made by Stanley Kramer Productions and distributed by United Artists. It was produced and directed by Stanley Kramer and co-produced by George Glass from a screenplay by Ben Maddow and William Rose. It was based on the novel by Robert Crichton...
, and starred in the original version of Swept Away
Swept Away by an Unusual Destiny in the Blue Sea of August
Swept Away is a 1974 Italian film written and directed by Lina Wertmüller...
. In 1971, he appeared in E le stelle stanno a guardare
E le stelle stanno a guardare
E le stelle stanno a guardare is a 1971 Italian adaptation of A. J. Cronin's 1935 novel The Stars Look Down. It was written and directed by Anton Giulio Majano and was produced by Radiotelevisione Italiana...
, a television adaptation of A. J. Cronin
A. J. Cronin
Archibald Joseph Cronin was a Scottish physician and novelist. His best-known works are Hatter's Castle, The Stars Look Down, The Citadel, The Keys of the Kingdom and The Green Years, all of which were adapted to film. He also created the Dr...
's novel, The Stars Look Down
The Stars Look Down
The Stars Look Down is a 1935 novel by A. J. Cronin which chronicles various injustices in an English coal mining community. A film version was produced in 1939, and television adaptations include both Italian and British versions....
.
In 1976, he starred in Seven Beauties
Seven Beauties
Pasqualino Settebellezze is a 1975 Italian language film written and directed by Lina Wertmüller and starring Giancarlo Giannini in the main role. Fernando Rey and Shirley Stoler are also featured...
, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor
Academy Award for Best Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
, which is unusual in that his performance was given entirely in Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
. He dubbed Jack Nicholson
Jack Nicholson
John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times, and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the...
's voice in the Italian release of both The Shining
The Shining (film)
The Shining is a 1980 psychological horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, co-written with novelist Diane Johnson, and starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, and Danny Lloyd. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. A writer, Jack Torrance, takes a job as an...
and Batman
Batman (1989 film)
Batman is a 1989 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name, directed by Tim Burton. The film stars Michael Keaton in the title role, as well as Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl and Jack Palance...
; he is the official Italian dubber of Al Pacino
Al Pacino
Alfredo James "Al" Pacino is an American film and stage actor and director. He is famous for playing mobsters, including Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy, Tony Montana in Scarface, Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice in Dick Tracy and Carlito Brigante in Carlito's Way, though he has also appeared...
. His fluency in English has brought him a number of featured roles in Hollywood productions, most notably as Inspector Pazzi in Hannibal
Hannibal (film)
Hannibal is a 2001 psychological thriller film directed by Ridley Scott, adapted from the Thomas Harris novel of the same name. It is a sequel to the 1991 Academy Award-winning film The Silence of the Lambs that returns Anthony Hopkins to his iconic role as serial killer Hannibal Lecter...
. He has also appeared in Man on Fire
Man on Fire (2004 film)
Man on Fire is a 2004 American thriller film, based on the 1980 novel of the same name by A. J. Quinnell. Another film based on the same novel was also filmed in 1987....
.
Giannini's best-known starring roles have been in films directed by Lina Wertmuller
Lina Wertmüller
Lina Wertmüller is an Italian film writer and director of aristocratic Swiss descent. In 1976, she became the first woman ever to be nominated for an Academy Award for Directing with the film Seven Beauties.-Biography:...
. In addition to Swept Away and Seven Beauties
Seven Beauties
Pasqualino Settebellezze is a 1975 Italian language film written and directed by Lina Wertmüller and starring Giancarlo Giannini in the main role. Fernando Rey and Shirley Stoler are also featured...
, he also appeared in The Seduction of Mimi
The Seduction of Mimi
Mimí metallurgico ferito nell'onore is an Italian language film directed by Lina Wertmüller, starring Giancarlo Giannini and Mariangela Melato. It was released in the United States as The Seduction of Mimi, although a literal translation of the title would be "Mimi the metalworker, wounded in honor"...
, Love and Anarchy, A Night Full of Rain, and Francesca e Nunziata.
He played the role of the protective father, Alberto Aragón, in A Walk in the Clouds
A Walk in the Clouds
A Walk in the Clouds is a 1995 American romantic drama film directed by Alfonso Arau. The screenplay by Robert Mark Kamen, Mark Miller, and Harvey Weitzman is based on the 1942 Italian film Four Steps in the Clouds by Piero Tellini, Cesare Zavattini, and Vittorio de Benedetti.-Plot:Shortly after...
in 1995. He played the Padishah Emperor
Padishah Emperor
Padishah Emperor is the title given to the hereditary rulers of the Old Empire in the science fiction Dune universe created by Frank Herbert.-Original series:...
