Calogero Alessandro Augusto Calà, known by his stage name Jerry Calà (born 28 June 1951), is an Italian actor, filmmaker, comedian and singer who has written, directed, and acted in multiple film and television projects. He is considered one of the most popular Italian comedians of the eighties and nineties in his country.

Background

Calà was born Calogero Calà in

Catania Catania (, , Sicilian and ) is the second largest municipality in Sicily, after Palermo. Despite its reputation as the second city of the island, Catania is the largest Sicilian conurbation, among the largest in Italy, as evidenced also by ...

, and as a child he moved first to

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

and then to

Verona Verona ( , ; vec, Verona or ) is a city on the Adige River in Veneto, Northern Italy, Italy, with 258,031 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and the ...

. He married the Italian showgirl

Mara Venier Mara or MARA may refer to: Animals *Mara (mammal), a species of the cavy family *Mara the Lioness, in the movie ''Born Free'' Arts and entertainment Fictional characters *Mara (Doctor Who), Mara (''Doctor Who''), an evil being in two ''Doctor Who ...

in 1984, but divorced three years later. He remarried in 2002 with the businesswoman Elisabetta Castioni and in 2003, his son Johnny was born.

Career

In the early 1970s Calà co-founded together with

Umberto Smaila Umberto Smaila (born 26 June 1950) is an Italian actor, composer, comedian, television personality, entrepreneur, and musician. Born in Verona to an Istrian family, in the early-1970s Smaila co-founded together with Jerry Calà, Franco Oppini an ...

, Franco Oppini and Ninì Salerno a cabaret-ensemble, "I gatti di Vicolo Miracoli". In the early 80s, after two films with the group, he started a solo career as a leading actor in numerous comedy films, obtaining great popularity in Italy. In 1993, he starred in the dramatic movie ''

Diary of a Maniac ''Diary of a Maniac'' ( it, Diario di un vizio) is a 1993 Italian drama film directed by Marco Ferreri. It was entered into the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival. Cast * Jerry Calà as Benito Balducci * Sabrina Ferilli as Luigia * Valenti ...

'', directed by

Marco Ferreri Marco Ferreri (11 May 1928 – 9 May 1997) was an Italian film director, screenwriter and actor, who began his career in the 1950s directing three films in Spain, followed by 24 Italian films before his death in 1997. He is considered one of t ...

which was entered into the

43rd Berlin International Film Festival The 43rd annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 11 to 22 February 1993. The Golden Bear was awarded to American-Taiwanese film ''The Wedding Banquet'' directed by Ang Lee and Chinese film '' Xiāng hún nǚ'' directed by Xie Fe ...

, where Calà won the award for best actor by the Italian film critics. He debuted as director in 1994 with ''

Chicken Park ''Chicken Park'' is a 1994 comedy parody film directed by and starring Jerry Calà that parodies various films, especially the 1993 film ''Jurassic Park''. The film is Calà's directorial debut. Synopsis When Vladimiro's (Jerry Calà) chicken is ...

'', a low-budget parody of ''

Jurassic Park ''Jurassic Park'', later also referred to as ''Jurassic World'', is an American science fiction media franchise created by Michael Crichton and centered on a disastrous attempt to create a theme park of cloned dinosaurs. It began in 1990 when ...

''.

Filmography

As director

* ''

'' (1994) * '' Ragazzi della notte'' (1995) * '' Gli inaffidabili'' (1997) * ''

Vita Smeralda ''Vita Smeralda'' (, as a pun on Costa Smeralda) is a 2006 Italian comedy film directed by Jerry Calà Calogero Alessandro Augusto Calà, known by his stage name Jerry Calà (born 28 June 1951), is an Italian actor, filmmaker, comedian and singer ...

'' (2006) * ''

Torno a vivere da solo ''Torno a vivere da solo'' (''I'll be back to living alone'') is a 2008 Italian comedy film written, directed and starred by Jerry Calà. It is the sequel of Marco Risi's '' Vado a vivere da solo'' (1982). Plot In Milan, Giacomo is a good real e ...

'' (2008) * '' Pipi Room'' (2011) – TV film * ''

Odissea nell'ospizio ''Odissea nell'ospizio'' () is a 2019 Italian comedy film directed by Jerry Calà Calogero Alessandro Augusto Calà, known by his stage name Jerry Calà (born 28 June 1951), is an Italian actor, filmmaker, comedian and singer who has written, dir ...

'' (2019)

As actor

* ''

Arrivano i gatti ''Arrivano i gatti'' () is a 1980 Italian comedy film directed by Carlo Vanzina. Cast *Jerry Calà as Jerry *Franco Oppini as Franco *Nini Salerno as Nini *Umberto Smaila as Umberto *Bruno Lauzi as the supermarket's director * Orchidea De Santis a ...

'' (1980) * ''

Una vacanza bestiale ''Una vacanza bestiale'' () is a 1980 Italian comedy film directed by Carlo Vanzina. Cast *Jerry Calà as Guido *Franco Oppini as Livio Zanon *Nini Salerno as Frustalupi *Umberto Smaila as Eros Castiglioni *Diego Abatantuono as Galeazzo *Teo Teoco ...

'' (1980) * ''

I fichissimi ''I fichissimi'' (Italian for "The really cool guys", also known as ''Guys and Dolls in the Suburbs'') is a 1981 Italian comedy film directed by Carlo Vanzina. The film consists in a story of rival punks in Milan and it is loosely based on the Will ...

