Andrea Prodan
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Andrea Prodan (born 16 November 1961) is an
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
-
Argentinian Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or ( feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, ...
film actor, composer and musician. He is the younger brother of rock star
Luca Prodan Luca Prodan (17 May 1953 – 22 December 1987) was an Italian-Argentinian musician and singer who rose to fame as the leading vocalist of Sumo, one of the most influential rock bands of Argentina,''Argentina Independent''Lo de Luca: Homage to a R ...
, notable for his musical career in
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
, leading the rock band
Sumo is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (''dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by thr ...
.


Biography

The Prodan family, after suffering internment in a Japanese concentration camp during World War II, was expelled from China due to the civil war. Andrea's Italian father was an author and talented sportsman, and had run a prosperous business, with expertise in ancient
Chinese pottery Chinese ceramics show a continuous development since pre-dynastic times and are one of the most significant forms of Chinese art and ceramics globally. The first pottery was made during the Palaeolithic era. Chinese ceramics range from construc ...
. His mother is Scottish. The family moved to Rome and
Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...
in 1948, where Andrea spent his early years. He was educated in England, and aged 12, became head chorister at
The King's School, Canterbury The King's School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school for 13 to 18 year old pupils) in Canterbury, Kent, England. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference and the Eton Group. It is Britain's ...
. As solo voice he recorded ''"A Song for All Seasons"''. He started in films as a sound assistant on ''
Krull Krull is a surname originating from Prussian nobility. People *Alexander Krull (born 1970), German singer *Annie Krull (1876–1947), German operatic soprano *Germaine Krull (1897–1985), photographer * Hasso Krull (born 1964), Estonian po ...
'' and also on '' The Scarlet and the Black'', with
Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the 12th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood ...
. In 1983, he dropped out of
Exeter University , mottoeng = "We Follow the Light" , established = 1838 - St Luke's College1855 - Exeter School of Art1863 - Exeter School of Science 1955 - University of Exeter (received royal charter) , type = Public , ...
to join his elder sister Michela on the set of Italian International Films production in
Monastir, Tunisia Monastir, also called Mestir ( ar, المنستير ', from the Greek "hermit's cell, monastery"), is a city on the central coast of Tunisia, in the Sahel area, some south of Sousse and south of Tunis. Traditionally a fishing port, Monastir is ...
, producing with NBC a sequel to
Franco Zeffirelli Gian Franco Corsi Zeffirelli (12 February 1923 – 15 June 2019), was an Italian stage and film director, producer, production designer and politician. He was one of the most significant opera and theatre directors of the post-World War II era, ...
's ''Jesus of Nazareth''. ''A.D.'', an NBC miniseries, the story of the
Acts of the Apostles The Acts of the Apostles ( grc-koi, Πράξεις Ἀποστόλων, ''Práxeis Apostólōn''; la, Actūs Apostolōrum) is the fifth book of the New Testament; it tells of the founding of the Christian Church and the spread of its messag ...
was directed by
Stuart Cooper Stuart W. Cooper (born 1942) is an American filmmaker, actor and writer. Career Cooper was a resident in the United Kingdom in the 1960s and 1970s where his most notable film appearance was as one of ''The Dirty Dozen'', Roscoe Lever, in 1967. ...
. Andrea Prodan became (for two years), the assistant operator and interpreter for the Italian director of photography,
Ennio Guarnieri Ennio Guarnieri (12 October 1930 – 1 July 2019) was an Italian cinematographer. He was a frequent contributor to the films of Mauro Bolognini and Franco Zeffirelli, and worked on many occasions with Vittorio De Sica, Marco Ferreri and Lina We ...
. ''Jesus of Nazareth'' stars included
Ava Gardner Ava Lavinia Gardner (December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990) was an American actress. She first signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew critics' attention in 1946 with her perform ...
, James Mason,
