Antonino Faà di Bruno (15 December 1910 – 2 May 1981) was an Italian actor and former military officer.
Biography
A member of the aristocratic
Faà di Bruno family, Antonino Faà di Bruno was born in London, the son of
Marchese Alessandro Faà di Bruno (who was the Italian consul in London at that time) and of his wife Fanny Costì. He was named after his namesake ancestor, Antonino Faà di Bruno (1762–1829), who was
Bishop of Asti in the 19th century.
He took up a military career, becoming a lieutenant in the
grenadiers and fighting in
Italian East Africa. After his retirement in 1964, with the rank of
Brigadier General, Faà di Bruno started a career as an actor, working with
Carlo Lizzani (''
La vita agra''),
Pier Paolo Pasolini (''
Pigsty''),
Vittorio De Sica (''
Lo chiameremo Andrea
''Lo chiameremo Andrea'' (also known as ''We'll Call Him Andrew'') is a 1972 Italian comedy film directed by Vittorio De Sica.
Plot
The story is of Nino Manfredi as Paolo Antonazzi and Mariangela Melato as Maria Antonazzi, teachers at the s ...
''),
Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder (; ; born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an American filmmaker and screenwriter. His career in Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and ver ...
(''
Avanti!''),
(''
Amarcord''),
Luciano Salce
Luciano Salce (25 September 1922 – 17 December 1989) was an Italian film director, comedian, television host, producer, actor and lyricist. His 1962 film ''Le pillole di Ercole'' was shown as part of a retrospective on Italian comedy at the ...
(''
Alla mia cara mamma nel giorno del suo compleanno
''Alla mia cara mamma nel giorno del suo compleanno'' (''To my dear mother on the day of her birthday'') is a 1974 Italian comedy drama film directed by Luciano Salce.Andrea Pergolari. ''Ha visto il montaggio analogico?''. Lavieri edizioni, 2011.
...
''),
Mario Monicelli (''
We Want the Colonels'').
Tall at , with a baritone voice and an aristocratic bearing, Antonino Faà di Bruno was often cast in roles of high rank, nobleman, officers and members of the ruling class. He performed as a
character actor
A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...
in several ''
commedia all'italiana'' films, and became known for playing the role of retired Lt.Col. Vittorio Emanuele Ribaud, who attempted a coup d'état in ''
We Want the Colonels'', and of the
Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...
-
Count
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
Piercarlo Semenzara in ''
Il secondo tragico Fantozzi''.
Personal life and death
In 1947, he married the widow of his cousin Emilio Faà di Bruno who had died in 1943, Anna Maria Andreini. He later adopted their daughters, Camilla and Costanza.
Away from his public life, he enjoyed dwelling in the countryside of
Istia d'Ombrone
Istia d'Ombrone () is a small town in southern Tuscany, Italy, a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' of Grosseto.
History
In the area surrounding the centre of Istia there have been found some ruins of ancient habitations dating back to the Etruscan ci ...
.
He died at 70 following complications from a
traumatic brain injury
A traumatic brain injury (TBI), also known as an intracranial injury, is an injury to the brain caused by an external force. TBI can be classified based on severity ranging from mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI/concussion) to severe traumati ...
that he suffered after being hit by a bus.
Filmography
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Faa di Bruno, Antonino
1910 births
1981 deaths
Italian male actors
20th-century Italian male actors
20th-century Italian military personnel
Italian expatriates in the United Kingdom
Road incident deaths in Italy
Deaths from head injury