Little Known Spaghetti Western actors ~ Gianni De Luigi

[These daily posts will cover little known actors or people that have appeared in more recent films and TV series. Various degrees of information that I was able to find will be given and anything that you can add would be appreciated.]

Gianni Luigi is an Italian supporting actor. His family were all Venetian painters, and his father Mario was a teacher of architecture and painter. His uncle was an internationally respected painter. The family wanted Gianni to follow in their path but he wanted to follow his own path so he moved from the family home in Venice to Milan and attended the Piccolo Teatro school. At the same time, he opened a theater in Milan which also became a learning experience. Because then he went from theater, to cinema, to television, making the first serials such as ‘L'ultimo aereo per Venezia’ (The Last Plane to Venice). He still made films, five from 1971-1990, even with young directors, then every now and then someone offered him a western and he made one with Giuliano Gemma called “Silver Saddle”

But Giovanni De Luigi had the theater in his heart. For him he is a theater character who, more than anyone else, marked his professional life as a director and actor of The Comedy of Art. He is the son of Mario [1901-1978], one of the most important painters of the last century, and the brother of Ludovico De Luigi [1933-2025], another painter of international fame. He was born in Pieta, Venice, Italy in the 1930s (I cannot find a specific date of birth). Gianni is the founder of the Istituto della Comedia dell'Arte Internazionale, founded, with his wife Anna, in 2003 for master training of young actors.

Gianni De Luigi’s only Spaghetti western was as Turner in 1978’s “Sella d’argento” (Silver Saddle).

De LUIGI, Gianni [19??, Pieta, Venice, Veneto, Italy –     ] – film, TV actor, son of painet Mario De Luigi [1901-1978], brother of painter Ludovico De Luigi [1933-2025], married to Anna De Luigi, founded the Institute of the International Commedia dell'Arte [2003].

Silver Saddle – 1978 (Turner)