Nazzareno Zamperla (25 April 1937 – 19 March 2020) was an Italian actor and stuntman.

Career

Born in

Treviso Treviso ( , ; vec, Trevixo) is a city and ''comune'' in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 84,669 inhabitants (as of September 2017). Some 3,000 live within the Veneti ...

into a circus family, Zamperla came to Rome in 1949 and worked primarily in the 1950s and 1960s as a

stunt performer A stunt performer, often called a stuntman or stuntwoman and occasionally stuntperson or stunt-person, is a trained professional who performs daring acts, often as a career. Stunt performers usually appear in films or on television, as opposed ...

. His focus was on the

sword and sandal films A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed tip ...

. In the 1960s and 1970s, he transitioned into appearances as an actor in front of the camera, and his focus shifted to

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 ...

productions, where he was also known under the name of Nick Anderson, while also continuing working behind the camera as a gun master. Zamperla's brother Rinaldo has also appeared in movies.

Filmography

* ''

La Strada ''La strada'' () is a 1954 Italian drama film directed by Federico Fellini and co-written by Fellini, Tullio Pinelli and Ennio Flaiano. The film tells the story of Gelsomina, a simple-minded young woman ( Giulietta Masina) bought from her mothe ...

'' (1954) – Man Restraining Zampano from Attacking (uncredited) * ''

The Knight of the Black Sword ''The Knight of the Black Sword'' (Italian: ''Il cavaliere dalla spada '') is a 1956 Italian historical adventure film directed by and Luigi Capuano and starring Marina Berti, Steve Barclay Stephen Paul Barclay (born 3 May 1972) is a Br ...

'' (1956) – Soldier (uncredited) * ''

Il Conte di Matera ''Il Conte di Matera'' ("The Count of Matera") is a 1958 Italian adventure film directed by Luigi Capuano and starring Virna Lisi and Otello Toso. Plot Rambaldo Tramontana, a count who went into battle backed by the French, returns to Mater ...

'' (1958) – Marco * ''

The Pirate of the Black Hawk ''The Pirate of the Black Hawk'' ( it, Il pirata dello sparviero nero) is a 1958 international co-production film starring Brigitte Bardot's sister Mijanou Bardot. The film was a co-production between Italy's Emmepi Cinematografica and France's Co ...

'' (1958) – Pirato con Ambassadore Francesa (uncredited) * '' Ben-Hur'' (1959) – Roman Soldier with a Bow on Galley (uncredited) * ''

Slave of Rome ''Slave of Rome'' ( it, La schiava di Roma, also known as ''Slave Warrior'') is a 1961 Italian peplum film written and directed by Sergio Grieco and starring Rossana Podestà and Guy Madison. Plot The peace treaty with Rome was broken when Gai ...

'' (1961) – Roman Soldier * ''

Hercules and the Conquest of Atlantis ''Hercules and the Conquest of Atlantis'' ( it, Ercole alla conquista di Atlantide, lit=Hercules at the Conquest of Atlantis) is a 1961 film directed by Vittorio Cottafavi and starring Reg Park in his film debut as Ercole/Hercules. It was origina ...

'' (1961) – Man in Tavern Fight (uncredited) * ''

Samson Against the Sheik ''Samson Against the Sheik'' ( it, Maciste contro lo sceicco, also known as ''Maciste Against the Sheik'') is a 1962 Italian peplum film directed by Domenico Paolella. In the late 1500s, forces of the Duke of Malaga topple the Sacred Obelisk i ...

'' (1962) – Fighter (uncredited) * ''Zorro alla corte di Spagna'' ( de) (1962) – Paquito * ''

Gladiators 7 ''Gladiators 7'' is a 1962 film directed by Pedro Lazaga. The film has several elements from Akira Kurosawa's film ''The Seven Samurai''. Plot A Greek gladiator seeks revenge for the murder of his father and finds his lover captured by an evil t ...

'' (1962) – Vargas * ''

Tiger of the Seven Seas ''La tigre dei sette mari'', internationally released as ''Tiger of the Seven Seas'', is a 1962 Italian adventure film directed by Luigi Capuano. It was a sequel to ''Queen of the Pirates''. Plot Consuelo is the daughter of the famous pirate ...

'' (1962) – Rick * ''

Zorro and the Three Musketeers ''Zorro and the Three Musketeers'' ( it, Zorro e i tre moschettieri, also known as ''Mask of the Musketeers'' and ''Zorro vs. the Three Musketeers'') is a 1963 Italian comedy- adventure film directed by Luigi Capuano and starring Gordon Scott. ...

