Who Are Those Guys? Gabriele Ferzetti

 

Pasquale Ferzetti was born in Rome on March 17, 1925. He studied at the Accademia d'Arte Drammatica in Rome but was expelled.

He adopted the stage name Gabriele Ferzetti early in his career, by which he became widely known in the performing arts. His first leading role was in the film “Lo Zappatore” (1950). He portrayed Puccini twice in the films “Puccini” (1953) and “House of Ricordi” (1954). He made his international breakthrough in Michelangelo Antonioni's controversial “L'Avventura” (1960) as a restless playboy. After a series of romantic performances, he acquired a reputation in Italy as an elegant, debonair, and somewhat aristocratic looking leading man.

Ferzetti starred as Lot in John Huston's biblical epic, “The Bible: In the Beginning...” (1966), and played railroad baron Morton in Sergio Leone's “Once Upon a Time in the West” (1968). Perhaps his best-known role, internationally, was in the James Bond movie “On Her Majesty's Secret Service” (1969) as Marc Ange Draco, although his voice was dubbed by British actor David de Keyser. He was perhaps best known to non-mainstream audiences for his role as the psychiatrist, Hans, in Liliana Cavani's “The Night Porter” (1974). In the 1970s, he appeared in a significant number of crime films, often as an inspector.

He appeared in Julia and Julia, opposite Laurence Olivier in “Inchon” (1982), and the cult film, “First Action Hero”. Later in his career, he played the role of Nono in the TV series ‘Une famille formidable’, while also appearing in Luca Guadagnino's 2009 film “I Am Love”.

Ferzetti was married to actresses Maria Grazia Eminente and Claudia Verdini. His daughter is actress Anna Ferzetti and granddaughters as actresses Greta and Lea Favino.

Gabriele Ferzetti died on December 2, 2015, in Rome aged 90.

FERZETTI, Gabriele (Pasquale Ferzetti) [3/17/1925, Rome, Lazio, Italy - 12/2/2015, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – film actor, married to actress Maria Grazia Eminente [1937-    ] (1958-1963), married to Claudia Verdini (1984-2015) father of actress Anna Ferzetti [1982-    ], grandfather of actress Greta Favino [2006-    ], actress Lea Favino [2012-    ],

Once Upon a Time in the West - 1968 (Mr. Morton)