Anthony Steffen, born Antonio Luiz de Teffé von Hoonholtz (July 21, 1930 – June 4, 2004), was an Italian-Brazilian character actor,

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

and

film producer A film producer is a person who oversees film production. Either employed by a production company or working independently, producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script, coordinating writing, di ...

. Steffen achieved fame as a

leading man A leading actor, leading actress, or simply lead (), plays the role of the protagonist of a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person who typica ...

Spaghetti Western The Spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's film-making style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...

features. He was also known as Antonio Luigi de Teffe.

Biography

Born Antonio Luiz de Teffé von Hoonholtz at the Brazilian

embassy A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually deno ...

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, in the Pamphilj Palace, his family had

noble A noble is a member of the nobility. Noble may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Noble Glacier, King George Island * Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Noble Peak, Wiencke Island * Noble Rocks, Graham Land Australia * Noble Island, Gr ...

blood of a long lineage of

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

(von Hoonholtz) originally from

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...

; his great grandfather was the Great Baron of Teffé. Steffen was the first born among Manoel de Teffe' von Hoonholtz's children (followed by Federico de Teffe' and Melissa de Teffe'), who was a

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

racing champion and later a Brazilian

Ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...

. Steffen's grandaunt was Nair de Teffé von Hoonholtz, the first female caricaturist of Brazil, wife of Brazilian President

Hermes Fonseca Hermes Rodrigues da Fonseca (; 12 May 1855 – 9 September 1923) was a Brazilian field marshal and politician who served as the eighth President of Brazil between 1910 and 1914. He was a nephew of marshal Deodoro da Fonseca, the first president ...

and daughter of the Admiral Antonio Luis von Hoonholtz. While still a teenager Steffen, then known as Antonio, fought in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

among the

Italian partisans The Italian resistance movement (the ''Resistenza italiana'' and ''la Resistenza'') is an umbrella term for the Italian resistance groups who fought the occupying forces of Nazi Germany and the fascist collaborationists of the Italian Social ...

against the

Nazis Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...

. Later, and under the name Antonio de Teffé, he worked behind the scenes in several Italian productions in the early 1950s and later acted in several movies, but never really achieving stardom. In 1962, he had a bit part in ''

Sodom and Gomorrah Sodom and Gomorrah () were two legendary biblical cities destroyed by God for their wickedness. Their story parallels the Genesis flood narrative in its theme of God's anger provoked by man's sin (see Genesis 19:1–28). They are mentioned frequ ...

''. An early appearance of his was in the 1955 ''

Gli Sbandati ''Abandoned'' ( it, Gli sbandati) is a 1955 Italian film set during the aftermath of the Allied invasion of Italy in 1943 during World War II. The film entered the 1955 Venice Film Festival, where it received a special mention. It is the directo ...

''. From 1965 to 1975, the newly named Anthony Steffen achieved considerable fame in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, amassing cult status, starring in 27 Spaghetti Westerns. Considered to be an "Italian

Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "''Doll ...

", he was sometimes unfairly criticized for being a stiff or wooden actor. Several of his movies were sizeable box office hits in Europe. ''

Django the Bastard ''Django the Bastard'' ( it, Django il bastardo) is a 1969 Italian Gothic fiction, gothic Horror Western, horror Spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Garrone who co-wrote the film with the star Anthony Steffen. In 1974 Herman Cohen released a ...

'' (aka ''Stranger's Gundown'', 1969) a movie that was produced and written by Steffen, is considered to be an inspiration for Clint Eastwood's ''

High Plains Drifter ''High Plains Drifter'' is a 1973 American Western film directed by Clint Eastwood, written by Ernest Tidyman, and produced by Robert Daley for The Malpaso Company and Universal Pictures. The film stars Eastwood as a mysterious stranger who ...

''. In several of his movies, Steffen starred alongside other actors known for Spaghetti Westerns, including

Gianni Garko Gianni Garko (born Giovanni Garcovich; 15 July 1935), often billed as John Garko and occasionally Gary Hudson, is an Italian actor who found fame as a leading man in 1960s Spaghetti Westerns. He is perhaps best known for his lead role as Sartana ...

Peter Lee Lawrence Peter Lee Lawrence born Karl Hyrenbach (21 February 1944 in Lindau, Germany – 20 April 1974 in Rome, Italy), was a German actor and a citizen of France. He enjoyed brief fame as a prolific leading man of Spaghetti Westerns before dying at th ...