Shaddam IV in the 2000 Dune miniseries
Frank Herbert's Dune
Frank Herbert's Dune is a 2001 3D video game based on the 2000 Sci Fi Channel miniseries of the same name. The game was not a commercial or critical success, and was the last product by Cryo Interactive, which went bankrupt shortly after the game's failure.As Paul, the son of the Duke Atreides's...
. In 2002, he starred in the horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
Darkness
Darkness (2002 film)
Darkness is a 2002 horror film directed by Jaume Balagueró about an American teenage girl who moves into a haunted house with her family in the Spanish countryside. The film stars Anna Paquin, Lena Olin, Iain Glen, and Fele Martínez....
.
Perhaps his best-known recent role is as French agent René Mathis in the 21st and 22nd James Bond films, Casino Royale
Casino Royale (2006 film)
Casino Royale is the twenty-first film in the James Bond film series and the first to star Daniel Craig as fictional MI6 agent James Bond...
and the sequel, Quantum of Solace.
He has a son, Adriano Giannini
Adriano Giannini
Adriano Giannini is an Italian actor, son of Giancarlo Giannini. He co-starred in 2002 with Madonna in the widely-panned film Swept Away, a remake of a 1974 Italian film. Adriano played the same role that his father, Giancarlo Giannini, played in the original...
, who is also an actor and dubber.
In 2009, Giannini received a star on the Italian Walk of Fame
Italian walk of fame
The world's first and only Italian Walk of Fame is located in Toronto, Canada, the city that is home to the largest community of Italians outside of Italy...
in Toronto, Canada.
Selected Filmography
- AnzioAnzio (film)Anzio, also known as Lo Sbarco di Anzio or The Battle for Anzio, is a 1968 war film about Operation Shingle, the 1944 Allied seaborne assault on the Italian port of Anzio in World War II...
(1968) as Pvt. Cellini - Fräulein DoktorFräulein DoktorFräulein Doktor is a First World War drama filmed in 1968 and released in 1969. It was a European co-production, starring Suzy Kendall, Kenneth More, Capucine, James Booth, Giancarlo Giannini and Nigel Green. It was produced by Dino De Laurentiis and directed by Alberto Lattuada, with a music...
(1969) as Lt. Hans Rupert - The Secret of Santa VittoriaThe Secret of Santa VittoriaThe Secret of Santa Vittoria is a 1969 film made by Stanley Kramer Productions and distributed by United Artists. It was produced and directed by Stanley Kramer and co-produced by George Glass from a screenplay by Ben Maddow and William Rose. It was based on the novel by Robert Crichton...
(1969) as Fabio - The Pizza Triangle (1970)
- Black Belly of the TarantulaBlack Belly of the TarantulaThe Black Belly of the Tarantula is a 1971 Italian film directed by Paolo Cavara. It is one of many Italian giallo films to be inspired by Dario Argento's successful debut thriller The Bird with the Crystal Plumage. The film was shot on location in Rome, Italy in 1970...
(1971) - La prima notte di quieteLa prima notte di quieteLa prima notte di quiete, released in USA as Indian Summer is a 1972 Italian and French drama film directed by Valerio Zurlini. It is starred and produced by Alain Delon. In France it runs less than the Italian cut...
(1972) - Mimi metallurgico ferito nell'onore (The Seduction of MimiThe Seduction of MimiMimí metallurgico ferito nell'onore is an Italian language film directed by Lina Wertmüller, starring Giancarlo Giannini and Mariangela Melato. It was released in the United States as The Seduction of Mimi, although a literal translation of the title would be "Mimi the metalworker, wounded in honor"...
) (1972) - Love and AnarchyLove and AnarchyLove and Anarchy is a 1973 film directed by Lina Wertmüller and starring Giancarlo Giannini and Mariangela Melato. The story, set in Fascist Italy before the outbreak of World War II, centers on Giannini's character, an anarchist who stays in a brothel while preparing to kill Benito Mussolini...
(1973) as Antonio Soffiantini 'Tunin' - Swept Away (1974) as Gennarino Carunchio
- The Sensual ManThe Sensual ManThe Sensual Man is a 1974 Italian comedy film.It was developed from the novel of the same title, written by Vitaliano Brancati. It was shot in Catania, Sicily and Rome.-Cast:*Giancarlo Giannini: Paolo Castorini*Rossana Podestà: Lilia...