'' (1963) – D'Artagnan * ''

Samson and the Slave Queen ''Samson and the Slave Queen'' ( it, Zorro contro Maciste) is a 1963 Italian '' peplum'' directed by Umberto Lenzi. It was originally made as a Maciste film in Italy, in which the fabled strongman meets Zorro. It was redubbed into a "Samson" movie ...

'' (1963) – Sadoch * '' Sandokan the Great'' (1963) – Hirangù * ''

The Triumph of Hercules ''The Triumph of Hercules'', the 1964 film, was one of many Italian sword and sandal epics during the 1960s craze. Originally titled ''Il Trionfo di Ercole'', the film was directed by Alberto De Martino. Hercules was portrayed by Dan Vadis. The fi ...

'' (1964) – Thief * ''

Pirates of Malaysia ''The Pirates of Malaysia'' is a 1964 swashbuckler directed by Umberto Lenzi and starring Steve Reeves as Sandokan the pirate. This film was a sequel to Reeve's 1963 film '' Sandokan the Great'', also directed by Lenzi. Malaysian rebel, Sandokan, ...

'' (1964) – Durango * ''

Adventures of the Bengal Lancers ''Adventures of the Bengal Lancers'' ( it, I tre sergenti del Bengala, es, Tres sargentos bengalíes, also known as ''Three Sergeants of Fort Bengal'') is a 1964 Italian-Spanish adventure film directed by Umberto Lenzi (here credited as Humph ...

'' (1964) – Sgt. John Foster * ''

The Magnificent Gladiator ''The Magnificent Gladiator'' ( it, Il magnifico gladiatore) is a 1964 Italian sword-and-sandal film written and directed by Alfonso Brescia. Plot Attalus (or anachronistically "Hercules" in the English version) is captured by Roman soldiers on ...

'' (1964) – Orestes / Horatius * ''

Jungle Adventurer ''Jungle Adventurer'' ( it, La montagna di luce, lit=The Mountain of Light) is an Italian adventure film. It starred Richard Harrison. The film is loosely based on Emilio Salgari's 1902 adventure novel ''La montagna di luce'' (''The Mountain ...

'' (1965) – Sitama's Man #1 * ''

A Pistol for Ringo ''A Pistol for Ringo'' ( it, Una pistola per Ringo) is a 1965 Spaghetti Western, a joint Italian and Spanish production. Originally written and directed by Duccio Tessari, the film's success led to a sequel, ''The Return of Ringo'', later that y ...

'' (1965) – Sancho's gang member * ''

Blood for a Silver Dollar ''Blood for a Silver Dollar'' ( it, Un dollaro bucato) is a 1965 Spaghetti Western, Spaghetti Western film directed by Giorgio Ferroni, written by Giorgio Stegani and Ferroni, and starring Giuliano Gemma and Ida Galli. Plot synopsis Gary O'Hara, ...

'' (1965) – Phil O'Hara * ''

Seven Rebel Gladiators ''Sette contro tutti'' or ''Seven Rebel Gladiators'' is a 1965 Italian film directed by Michele Lupo. Plot Cast *Roger Browne as Marcus Aulus (as Roger Brown) *José Greci as Assuer (as Liz Havilland) *Alfio Caltabiano as Vadius (as Al Northo ...

'' (1965) * ''

Seven Guns for the MacGregors ''Seven Guns for the MacGregors'' ( it, Sette pistole per i MacGregor) is a Technicolor 1966 Spaghetti Western. It is the directorial debut film of Franco Giraldi (here credited as Frank Garfield), who was Sergio Leone's assistant in ''A Fistfu ...

'' (1966) – Peter MacGregor * '' Kiss Kiss...Bang Bang'' (1966) – (uncredited) * '' Sugar Colt'' (1966) – Soldier * ''

Up the MacGregors! ''Up the MacGregors!'' ( it, 7 donne per i MacGregor, link=no, a Technicolor film in Techniscope also known as ''7 Women for the MacGregors'') is a 1967 Italian spaghetti Western directed by Franco Giraldi (here credited as Frank Garfield). It i ...

'' (1967) – Peter MacGregor * '' Seven Pistols for a Massacre'' (1967) – Tom, Peggy's Brother * ''

Your Turn to Die ''Your Turn to Die'' ( it, Troppo per vivere... poco per morire, french: Qui êtes-vous inspecteur Chandler?) is a 1967 Italian-French crime-thriller movie directed by Michele Lupo. Plot A gang of criminals, in agreement with a model, set their ...