, and William Berger. Outside of the Spaghetti western genre, Steffen also appeared in several

Giallo In Italian cinema, ''Giallo'' (; plural ''gialli'', from ''giallo'', Italian for yellow) is a genre of mystery fiction and thrillers that often contains slasher, crime fiction, psychological thriller, psychological horror, sexploitation, and, ...

movies including ''

The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave ''The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave'' ( it, La notte che Evelyn uscì dalla tomba) is a 1971 Italian '' gothic'' film directed by Emilio Miraglia. Plot Alan (Anthony Steffen) is a wealthy aristocrat who has just been released from a mental ...

'' (1971). His roles and status diminished as the Spaghetti Western genre fell into decline. Amassing a considerable fortune from his career as an actor, Steffen embarked on a

jet set In journalism, jet set is a term for an international social group of wealthy people who travel the world to participate in social activities unavailable to ordinary people. The term, which replaced "café society", came from the lifestyle of tra ...

lifestyle. In his career Steffen performed alongside

Sophia Loren Sofia Costanza Brigida Villani Scicolone (; born 20 September 1934), known professionally as Sophia Loren ( , ), is an Italian actress. She was named by the American Film Institute as one of the greatest female stars of Classical Hollywood ci ...

Gina Lollobrigida Luigia "Gina" Lollobrigida (born 4 July 1927) is an Italian actress, photojournalist, and politician. She was one of the highest-profile European actresses of the 1950s and early 1960s, a period in which she was an international sex symbol. As o ...

Claudia Cardinale Claude Joséphine Rose "Claudia" Cardinale (; born 15 April 1938) is an Italian actress. She has starred in some of the most iconic European films of the 1960s and 1970s, acting in Italian, French, and English. Born and raised in La Goulette, a ...

, Elke Sommer, Giuliano Gemma,

Franco Nero Francesco Clemente Giuseppe Sparanero (born 23 November 1941), known professionally as Franco Nero, is an Italian actor, producer, and director. His breakthrough role was as the title character in the Spaghetti Western film '' Django'' (1966), ...

Gian Maria Volonté Gian Maria Volonté (9 April 1933 – 6 December 1994) was an Italian actor, including roles in four Spaghetti Western films: Ramón Rojo in Sergio Leone's ''A Fistful of Dollars'' (1964) and El Indio in Leone's '' For a Few Dollars More'' ( ...

, Esmeralda Barros and many other stars of the American and Italian cinema. Always considered a huge star in Brazil because of the Spaghetti Western popularity in the South American country, Steffen returned to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in the decade of 1980, until dying of cancer in 2004. He has maintained cult-status among fans of

Italian Cinema The cinema of Italy (, ) comprises the films made within Italy or by Italian directors. Since its beginning, Italian cinema has influenced film movements worldwide. Italy is one of the birthplaces of art cinema and the stylistic aspect of film ha ...

for being perhaps the most prolific Spaghetti Western Leading actor.

Selected filmography

*''Ci troviamo in galleria'' (1953) *'' The Abandoned'' (1955) - Carlo *''

Eighteen Year Olds ''Eighteen Year Olds'' ( it, Le diciottenni) is a 1955 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Marisa Allasio. Cast * Marisa Allasio as Anna Campolmi * Virna Lisi as Maria Rovani * Anthony Steffen as the physics teacher (as ...

'' (1955) - Professore Andrea La Rovere *''

Beatrice Cenci Beatrice Cenci (; 6 February 157711 September 1599) was a Roman noblewoman who murdered her father, Count Francesco Cenci. She was beheaded in 1599 after a lurid murder trial in Rome that gave rise to an enduring legend about her. Life Beatri ...

'' (1956) - Giacomo Cenci *''

La trovatella di Pompei ''La trovatella di Pompei'' (i.e. "The foundling of Pompei") is a 1957 Italian melodrama film co-written and directed by Giacomo Gentilomo and starring Massimo Girotti and Alessandra Panaro. Plot Pompeii. Maria, is a girl raised by the loving ...

'' (1957) - Giorgio della Torre *''Città di notte'' (1958) - Alberto *''

Slave Women of Corinth Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

'' (1958) - Demetrio *''The Devil's Cavaliers'' (1959) - Richmond *''

Ragazzi del Juke-Box ''Ragazzi del Juke-Box'' (a.k.a. ''Juke-Box Kids'') is a 1959 Italian "musicarello" film directed (and co-written) by Lucio Fulci and starring Mario Carotenuto, Elke Sommer and Anthony Steffen. Lucio Fulci has a cameo in the film as a festival or ...