Denis Quilley Denis Clifford Quilley, OBE (26 December 1927 – 5 October 2003) was an English actor and singer. From a family with no theatrical connections, Quilley was determined from an early age to become an actor. He was taken on by the Birmingham Re ...
and Fernando Rey. He played alongside Ava Gardner as "
Britannicus Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus (12 February AD 41 – 11 February AD 55), usually called Britannicus, was the son of Roman emperor Claudius and his third wife Valeria Messalina. For a time he was considered his father's heir, but that ...
". During that time he filmed a short film, in the Sahara, which won an
ICA prize ICA or ica may refer to: Places * Ica, Peru, a city in southern Peru ** Ica Province, containing the city *** Ica Region, containing the province ** Ica River, passing through the city * Içá River, Brazil, also known as the Putumayo River, a t ...
in 1984. He went on to work with
Federico Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and most i ...
on a series of rare commercials directed by the film giant, and lit by Guarnieri. Fluent in English, Italian, and Spanish, Andrea Prodan pursued a career mainly in Italian films. In 1985, he appeared in '' Summer Games'' and as a co-protagonist in the film ''
The Berlin Affair ''The Berlin Affair'' ( it, Interno Berlinese) is a 1985 Italo-German film, directed by Liliana Cavani and starring Gudrun Landgrebe, Kevin McNally and Mio Takaki. Set in Berlin, 1938, it sees the wife of a rising Nazi diplomat fall in love wit ...
'' (''Interno Berlinese'') by
Liliana Cavani Liliana Cavani (born 12 January 1933, Carpi, Italy) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. She belongs to a generation of Italian filmmakers from Emilia-Romagna that came into prominence in the 1970s, including Bernardo Bertolucci, Pier P ...
. Following this he appeared in films with the
Taviani brothers Paolo Taviani (; born 8 November 1931) and Vittorio Taviani (; 20 September 1929 – 15 April 2018), collectively referred to as the Taviani brothers, were Italian film directors and screenwriters who collaborated on film productions. At the C ...
(''
Good Morning, Babylon ''Good Morning, Babylon'' ( it, Buongiorno Babilonia) is a 1987 drama film written and directed by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, starring Vincent Spano, Joaquim de Almeida, Greta Scacchi, Désirée Nosbusch, Omero Antonutti, and Charles Dance. The fi ...
'') and
Peter Greenaway Peter Greenaway, (born 5 April 1942) is a Welsh film director, screenwriter and artist. His films are noted for the distinct influence of Renaissance and Baroque painting, and Flemish painting in particular. Common traits in his films are the ...
(''
The Belly of an Architect ''The Belly of an Architect'' is a 1987 film drama written and directed by Peter Greenaway, featuring original music by Glenn Branca and Wim Mertens. Starring Brian Dennehy and Chloe Webb, it was nominated for the Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) award ...
''). In 1987, he played the role of
Ettore Majorana Ettore Majorana (,, uploaded 19 April 2013, retrieved 14 December 2019 ; born on 5 August 1906 – possibly dying after 1959) was an Italian theoretical physicist who worked on neutrino masses. On 25 March 1938, he disappeared under mysteri ...
in the
historical movie A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romances, adventure films, and swas ...
''
I ragazzi di via Panisperna ' (''Via Panisperna Boys'') is an Italian movie by director Gianni Amelio, telling the enthusiasms, fears, joys and disappointments of the (private and professional) life of a well-known group of young men fond of physics and mathematics, who ...
'' by
Gianni Amelio Gianni Amelio (born 20 January 1945) is an Italian film director. Early life Amelio was born in San Pietro di Magisano, province of Catanzaro, Calabria. His father moved to Argentina soon after his birth. He spent his youth and adolescence with ...
. There followed work with various directors such as
Guido Chiesa Guido Chiesa (born 1959) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. Born in Turin, Chiesa graduated in philosophy and letters with a thesis in cinema, then he moved in New York City where he was the correspondent of several music magazines, but ...
, and
Alex Alex is a given name. It can refer to a shortened version of Alexander, Alexandra, Alexis. People Multiple *Alex Brown (disambiguation), multiple people * Alex Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people *Alex Harris (disambiguation), multiple pe ...
and
Fiorella Infascelli Fiorella Infascelli (born 29 October 1952) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. Life and career Born in Rome, Infascelli is the daughter of the producer and director Carlo. After working as an assistant director for notable director ...
