Paolo Graziosi (25 January 1940 – 1 February 2022) was an Italian stage and film actor.

Biography

Born in

Rimini Rimini ( , ; rgn, Rémin; la, Ariminum) is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It sprawls along the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia (the ancient ''Ariminu ...

, Graziosi was rejected for the admission exams at the Academy of Dramatic Arts Silvio D'Amico in 1961. He then enrolled at the

Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia The Centro sperimentale di cinematografia (Experimental Film Centre or Italian National film school) was established in 1935 in Italy and aims to promote the art and technique of cinematography and film. The centre is the oldest film school in ...

. In theater, after a period of apprenticeship, he had his first break in 1965 with the role of

Mercutio Mercutio ( , ) is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's 1597 tragedy, ''Romeo and Juliet''. He is a close friend to Romeo and a blood relative to Prince Escalus and Count Paris. As such, Mercutio is one of the named characters in the ...

in a famous version of '' Romeo and Juliet'' directed by

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, ...

. In cinema, in which he had made his debut the 1962 drama film ''Gli arcangeli'', his breakout role was an accountant named Carlo in '' China is Near'' by

Marco Bellocchio Marco Bellocchio (; born 9 November 1939) is an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. Life and career Born in Bobbio, near Piacenza, Marco Bellocchio had a strict Catholic upbringing – his father was a lawyer, his mother a schoolt ...

(who had been his classmate in the Centro Sperimentale and that had previously directed him in the 1962 short film ''Ginepro fatto uomo''). From then on, Graziosi continued appearing in films and television series, usually in secondary roles, but from seventies he focused his activities on stage, co-founding with

Carlo Cecchi Carlo Cecchi (born 25 January 1939 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy) is an Italian actor. Born in Florence, Cecchi studied under the Living Theatre and with the Workshop of Eduardo De Filippo. In 1968, he made his debut for cinema in '' La sua gior ...

"GranTeatro", a company mainly active in alternative circuits. Graziosi, who was battling cancer, died of

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

Vicenza Vicenza ( , ; ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region at the northern base of the ''Monte Berico'', where it straddles the Bacchiglione River. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and east of Milan. Vicenza is a thr ...

on 1 February 2022, at the age of 82.

Selected filmography

* '' A Gangstergirl'' (1966) * '' China is Near'' (1968) * '' Galileo'' (1968) * '' Cuore di mamma'' (1969) * ''

Illustrious Corpses ''Illustrious Corpses'' ( it, Cadaveri eccellenti) is a 1976 Italian-French thriller film directed by Francesco Rosi and starring Lino Ventura, based on the novel ''Equal Danger'' by Leonardo Sciascia (1971). The film was screened at the 1976 ...

'' (1976) * '' Merry Christmas... Happy New Year'' (1989) * ''

The Conviction ''The Conviction'' ( it, La condanna) is a 1991 Italian drama film directed by Marco Bellocchio. It was entered into the 41st Berlin International Film Festival where it won the Silver Bear - Special Jury Prize. Cast * Vittorio Mezzogiorno as ...

'' (1991) * '' A Simple Story'' (1991) * '' Louis, the Child King'' (1993) * '' The Long Silence'' (1993) * '' Fallen Heroes'' (2007) * ''

Il divo Il Divo (; ) are a multi-national classical crossover vocal group. The male quartet, which originated in the United Kingdom in December 2003, consists of tenors Urs Bühler, David Miller, and Sébastien Izambard. It also included bariton ...

'' (2008) * ''

Giovanna's Father ''Giovanna's Father'' ( it, Il papà di Giovanna) is a 2008 Italian drama film directed by Pupi Avati. Plot In Bologna in the late 1930s, Michele Casali (Silvio Orlando) teaches design at the same institute where his daughter Giovanna (Alba ...

'' (2008) * '' Italian Race'' (2016) * ''

Pinocchio Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel '' The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a Tuscan ...

'' (2019) * '' The Bad Poet'' (2020) * ''

Three Floors ''Three Floors'' ( it, Tre piani) is a 2021 Italian drama film co-produced, co-written and directed by Nanni Moretti. It is based on the 2017 novel ''Shalosh Qomot'' by Israeli writer Eshkol Nevo, moving the setting from Tel Aviv to Rome, and a ...

'' (2021)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Graziosi, Paolo 1940 births 2022 deaths Italian male film actors People from Rimini Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia alumni Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Veneto