'' (1959) - Paolo Macelloni *'' Il carro armato dell'8 settembre'' (1960) *''Cavalcata selvaggia'' (1960) *''Solitudine'' (1961) *''Ultimatum alla vita'' (1962) - Lt. Krüger *''

'' (1962) - The Captain *''Avventura al motel'' (1963) - Maurizio *''Revenge of the Black Knight'' (1963) - Dottore George Welby *'' The Invincible Brothers Maciste'' (1964) - Prince Akim * ''

The Last Tomahawk ''The Last Tomahawk'' or ''The Last of the Mohicans'' (german: Der letzte Mohikaner) is a 1965 Western adventure film directed by Harald Reinl and starring Joachim Fuchsberger, Karin Dor and Marie France. It was a co-production between France, ...

'' (1965) - Falkenauge *''

I figli del leopardo ''I figli del leopardo'' (also known as ''Sons of the Leopard'') is a 1965 Italian comedy film directed by Sergio Corbucci starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio that is a parody of ''The Leopard''. Plot Sicily, 1860. The Baron Tulico is a pe ...

'' (1965) - Tenente Garibaldino *''Gli amanti latini'' (1965) - (uncredited) *'' Perché uccidi ancora'' (1965) - Steve McDougall *'' A Coffin for the Sheriff'' (1965) - Sheriff Joe Logan / Shenandoah *''

Seven Dollars on the Red '' Sette dollari sul rosso '' (released in the United States as ''Seven Dollars on the Red'' or ''Seven Dollars to Kill'') is a 1966 Italian Spaghetti Western film directed by Alberto Cardone. It stars Anthony Steffen as the main character. ...

'' (1966) - Johnny Ashley *''

An Angel for Satan ''An Angel for Satan'' ( it, Un angelo per Satana) is a 1966 Italian horror film directed by Camillo Mastrocinque. It stars Barbara Steele in a dual role, as Harriet Montebruno / Belinda, and is set in a small Italian village by a lake. It is ba ...

'' (1966) - Roberto Merigi *'' Los cuatro salvajes'' (1966) - Ringo *''

A Few Dollars for Django ''A Few Dollars for Django'' ( it, Pochi dollari per Django) is a 1966 Spaghetti Western film directed by León Klimovsky and Enzo G. Castellari and starring Anthony Steffen. Although credited only to León Klimovsky, ''A Few Dollars for Django'' ...

'' (1966) - Django / Regan *''

Blood at Sundown ''Blood at Sundown'' ( it, 1000 dollari sul nero, lit=1000 dollars on the black) is a Spaghetti Western film directed by Alberto Cardone. The picture marks the first appearance of the character Sartana, played by Gianni Garko. It is not, howev ...

'' (1966) - Johnny Liston *''Gentlemen Kiler'' (1967) - Gentleman Jo Reeves / Shamango *''

Killer Kid ''Killer Kid'' is a 1994 French drama film directed by Gilles de Maistre, starring Tewfik Jallab and Younesse Boudache. Plot Two 11-year-old Arab boys become acquainted in France. One was raised in Lebanon where he was trained to kill efficiently ...

'' (1967) - Captain Morrison / Chamaco *'' Train for Durango'' (1968) - Gringo *''

Gunman Sent by God ''Il pistolero segnato da Dio'' () is an Italian Spaghetti Western film directed by Giorgio Ferroni and starring Anthony Steffen. Plot Cast * Anthony Steffen as Roy Kerry * Richard Wyler as Coleman * Ken Wood as Owl Roy * Liz Barret as ...

'' (1968) - Roy Kerry *''

A Stranger in Paso Bravo ''A Stranger in Paso Bravo'' ( it, Uno straniero a Paso Bravo, es, Los pistoleros de Paso Bravo, also known as ''Paso Bravo'') is a 1968 Italian-Spanish Spaghetti Western film directed by Salvatore Rosso. It was the first and only film directed ...

'' (1968) - Gary Hamilton *''Man Who Cried for Revenge'' (1968) - Davy Flanagan *''

Dead Men Don't Count ''Dead Men Don't Count'' ( es, ¿Quién grita venganza?, it, I morti non si contano, also known as ''Cry for Revenge'') is a 1968 Spanish-Italian Spaghetti Western film written and directed by Rafael Romero Marchent Rafael Romero Marchent (3 Ma ...

'' (1968) - Fred Danton *''

A Noose for Django ''No Room To Die'' ( it, Una lunga fila di croci, also known as ''Hanging for Django'' and ''A Noose for Django'') is a 1969 Italian Spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Garrone Sergio Garrone (born 15 April 1925) is an Italian director, s ...

