Tony Sperandeo (born 8 May 1953) is an Italian actor of cinema and television. Sperandeo is notable for frequently playing the roles of tough characters from his native region,

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

. As of 2011, he was working on ''La Nuova Squadra'', a police drama televised by

Rai Tre Rai 3 (formerly Rete 3) is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana. It was launched on 15 December 1979 and its programming is centred towards cultural and ...

, as the Superintendent Salvatore Sciacca.

Career

He was born Gaetano Sperandeo in Palermo. In 1983, his acting career began with a small part in the film '' Kaos'', directed by 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 ...

. In 1985, he landed a role in a cinematographic film '' Pizza Connection'', by

Damiano Damiani Damiano Damiani (23 July 1922 – 7 March 2013) was an Italian screenwriter, film director, actor and writer. Poet and director Pier Paolo Pasolini referred to him as "a bitter moralist hungry for old purity", while film critic Paolo Mereg ...

. He also acted in four of the sequels of the popular television drama, ''" La piovra"'', which is about

the Mafia "Mafia" is an informal term that is used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the original “Mafia”, the Sicilian Mafia and Italian Mafia. The central activity of such an organization would be the arbitration of d ...

and had a little role in The Sicilian of

Michael Cimino Michael Antonio Cimino ( ; February 3, 1939 – July 2, 2016) was an American filmmaker. One of the " New Hollywood" directors, Cimino achieved fame with ''The Deer Hunter'' (1978), which won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Bes ...

. He has appeared in many other Italian films, the most notable being ''La scorta'' (" The escort") by

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 ...

, as well as ''" Ragazzi fuori"'' and ''" Mery per sempre"'', the latter two set in his home town of Palermo. They are both directed by

Marco Risi Marco Risi (born 4 June 1951) is an Italian film director, screenwriter, film producer and cinematographer. Born in Milan, he is son of director Dino Risi. After graduating from Liceo Scientifico, Risi joined the faculty of philosophy, but aband ...

. Since 2004, he has appeared regularly on television in the role of Superintendent Salvatore Sciacca, first in the police drama ''La Squadra'' (2004–2007), and its sequel, ''La Nuova Squadra'' (2008–2009, 2011). In 2001, Sperandeo won the David di Donatello award for Best Supporting Actor in ''"I cento passi"'' ("

One Hundred Steps ''I cento passi'' (English: ''One Hundred Steps'' or ''The Hundred Steps'') is an Italian film released in 2000, directed by Marco Tullio Giordana about the life of Giuseppe Impastato, Peppino Impastato, a left-wing political activist who opposed ...

"), directed by

Marco Tullio Giordana Marco Tullio Giordana (born 1 October 1950) is an Italian Film director, director and screenwriter. Biography Born in Milan, during the 1970s he approaches the cinema by collaborating on the screenplay of Roberto Faenza's 1977 documentary ''F ...

, about the story of

Peppino Impastato Giuseppe "Peppino" Impastato (; January 5, 1948 – May 9, 1978), was an Italian political activist who opposed the Mafia, which ordered his murder in 1978. Childhood Giuseppe "Peppino" Impastato was born in Cinisi, in the then province of Pa ...

in which he played the role of

Mafia boss A crime boss, also known as a crime lord, Don, gang lord, gang boss, mob boss, kingpin, godfather, crime mentor or criminal mastermind, is a person in charge of a criminal organization. Description A crime boss typically has absolute or nearl ...

Tano Badalamenti.

Personal life

He was married to actress Rita Barbanera (1968–2001), by whom he has two children, Tony and Priscilla. Sperandeo met her on the set of ''Mery per sempre'', the film in which he was working at the time. They performed together in one film, ''La discesa di Aclà a Floristella'' in 1992. Rita was primarily a stage actress. On April 27, 2001, Rita Barbanera committed suicide by jumping off the balcony at their home in Palermo.''Viva Cinema'', Interview with Tony Sperandeo 28 October 2008, retrieved on 10 November 2008 She was thirty two years old.

Filmography

Film

* '' Kaos'' (1984) * '' Pizza Connection'' (1985) - Vincenzo * ''

The Repenter ''Il pentito'' (internationally released as ''The Repenter'' and ''The Squealer'') is a 1985 Italian crime-drama film directed by Pasquale Squitieri. The film is loosely based on actual events involving, among others, pentito Tommaso Buscetta, judg ...

'' (1985) - Lercara's Henchman (uncredited) * '' The Sicilian'' (1987) - Barracks Policeman #1 * '' Mery per sempre'' (1989) - Turris, Guardia Carceraria * ''

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'' (1990) - Il commissario Trapani * ''

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'' (1990) - Gesuino * '' Ragazzi fuori'' (1990) - Turris (uncredited) * '' Una storia semplice'' (1991) - Policeman * '' Il muro di gomma'' (1991) - Sottufficiale Areonautica * ''

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'' (1991) - Agente Buoncostume * ''

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'' (1991) - Picciotto in auto * ''Caldo soffocante'' (1991) - Aiutante Giuliano * ''Briganti'' (1991) * '' Acla's Descent into Floristella'' (1992) - Caramazza * '' La scorta'' (1993) - Raffaele Frasca * ''Uomo di rispetto'' (1993, TV Movie) * ''Quattro bravi ragazzi'' (1993) - Franchini * ''Nel continente nero'' (1993) - Don Secondino * '' The Heroes'' (1994) - Tonino * ''

Miracolo italiano ''Miracolo italiano'' (also known as ''An Italian Miracle'') is a 1994 Italian anthology comedy film directed by Enrico Oldoini. Cast * Renato Pozzetto: Fermo Pulciani/ Passenger of the Ferry * Nino Frassica: Toti/ Ernesto * Ezio Greggio: Ma ...

