Gigi Proietti facts for kids
Luigi "Gigi" Proietti (2 November 1940 – 2 November 2020) was an Italian actor, voice actor, comedian, musician, singer and television presenter.
Contents
Early life
He was born in Rome to Romano Proietti, originally from Umbria, and Giovanna Ceci, a housewife. During his youth he was keen on singing and on playing guitar, piano, accordion and double bass in several Roman nightclubs. He enrolled in the Faculty of Law at the La Sapienza University, where he attended the mimicry courses of the University Theatre Centre held by Giancarlo Cobelli, who immediately noticed his talent as a musician and booked him for an avantgarde play.
Career
Acting
After several stage works, in 1966 Proietti debuted both in cinema, in Pleasant Nights, and on television, in the TV series I grandi camaleonti. His first personal success came in 1971, when he replaced Domenico Modugno in the stage musical Alleluja brava gente by Garinei & Giovannini, starring alongside Renato Rascel. In 1974, after playing the role of Neri Chiaramantesi in the drama La cena delle beffe, alongside Carmelo Bene and Vittorio Gassman, in 1976 started a fruitful collaboration with playwright Roberto Lerici, with whom he wrote and directed his stage plays, starting with the one-man show A me gli occhi, please (Give me your eyes, please, 1976, reported on the scene in 1993, 1996 and 2000, in a memorable performance at the Olympic Stadium in his hometown). Initially planned to be performed 6 times, the show exceeded 300 performances, with an average audience of 2,000 per performance.
He took part in several international movies, including The Appointment (1969), directed by Sidney Lumet, A Wedding (1978), directed by Robert Altman, and Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? (1978), directed by Ted Kotcheff.
Proietti was also a voice dubber of films and television shows into the Italian language. He has dubbed the voices of actors such as Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone, Richard Burton, Richard Harris, Dustin Hoffman, Paul Newman, Charlton Heston and Marlon Brando. His credits also include the role of the Genie in the Italian version of the Aladdin film series and Draco in Dragonheart. He also provided the Italian voice of Gandalf in The Hobbit film series, replacing the late Gianni Musy, who dubbed Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings, as well as Sylvester from Looney Tunes during the 1960s.
Music
Proietti was interested in music from a young age. During his time singing in nightclubs and outdoor bars, he was initially not interested in pursuing an acting career. Proietti starred in and performed the opening and closing theme song for Il Circolo Pickwick which aired on Rai 1 in 1968 and at that time, he met Lucio Battisti, who was signed with the record label Dischi Ricordi.
In the mid-1990s, Proietti was a member of Trio Melody alongside Peppino di Capri and Stefano Palatresi. The group was only active from the Sanremo Music Festival 1995 until 1996 and they released only one album. Proietti also enjoyed a successful solo career and he released more than 11 albums and 15 singles.
Personal life
Proietti had been in a relationship since 1962 with Swedish former tour guide Sagitta Alter, with whom he had two daughters, Susanna and Carlotta. His nephew Raffaele has followed him into a voice dubbing career.
Death
On 1 November 2020, Proietti suffered a heart attack whilst in the hospital, having been admitted fifteen days prior for heart-related problems. He was transferred to intensive care where his condition was described as critical. Proietti died the following morning, in the early hours of 2 November 2020, the day of his 80th birthday.
After his death, the mayor of Rome, Virginia Raggi, arranged for the Silvano Toti Globe Theatre to be renamed after Proietti. Proietti's funeral took place on 5 November at the Church of the Artists. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, no more than 60 people were in attendance. Proietti was cremated at the Cimitero Flaminio and his ashes were placed at Campo Verano.
Filmography
Films
Title | Year | Role(s) | Director | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Let's Talk About Women | 1964 | Omero | Ettore Scola | Feature film debut |
Pleasant Nights | 1966 | Mario Di Colli | Armando Crispino, Luciano Lucignani | |
La ragazza del bersagliere | 1967 | Cesare Bottazzi | Alessandro Blasetti | |
Catch as Catch Can | Make up artist | Franco Indovina | Cameo appearance | |
The Libertine | 1968 | Sandro Maldini | Pasquale Campanile | |
The Howl | Coso | Tinto Brass | ||
A Complicated Girl | 1969 | Pietro | Damiano Damiani | |
The Appointment | Fabre | Sidney Lumet | ||
Brancaleone at the Crusades | 1970 | Pattume / Colombino | Mario Monicelli | |
Dropout | Cieco | Tinto Brass | ||
Bubù | 1971 | Giulio "the Thief" | Mauro Bolognini | |
Lady Liberty | Michele Bruni | Mario Monicelli | ||
Gli ordini sono ordini | 1972 | Mario Pasini | Franco Giraldi | |
Meo Patacca | Meo Patacca | Marcello Ciorciolini | ||
La Tosca | 1973 | Mario | Luigi Magni | |
