Giannini, Giancarlo

(1942-)

   Actor. Born at La Spezia, Giannini grew up in Naples but moved to Rome to study at the National Academy of Dramatic Art. He made his professional theatrical debut in 1963 as Puck in an Italian production of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. He soon acquired a strong reputation for his performances both on stage and on television, distinguishing himself particularly in the lead role of a much-praised television adaptation of Charles Dickens's David Copperfield (1965). By this time he was also appearing in films, beginning with Gino Mancini's police thriller Fango sulla metropoli (Mud on the City, 1965) and then playing the love interest of popular singer Rita Pavone in Lina Wertmuller's Rita la zanzara (Rita the Mosquito, 1966) and Non stuzzicate la zanzara (Don't Sting the Mosquito, 1967). After being noticed for his performance in Ettore Scola's Dramma della gelosia: Tutti i particolari in cronaca (The Pizza Triangle, 1970) and his strong supporting role in Valerio Zurlini's La prima notte di quiete (Indian Summer, 1972), he achieved both national and international renown as the ebullient Mimi in Wertmuller's Mimi metallurgico ferito nell'onore (The Seduction of Mimi, 1972), for which he received both the David di Donatello and the Nastro d'argento. He subsequently starred, most often paired with the fiery Melangela Melato, in another half dozen of Wertmuller's social farces, earning an Oscar nomination for his performance in Pasqualino Settebellezze (Seven Beauties, 1975).

   In the following years Giannini worked with many of the major Italian and international directors, playing the lead in Luchino Visconti's L'innocente (The Innocent, 1976) and one of the main roles in Rainer Werner Fassbinder's Lili Marleen (1981). His exceptionally fine performance as the Neapolitan scrounger and fixit man in Nanni Loy's Mi manda Picone (Picone Sent Me, 1984), brought him his second Nastro d'argento, and he received a third for his dubbing of Al Pacino in the Italian version of Carlito's Way (1994). He continued to work prolifically throughout the 1990s, often appearing in several films a year. Most recently he was awarded his fourth Silver Ribbon for his role as the Italian police inspector in Ridley Scott's Hannibal (2001).

   Historical Dictionary of Italian Cinema by Alberto Mira