'' (1994) - Onorevole Locafò * ''Briganti: Amore e libertà'' (1994) - Malacarne * '' Segreto di stato'' (1995) - Gangster * '' The Star Maker'' (1995) - 1st Baldalamenti * '' Palermo - Milan One Way'' (1995) - Marinnà * ''

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'' (1996) - Il camionista * ''Altri uomini'' (1997) - Salvatore Marinello * '' The Room of the Scirocco'' (1998) - Sollima * ''Volare!'' (1999) - Don Ciccio * ''Una sola debole voce'' (1998, TV Movie) * '' Excellent Cadavers'' (1999, TV Movie) - Stefano Bontade * ''L'uomo della fortuna'' (2000) - Salvatore * ''

'' (2000) - Gaetano Badalamenti * ''Un giudice di rispetto'' (2000) - Giudice Francesco Di Nardo * ''Arresti domiciliari'' (2000) - Boss mafia * ''

E adesso sesso ''E adesso sesso'' (''And now sex'') is a 2001 Italian anthology comedy film written and directed by Carlo Vanzina. It consists of eight segments, set in different Italian cities, all sharing sex as main theme. Plot In Italy there's the 2000s ...

'' (2001) - Don Calogero * ''Tra due mondi'' (2001) * ''Il testimone'' (2001, TV Movie) * ''Il latitante'' (2003) - Ispettore Sarnataro * '' Miracle in Palermo!'' (2003) - Sparagna * ''Eccezziunale... Veramente - Capitolo secondo... me'' (2006) - Don Pippo Calì * ''Il 7 e l'8'' (2007) - Gino La Monica * ''L'uomo di vetro'' (2007) - Zio Titta * '' A Beautiful Wife'' (2007) - Don Pierino * ''Il sangue dei vinti'' (2008) - Salustri * ''Volevo gli occhi blu'' (2008) - Pazzo filosofo * '' Baaria'' (2009) - Breeder * ''Pochi giorni per capire'' (2009) - Sacerdote * ''I Picciuli'' (2009) - Giudice * ''Un neomelodico presidente'' (2010) - Il Professore * ''Backward'' (2010) - Gaetano il bastardo * ''Prigionero di un segreto'' (2010) - Don Alfredo * ''Dreamland: La terra dei sogni'' (2011) - Don Nicola * ''Pagate fratelli'' (2012) * ''Il ragioniere della mafia'' (2013) - Capo dei capi * ''La moglie del sarto'' (2014) * ''La corona spezzata'' (2014) - Don Vito Romano * ''La settima onda'' (2015) - Michele Manni * ''Il ragazzo della Giudecca'' (2016) - Procuratore * ''

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'' (2016) - Vito Mancuso * ''Amo la tempesta'' (2016) * ''Mò Vi Mento - Lira di Achille'' (2017) * '' L'ora legale'' (2017) - Gaetano Patanè * ''Il mondo di mezzo'' (2017) - Gaetano Mariotti * ''Amare Amaro'' (2018) - Marcello

Television

* '' La piovra'', (1985, TV Mini-Series) - Ravanusa's Manservant * ''Felipe ha gli occhi azzurri'' (1991) * '' La piovra'', (1992, TV Mini-Series) - Santino Rocchi * ''A che punto è la notte'' (1995, TV Movie) - Cagliusco * ''Non parla più'' (1995, TV Movie) * '' La piovra'', (1997, TV Movie) - Turi Mondello * ''Mia Padre e Innocente'' (1997, TV Movie) - Augusto Malinverni * '' La piovra'', (1998, TV Movie) - Turi Mondello * ''Fine secolo'' (1999, TV Mini-Series) - Corti * ''Cronaca di un ricatto'' (1999, TV Movie) * ''Don Matteo'' (first series, episode "Stato di Ebbrezza", 2000) * ''L'attentatuni'' (2001, TV Movie) - Antonino No& * '' Distretto di Polizia'' (2001) - Vito Tonnara * ''Il sequestro Soffrantini'' (2002, TV Movie) - Giovanni Farina, Anonima Sarda * ''Soldati di pace'' (2003) * ''Blindati'' (2003, TV Movie) - Brando Massari * ''Ultimo - L'infiltrato'' (2003, TV Movie) - Nicola De Rosa * ''La Squadra'' (2005–2007) - Sovrintendente Salvatore Sciacca * '' Framed! A Sicilian Murder Mystery'' (2022-)

References

* Internet Movie Database * Italian Wikipedia * ''Viva Cinema'', Interview with Tony Sperandeo, 28 October 2008 (retrieved on 10 November 2008) {{DEFAULTSORT:Sperandeo, Tony 1953 births Living people Male actors from Palermo Italian male film actors Italian male television actors Italian comedy musicians David di Donatello winners Ciak d'oro winners