(1974) - The BeastThe Beast (1975 film)The Beast is an Italian Drama film directed by Sergio Corbucci and stars Gabriella Giorgelli, Michel Constantin and Giancarlo Giannini.-Plot:...
(1975) - Seven BeautiesSeven BeautiesPasqualino Settebellezze is a 1975 Italian language film written and directed by Lina Wertmüller and starring Giancarlo Giannini in the main role. Fernando Rey and Shirley Stoler are also featured...
(1976) Pasqualino Settebellezze - Nomination Academy Award for best actor - L'innocenteL'InnocenteThe Innocent was the last film made by Italian director Luchino Visconti. It was released in 1976. It is based on a novel by Gabriele d'Annunzio.-Plot:...
(1976) - A Night Full of RainA Night Full of RainA Night Full of Rain is an Italian American film directed by Lina Wertmüller and stars Candice Bergen and Giancarlo Giannini.Lina Wertmuller was nominated as best director at the 28th Berlin International Film Festival in 1978....
(1977) as Paolo - Blood Feud (1978)
- Lovers and LiarsLovers and LiarsLovers and Liars is a 1979 Italian feature film directed by Mario Monicelli and starring Goldie Hawn and Giancarlo Giannini. It was released in the United States in February 1981.-Plot:...
(1979) - La vita è bella (Life Is Beautiful) (1980)
- Lili MarleenLili Marleen (film)Lili Marleen is a 1981 German drama film directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder and starring Hanna Schygulla.The screenplay was produced using the novel Der Himmel hat viele Farben by Lale Andersen...
(1981) - Fever PitchFever Pitch (1985 film)Fever Pitch is a 1985 American film starring Ryan O'Neal, and written and directed by Richard Brooks.This turned out to be the final film for Brooks, director of such acclaimed pictures as Blackboard Jungle, Elmer Gantry, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and In Cold Blood.The film failed at the box-office...
(1985) - Saving GraceSaving Grace (1985 film)Saving Grace is a 1985 film produced by Herbert F. Solow, directed by Robert M. Young and starring Tom Conti, Giancarlo Giannini and Edward James Olmos.It is based on a novel by Celia Gittelson with screenplay by Richard Kramer.-Plot:...
(1985) as Abalardi - Blood RedBlood RedBlood Red is a 1989 American Western drama film directed by Peter Masterson and starring Eric Roberts, Giancarlo Giannini, and Dennis Hopper. It was filmed in 1986, but released only three years later....
(1989) - New York StoriesNew York StoriesNew York Stories is a 1989 anthology film; it consists of three shorts with the central theme being New York City.The first is Life Lessons, directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Richard Price and starring Nick Nolte. The second is Life Without Zoë, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and written by...
(1989) - 'o Re (1989) as Francis II of the Two Sicilies
- Tempo di uccidereTempo di uccidereTempo di uccidere is a 1989 dramatic film starring Nicolas Cage. It is directed by Giuliano Montaldo. The film is set in 1936, when Ethiopia was an Italian colony, and was filmed in Zimbabwe...
(1989) - Once Upon a CrimeOnce Upon A CrimeOnce Upon a Crime is a 1992 ensemble comedy film starring, among others; Richard Lewis, John Candy, James Belushi, Cybill Shepherd, Sean Young and Ornella Muti. The film was directed by Eugene Levy.- Plot :...
(1992) as Inspector Bonnard - Like Two CrocodilesLike Two CrocodilesLike Two Crocodiles is a 1994 Italian drama film directed and co-written by Giacomo Campiotti.-Plot:...
(1994) - A Walk in the CloudsA Walk in the CloudsA Walk in the Clouds is a 1995 American romantic drama film directed by Alfonso Arau. The screenplay by Robert Mark Kamen, Mark Miller, and Harvey Weitzman is based on the 1942 Italian film Four Steps in the Clouds by Piero Tellini, Cesare Zavattini, and Vittorio de Benedetti.-Plot:Shortly after...
(1995) as Alberto Aragón - The Elective AffinitiesThe Elective AffinitiesThe Elective Affinities is a 1996 Italian-French comedy film directed by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani. It was screened out of competition at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Isabelle Huppert - Carlotta* Fabrizio Bentivoglio - Ottone...
(1996) - The Disappearance of Garcia LorcaThe Disappearance of Garcia LorcaThe Disappearance of Garcia Lorca is a 1997 film based on a book by Ian Gibson about the life and murder of Federico García Lorca. It stars Andy García as Lorca and Esai Morales as Ricardo, a journalist who investigates Lorca's disappearance during the early years of the Spanish Civil War...