'' (1981) * ''

Bomber A bomber is a military combat aircraft designed to attack ground and naval targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry (such as bombs), launching aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first use of bombs dropped ...

'' (1982) * ''

I'm Going to Live by Myself ''I'm Going to Live by Myself'' ( it, Vado a vivere da solo) is a 1982 Italian comedy film. It marked the feature film debut of Marco Risi. The film achieved a "cult" status and generated a 2008 sequel, '' Torno a vivere da solo''. Plot Milan, ...

'' (1982) * ''

Al bar dello sport ''Al bar dello sport'' (''At the Bar Sport'') is a 1983 Italian comedy film directed by Francesco Massaro. Plot Misadventures of Lino, a penniless Apulian immigrant in Turin, after he won 1.3 billion lire at Totocalcio. Cast * Lino Banfi: ...

'' (1983) * ''

Time for Loving ''Time for Loving'' (released in Italy as ''Sapore di mare'') is a 1983 Italian comedy film directed by Carlo Vanzina. It obtained a great commercial success and launched a short-living subgenre of revival-nostalgic comedy films. It also generate ...

'' (1983) * ''

Vacanze di Natale ''Vacanze di Natale'' is a 1983 Italian comedy film directed by Carlo Vanzina. It was shown as part of a retrospective on Italian comedy at the 67th Venice International Film Festival. Plot In Christmas of 1983 two families collide in Cortina d ...

'' (1983), also singer * '' A Boy and a Girl'' (1984) * ''

Vacanze in America ''Vacanze in America'' (''Holidays in America'') is a 1984 Italian comedy film directed by Carlo Vanzina. Plot summary Summer. In a high school in Rome, Don Buro, priest and religion teacher, leads a class of young people in a school holiday in ...

'' (1984) * ''

Domani mi sposo ''Domani mi sposo'' (also known as '' Tomorrow I'm Getting Married'') is a 1984 Italian romantic comedy film directed by Francesco Massaro. Plot Last twenty-four hours before the marriage for the troubled, tempted, overwhelmed by events Arturo. ...

'' (1984) * ''

Love at First Sight Love at first sight is a personal experience as well as a common trope in literature: a person or character feels an instant, extreme, and ultimately long-lasting romantic attraction for a stranger upon first seeing that stranger. Described by p ...

'' (1985) * ''

Yesterday - Vacanze al mare Yesterday or yesterdays may refer to: *Yesterday (time), the day before the present day Film and TV Film * ''Yesterday'' (1959 film), a Hungarian film *''Yesterday'' (1968 film), a documentary written and directed by Raúl daSilva * ''Yesterday ...

'' (1985) TV show * ''

Yuppies Yuppie, short for "young urban professional" or "young upwardly-mobile professional", is a term coined in the early 1980s for a young professional person working in a city. The term is first attested in 1980, when it was used as a fairly neu ...

'' (1986) * ''

Il ragazzo del Pony Express ''Il ragazzo del Pony Express'' is a 1986 Italian comedy film. It marked the directorial debut of Franco Amurri. Plot summary Milan, Italy mid-1980s. After graduating with honors, Agostino (nicknamed "Ago") is seeking employment. After escaping ...

'' (1986) * '' Yuppies 2'' (1986) * '' Professione vacanze'' (1987) Tv show * '' Rimini Rimini'' (1987) * '' Sottozero (1987) * '' Sposi'' (1988) * ''

Delitti e profumi ''Delitti e profumi'' (also known as ''Crimes and Perfume'') is a 1988 Italian giallo film directed by Vittorio De Sisti, based on a story entitled ''Scarlet'' by Bonadies and De Fornari, both of whom also worked on the screenplay. Traci Lords ap ...

'' (1988) * ''

Fratelli d'Italia "" (; "The Song of the Italians") is a canto written by Goffredo Mameli set to music by Michele Novaro in 1847, and is the current national anthem of Italy. It is best known among Italians as the "" (, "Mameli's Hymn"), after the author of the ...

'' (1989) * '' Occhio alla perestrojka'' (1990) * '' Abbronzatissimi'' (1991) * '' Saint Tropez - Saint Tropez'' (1992) * ''

'' (1993) * '' Abbronzatissimi 2'' (1993) * ''

'' (1994) * '' Ragazzi della notte'' (1995) * '' Gli inaffidabili'' (1997) * '' Non chiamatemi papà'' (1997) – TV film * ' (1999) – TV film * '' Anni '60'' (1999) * ''

'' (2006) * ''

'' (2008) * ''

Happily N'Ever After 2 Happily may refer to: * ''Happily'' (film), an American comedy thriller * Happily (horse) Happily (foaled 27 February 2015) is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. As a two-year-old in 2017 she was one of best of her generation in Europe, winning ...

'' (2009), Italian voice of the Magic Mirror * '' Operazione vacanze'' (2012) * ''

E io non pago E, or e, is the fifth Letter (alphabet), letter and the second vowel#Written vowels, vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worl ...

'' (2012) * ''

'' (2019)

References

External links

* * (in Italian) {{DEFAULTSORT:Cala, Jerry Living people Italian male film actors Italian parodists Parody film directors Comedy film directors 1951 births Italian male television actors Actors from Catania Film people from Catania