. In 1999 he played Karl in
Ricky Tognazzi Ricky Tognazzi (born Riccardo Tognazzi; ; 1 May 1955) is an Italian actor and film director. He has appeared in 50 films and television shows since 1963. His film '' The Escort'' was entered into the 1993 Cannes Film Festival. In 1991, he won t ...
's '' Canone inverso''. In 1991, he played the mentally disabled but handsome "Marco", who breaks up a romance between characters played by
Bruno Ganz Bruno Ganz (; 22 March 1941 – 16 February 2019) was a Swiss actor whose career in German stage, television and film productions spanned nearly 60 years. He was known for his collaborations with the directors Werner Herzog, Éric Rohmer, Franc ...
and teaming up, once again, with
Ornella Muti Ornella Muti (born Francesca Romana Rivelli; 9 March 1955) is an Italian actress. She made her film debut as Francesca Cimarosa in the 1970 film ''La moglie più bella.'' Early life Muti was born in Rome to a Neapolitan journalist father and I ...
in the third segment of the anthology film '' Especially on Sunday''. Muti and Prodan had become friends on the set of '' A Season of Giants'', a 1990 U.S. mini-series in which he portrayed renaissance painter
Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of works by Raphael, His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of ...
, and Muti his muse Onoria. In 1995, he travelled to
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
and with the Argentinian post-punk experimental group
Las Pelotas Las Pelotas (in English: ''The Balls'', or more idiomatically, ''Bollocks!'', since the band name is a play of words between those two meanings); is an Argentine rock and reggae band from Córdoba. This band was formed after the separation of Sum ...
supported
The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...
in his first visit to this country in
River Plate Stadium Estadio Monumental (), officially Estadio Mâs Monumental for sponsorship reasons,Felix Valls at the console, recorded ''"Viva Voce"'', a record in which he impersonates all the instruments, using nothing but his voice. The disc received warm reviews and the musician
Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and activist. He rose to fame as the original lead singer of the progressive rock band Genesis. After leaving Genesis in 1975, he launched ...
called it his favourite record of the year. In 2001, Andrea decided to settle in Argentina. In 2005, he worked with Emmanuele Crialese in the film ''Nuovomondo'', winner of the Leone d'Argento at the
Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival he ...
(2006). He composed the film score for two Argentinian films (''El jardín primitivo'' and ''Caballos en la ciudad'') and for innumerable advertising spots. A series of TV commercials in which he depicts the fictitious, toothy comic character 'Al Dentice', was aired nationwide in Italy. He lives in
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
and in
Córdoba, Argentina Córdoba () is a city in central Argentina, in the foothills of the Punilla Valley, Sierras Chicas on the Primero River, Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province, Argentina, Córdoba Province a ...
and has three children. He heads the rock band Romapagana and hosts the radio shows ''Metiendo Púa'', and ''Parcialmente Nublado''. He is also a point of reference regarding his brother, Luca, who died in 1987. On 31 December 2009 ''Romapagana'' released its first album, which was recorded by Mariano Iezzi in CCCI Studios, Buenos Aires, Argentina. The band's second album, ''"Vívido"'', was released in November 2016. He directed the play '''Imarca the same year. In 2019 he edited the record '''Freshness of Surprise''' under the alter-ego of Dre Dre Bondang. This year also saw the launch of a musical group dedicated to the enthusiastic evocation of
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
's tremendously varied musical legacy, it is called '''Bowie ReMembered and operates from Buenos Aires. During global 'Lockdown' in the early 2020s Prodan released his second album as Dre Dre Bondang, 'TWO', as well as recording a spate of new songs with Celina Varela and with his Supergroup: 'Bowie ReMembered'.


References


External links

*
Romapagana band website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prodan, Andrea 1961 births Argentine people of Scottish descent Naturalized citizens of Argentina Italian expatriates in Argentina Argentine musicians Italian male actors Italian composers Italian male composers Italian emigrants to Argentina Argentine male actors Living people