(1996) as Taxi - Más allá del jardín (1996) as Bernardo
- CelluloideCelluloide (film)Celluloide is a 1996 Italian film directed by Carlo Lizzani. The story revolves around the making of the Roberto Rosselini film Rome, Open City...
(1996) - MimicMimicIn evolutionary biology, mimicry is the similarity of one species to another which protects one or both. This similarity can be in appearance, behaviour, sound, scent and even location, with the mimics found in similar places to their models....
(1997) as Manny - Dolce far niente (1998)
- Una noche con Sabrina LoveUna noche con Sabrina LoveUna noche con Sabrina Love is an Argentine, Spanish, Italian, French, and Dutch film, released in 2000 and written and directed by Alejandro Agresti...
(2000) as Leonardo - HannibalHannibal (film)Hannibal is a 2001 psychological thriller film directed by Ridley Scott, adapted from the Thomas Harris novel of the same name. It is a sequel to the 1991 Academy Award-winning film The Silence of the Lambs that returns Anthony Hopkins to his iconic role as serial killer Hannibal Lecter...
(2001) as Inspector Pazzi - CQCQCQ may refer to:Locations:* Central Queensland* Chongqing, China* Northern Mariana Islands: FIPS Pub 10-4 and obsolete NATO digramMedia, Publications* Congressional Quarterly* CQ Amateur Radio* CQ ham radio...
(2001) as Enzo - The Bankers of God: The Calvi AffairThe Bankers of God: The Calvi AffairThe Bankers of God: The Calvi Affair is an Italian drama film directed in 2002 by Giuseppe Ferrara.The film tells the story of the scandal of Banco Ambrosiano, mainly related to the figure of Roberto Calvi...
(2002) - DarknessDarkness (2002 film)Darkness is a 2002 horror film directed by Jaume Balagueró about an American teenage girl who moves into a haunted house with her family in the Spanish countryside. The film stars Anna Paquin, Lena Olin, Iain Glen, and Fele Martínez....
(2002) as Albert Rua - I love you Eugenio (2002) as Eugenio
- JoshuaJoshua (2002 film)Joshua is a 2002 film based on the novel of the same name by Joseph F. Girzone. The movie was produced by Crusader Entertainment LLC and directed by Joseph Purdy....
(2002) - IncantatoIncantatoIncantato is a 2003 Italian drama film directed by Pupi Avati. It was entered into the 2003 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Neri Marcorè - Nello* Vanessa Incontrada - Angela* Giancarlo Giannini - Cesare* Nino D'Angelo - Domenico* Sandra Milo - Arabella...
(2003) - My House in UmbriaMy House in UmbriaMy House in Umbria is a 2003 HBO made-for-television movie, based on the novella of the same name by William Trevor and published along with another novella in the volume Two Lives. The film stars Maggie Smith and was directed by Richard Loncraine....
(2003) as Inspector Girotti - Man on FireMan on Fire (2004 film)Man on Fire is a 2004 American thriller film, based on the 1980 novel of the same name by A. J. Quinnell. Another film based on the same novel was also filmed in 1987....
(2004) as Miguel Manzano - Casino RoyaleCasino Royale (2006 film)Casino Royale is the twenty-first film in the James Bond film series and the first to star Daniel Craig as fictional MI6 agent James Bond...
(2006) as René Mathis - Tirant lo BlancTirant lo Blanc (film)Tirant lo Blanc is a 2006 historical adventure film directed by Vicente Aranda. It is based on Tirant lo Blanch, a Catalan language chivalry novel dating to 1490, written by Joanot Martorell...
(2006) as Emperor of Visantia - Quantum of Solace (2008) as René Mathis
TV work
- E le stelle stanno a guardareE le stelle stanno a guardareE le stelle stanno a guardare is a 1971 Italian adaptation of A. J. Cronin's 1935 novel The Stars Look Down. It was written and directed by Anton Giulio Majano and was produced by Radiotelevisione Italiana...
(1971) as Arthur Barras - Sins (1986)
- Frank Herbert's DuneFrank Herbert's DuneFrank Herbert's Dune is a 2001 3D video game based on the 2000 Sci Fi Channel miniseries of the same name. The game was not a commercial or critical success, and was the last product by Cryo Interactive, which went bankrupt shortly after the game's failure.As Paul, the son of the Duke Atreides's...
(2000) as Emperor Shaddam IV CorrinoShaddam Corrino IVShaddam Corrino IV is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. He is Padishah Emperor of the known universe in Herbert's 1965 novel Dune. Shaddam's accession to the throne is chronicled in the Prelude to Dune prequel trilogy by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.Born...