'' (1969) - Johnny Brandon *'' Garringo'' (1969) - Lt. Garringo *''

'' (1969) - Django *''

Shango Shango (Yoruba language: Ṣàngó, also known as Changó or Xangô in Latin America; and as Jakuta or Badé) is an Orisha, a deity in Yoruba religion. Genealogically speaking, Shango is a royal ancestor of the Yoruba as he was the third Alaafi ...

'' (1970) - Shango *''

Arizona Colt Returns ''Arizona Colt Returns'' ( it, Arizona si scatenò... e li fece fuori tutti), also known as ''Arizona'' is a 1970 Spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Martino and starring Anthony Steffen. The feature film debut of Martino after a series of ...

'' (1970) - Arizona Colt *''

Sabata the Killer ''Sabata the Killer'' ( it, Arriva Sabata!) is a 1970 Argentine comedy western film directed by Tulio Demicheli, written by Nino Stresa, scored by Marcello Giombini, and starring Anthony Steffen, Peter Lee Lawrence and Eduardo Fajardo. It is an u ...

'' (1970) - Sabata / Garringo *''Apocalypse Joe'' (1970) - Joe Clifford *''

'' (1971) - Lord Alan Cunningham *''

Viva! Django ''W Django!'' (also known as ''A Man Called Django!'' ) is a List of Italian films of 1971, 1971 Italian Spaghetti Western film directed by Edoardo Mulargia and starring Anthony Steffen. Plot With the help of the horse thief Carranza, Django trac ...

'' (1971) - Django *'' Crimes of the Black Cat'' (1972) - Peter Oliver *''

They Believed He Was No Saint ''They Believed He Was No Saint'' ( es, La caza del oro) is a 1972 Spanish western film directed by Juan Bosch and starring Anthony Steffen, Daniel Martín and Tania Alvarado. It is scored by Marcello Giombini, and written by Renato Izzo. Ca ...

'' (1972) - Trash Benson *''Al tropico del cancro'' (1972) - Doctor Williams *''The Killer with a Thousand Eyes'' (1973) - Inspector Michael Lawrence *'' Fuzzy the Hero'' (1973) - Shoshena *''Sedici anni'' (1973) - Sergio / Mara's lover *'' Il mio nome è Scopone e faccio sempre cappotto'' (1974) - Dallas *''

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

'' (1974) - Le Prince Sforza *''Siete chacales'' (1974) *''

The Killers Are Our Guests ''The Killers Are Our Guests'' (originally titled ''Gli assassini sono nostri ospiti'') is a 1974 Italian crime-thriller film directed by Vincenzo Rigo. Plot Franco, Eliana and Mario rob a jewelry store in Milan and take flight. Franco, howe ...

'' (1974) - Dr. Guido Malerva *''Evil Eye'' (1975) - Inspector Ranieri *''La encadenada'' (1975) - Richard *'' Rome: The Other Side of Violence'' (1976) - Dr. Alessi *''Zoo zéro'' (1979) - Evariste, le commissaire *''

Killer Fish ''Killer Fish'' is an Italian-French-Brazilian horror film directed by Antonio Margheriti. Plot The mastermind behind a precision theft of priceless emeralds decides to hide the jewels at the bottom of a reservoir he has secretly stocked with s ...

'' (1979) - Max *''

Play Motel ''Play Motel'' is a 1979 Italian giallo film written and directed by Mario Gariazzo (credited as Roy Garrett) and starring Anna Maria Rizzoli and Ray Lovelock. ''Play Motel'' was released on blu-ray in a region 1 release by Raro Video in Augus ...

'' (1979) - De Sanctis *'' Femmine infernali'' (1980) - Doctor Farrell *''Lady Dynamite'' (1980) - Nico Barresi *''Orinoco: Prigioniere del sesso'' (1980) - Juan Laredo *''Mulheres Liberadas'' (1982) *''Momentos de Prazer e Agonia'' (1983) - Rodolfo *''Abatjour 2'' (1990) *''Malù e l'amante'' (1991) - Frans / Il Conte / husband (final film role)

References

External links

*
The Films of Anthony Steffen

{{DEFAULTSORT:Steffen, Anthony 1930 births 2004 deaths Brazilian male film actors Brazilian people of German descent Male Spaghetti Western actors Italian emigrants to Brazil Italian male film actors 20th-century Italian screenwriters Italian male screenwriters Italian film producers Deaths from cancer in Rio de Janeiro (state) Film people from Rome Male actors from Rome 20th-century Italian male writers