'' (1967) – Flash * ''

Seven Times Seven ''Seven Times Seven'' ( it, Sette volte sette) is a 1968 Italian crime comedy caper directed by Michele Lupo and starring Gastone Moschin. Plot A gang of prison inmates escape and rob the UK's Royal Mint. They then sneak back to prison. Cast * ...

'' (1968) – Bananas * ''Le bal des voyous'' (1968) * ''

Boot Hill Boot Hill, or Boothill, is the given name of many cemeteries, chiefly in the Western United States. During the 19th and early 20th century it was a common name for the burial grounds of gunfighters, or those who " died with their boots on" (i.e ...

'' (1969) – Franz – Acrobat * ''Le tigri di Mompracem'' (1970) – (uncredited) * '' The Scalawag Bunch'' (1971) – One of Robin's Men * ''

Lover of the Great Bear ''Lover of the Great Bear'' ( it, L'amante dell'Orsa Maggiore, french: La ligne de feu, german: Nur der letzte kam durch, also known as ''The Smugglers'') is a 1971 Italian-French-German drama film directed by Valentino Orsini and starring Giulian ...

'' (1971) – Smuggler (uncredited) * ''

Those Dirty Dogs ''Those Dirty Dogs'' ( it, Campa carogna... la taglia cresce, es, Los cuatro de Fort Apache, also known as ''Charge!'') is a 1973 Italian-Spanish Spaghetti Western film written and directed by Giuseppe Rosati and starring Gianni Garko and Steph ...

'' (1973) – Soldier (uncredited) * ''

Tony Arzenta ''Tony Arzenta'' (internationally released as ''Big Guns'' and ''No Way Out'') is a 1973 Italian noir film directed by Duccio Tessari. The film was commercially successful. Plot When the Milan based mafia hitman Tony Arzenta asks to get out of ...

'' (1973) – Man of Cutitta (uncredited) * ''

Three Tough Guys ''Three Tough Guys'' (also known as ''Tough Guys'') is a 1974 crime-action film directed by Duccio Tessari. It may be regarded as an example of the Blaxploitation genre. It stars Lino Ventura, Fred Williamson and Isaac Hayes, who also compo ...

'' (1974) – Snake's henchman * '' Street Law'' (1974) – Beard * ''

The White, the Yellow, and the Black ''The White, the Yellow, and the Black'' ( it, Il bianco, il giallo, il nero), also known as ''Samurai'' and ''Shoot First... Ask Questions Later'', is a 1975 Spaghetti Western comedy film. It is the last spaghetti western directed by Sergio Cor ...

'' (1975) – Sgt. Donovan * ''

Cry, Onion! ''Cry, Onion!'' ( it, Cipolla Colt, link=no, lit. "Onion Colt", also known as ''The Smell of Onion'') is a 1975 Spaghetti Western comedy film directed by Enzo G. Castellari. It is openly comedic and parodic. Cast Release ''Cry, Onion!'' was ...

'' (1975) – Oblò – 'Monocle' * ''La madama'' (1976) * ''

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

'' (1977) – Brother of Northern Soldier (uncredited) * ''

A Man on His Knees ''Un uomo in ginocchio'' (internationally released as ''A Man on His Knees'') is a 1979 Italian crime-drama film directed by Damiano Damiani. For his performance Giuliano Gemma won the Grolla d'oro for Best Actor. Cast * Giuliano Gemma: Nino ...

'' (1979) * ''

Buddy Goes West ''Buddy goes West'' ( it, Occhio alla penna, also known as ''A fist goes West'') is a 1981 Spaghetti Western comedy film directed by Michele Lupo. Plot In the Old West, a mysterious man, nicknamed "Doc", arrives in a dusty town. Doc is a band ...

'' (1981) – Slim Henchman (uncredited) * ''

Banana Joe Joe Montione, commonly referred to as Banana Joe, (born in Hartford, CT, January 21, 1954 – died in Los Angeles, Sept.11, 2021) was a well-known a radio personality. Early career Banana Joe grew up in Pittston, PA, about 100 miles north of Phi ...

'' (1982) – Hitman (uncredited) * ''

Thunder Warrior ''Thunder Warrior'' ( it, Thunder, also known as ''Drug Traffikers'') is a 1983 Italian action film written and directed by Fabrizio De Angelis (credited as Larry Ludman). It had two sequels, one released in 1985 and the other in 1988. The prem ...

'' (1983) – Thomas's Friend * ''Rolf'' (1984) – Bearded mercenary

References

External links

* 1937 births 2020 deaths Italian male film actors Italian stunt performers Male Spaghetti Western actors {{Italy-film-actor-stub