RIP Antonio Cantafora

 

Italian actor Antonio Cantafora died in Rome on April 20^th. He was 80. Born on February 2, 1944, in Crotone, Calabria, Italy he studied acting with the renowned Alessandro Fersen and made his debut on the big screen in 1967, but it was in the 1970s that he reached the peak of his fame, thanks to his uncanny resemblance to actor Terence Hill. As Michael Coby. He was paired with Paul L. Smith, he embodied the role of the "handsome" in a series of films inspired by the duo Bud Spencer and Terence Hill. But his career has not been limited to leading roles. Cantafora was also a character actor, working with some of the most important directors of Italian cinema, including Federico Fellini, Alberto Lattuada, Mauro Bolognini. Films such as Lattuada's "The Cicada", Fellini's "Interview" and Carlo Vanzina's "A Spasso nel Tempo" are testament to his versatility and talent for bringing a wide range of characters to life. Cantafora was also a prolific artist, with a passion for painting that he developed over the years. He has created hundreds of works of art, which have achieved success not only in Italy, but also abroad. Cantafora appeared in ten Spaghetti westerns: “The Dirty Outlaws” in 1967 as Bill Flannigan; “Joe Dakota” in 1967 as Tab; “And God Said to Cain” in 1969 as Dick Acombar; “Black Killer” in 1971 as Ramon O’Hara, “Shoot Joe, and Shoot Again” in 1971 as Jack’s henchman; “A Bounty Hunter for Trinity” in 1972 as a town council member; “Carambola” in 1973 as Coby/Toby/Trinity [as Michael Coby]; “The Crazy Adventures of Len and Coby” in 1974 as Toby [as Michael Coby]; “We Are No Angels” in 1975 as Angel) [as Michael Coby] and “Buck and the Magic Bracelet” in 1997 as Sergeant O'Connor.