Property Is No Longer a Theft | Paco | Elio Petri | ||
Le farò da padre | 1974 | Saverio Mazzaccolli | Alberto Lattuada | |
Conviene far bene l'amore | 1975 | Enrico Nobili | Pasquale Campanile | |
House of Pleasure for Women | 1976 | Ivanhoe Zuccoli | Pupi Avati | |
Chi dice donna dice donna | Filippo / Sonia | Tonino Cervi | Segment: "Papà e maman" | |
The Inheritance | Pippo Ferramonti | Mauro Bolognini | ||
Febbre da cavallo | Bruno "Mandrake" Fioretti | Steno | ||
Languid Kisses, Wet Caresses | Orfeo | Alfredo Angeli | ||
Beach House | 1977 | Gigi | Sergio Citti | |
A Wedding | 1978 | Dino Corelli | Robert Altman | |
Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? | Ravello | Ted Kotcheff | ||
Happy Hobos | 1979 | Albergatore | Sergio Citti | |
I Don't Understand You Anymore | 1980 | Alberto Spinelli | Sergio Corbucci | |
Di padre in figlio | 1982 | Himself | Vittorio Gassmann | Cameo appearance |
"FF.SS." – Cioè: "...che mi hai portato a fare sopra a Posillipo se non mi vuoi più bene?" | 1983 | Curtatone | Renzo Arbore | |
Mi faccia causa | 1985 | Luigi Marchetti | Steno | |
Aladdin | 1992 | The Genie (voice) | Ron Clements, John Musker | Italian dub; voice role |
Mille bolle blu | 1993 | Narrator (voice) | Leone Pompucci | Italian dub; voice role |
Revenge of the Musketeers | 1994 | Giulio Mazarino | Bertrand Tavernier | |
The Return of Jafar | The Genie (voice) | Toby Shelton, Alan Zaslove, Tad Stones | Italian dub; voice role | |
Aladdin and the King of Thieves | 1996 | Tad Stones | Italian dub; voice role | |
Quest for Camelot | 1998 | Devon / Cornelius (voice) | Frederik Du Chau | Italian dub; voice role |
Dirty Linen | 1999 | Rodolfo Melchiorri | Mario Monicelli | |
Chi ha paura! | 2000 | Yorick (voice) | Guido Manuli | Short film |
Febbre da cavallo – La mandrakata | 2002 | Bruno "Mandrake" Fioretti | Carlo Vanzina | |
The Jokes | 2004 | Various roles | ||
Un'estate al mare | 2008 | Giulio Bonetti | ||
Un'estate ai Caraibi | 2009 | Alberto | ||
La vita è una cosa meravigliosa | 2010 | Claudio | ||
Happy Feet Two | 2011 | Bryan (voice) | George Miller | Italian dub; voice role |
All at Sea | Nino | Matteo Cerami | ||
Box Office 3D: The Filmest of Films | Mr. Silenzio | Ezio Greggio | ||
Stelle | 2012 | Narrator (voice) | Yann Renzi | Short film |
Indovina chi viene a Natale? | 2013 | Leonardo Sereni | Fausto Brizzi | |
Ma tu di che segno 6? | 2014 | Giuliano De Marchis | Neri Parenti | |
The Prize | 2017 | Giovanni | Alessandro Gassmann | |
The Art of Racing in the Rain | 2019 | Enzo (voice) | Simon Curtis | Italian dub; voice role |
Pinocchio | Mangiafuoco | Matteo Garrone | ||
Io sono Babbo Natale | 2021 | Ettore Magni / Santa Claus | Edoardo Falcone | Posthumous release |
Television
Title | Year | Role(s) | Network | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
I grandi camaleonti | 1964 | Moureau | Rai 1 | Episode: "Episodio 8" |
La maschera e il volto | 1965 | Luciano Spina | Television movie | |
Missione Wiesenthal | 1967 | Dieter Von Wisliczeny | Television movie | |
Il circolo Pickwick | 1968 | Jingle | 4 episodes | |
Piccoli borghesi | Nil | Television movie | ||
Il mondo di Pirandello | Ciro Colli | Episode: "Camere d'affitto" | ||
La fantastica storia del Don Chisciotte della Mancia | 1970 | Don Quixote | Miniseries | |
Sabato sera dalle nove alle dieci | 1974 | Himself / Host | Variety show | |
Fatti e fattacci | 1975 | Himself / Co-host | Variety/musical show | |
Fregoli | 1981 | Leopoldo Fregoli | Lead role | |
Attore amore mio | 1982 | Himself / Host | Variety show | |
Fantastico | 1983–1984 | Himself / Host | Variety show (season 4) | |
Sogni e bisogni | 1985 | Pompeo | Rai 2 | Episode: "Micio micio" |
Io a modo mio | 1986 | Himself / Host | Rai 1 | Variety show |
American Playhouse | 1987 | Unknown | PBS | Episode: "The Innocents Aboard" |
I 7 re di Roma | 1989 | Romulus / Numa Pompilius / Tullus Hostilius / Ancus Marcius / Tarquinius Priscus / Servius Tullius / Tarquinius Superbus | Rai 1 | Television movie |
Villa Arzilla | 1990 | The Gardener | Rai 2 | Main role (also creator and director) |
Club 92 | 1990–1991 | Himself / Co-host | Variety show | |
Un figlio a metà | 1992 | Sandro Giacomelli | Television movie | |
Passioni | 1993–1994 | Fra' João | Canale 5 | Lead role |
Italian Restaurant | 1994 | Giulio Broccoli | Rai 1 | Lead role (also creator and producer) |
Il maresciallo Rocca | 1996–2008 | Marshal Giovanni Rocca | Lead role | |
Un nero per casa | 1997 | Lorenzo Paradisi | Canale 5 | Television movie |
L'avvocato Porta | 1997–2000 | Lawyer Antonio Porta | Lead role | |
Carramba! Che sorpresa | 1998 | Himself / Guest | Rai 1 | Also performer |
2000 Today | 1999 | Himself / Co-host | Special | |
Mai storie d'amore in cucina | 2004 | Marcello | Television movie | |
Il veterinario | 2005 | Gigi Carulli | Television movie | |
Saint Philip Neri: I Prefer Heaven | 2010 | Philip Neri | Miniseries | |
L'ultimo Papa Re | 2013 | Romeo Colombo da Priverno | Television movie | |
Una pallottola nel cuore | 2014–2018 | Bruno Palmieri | Lead role | |
Tale e quale show | 2015 | Himself / Judge | Talent show (season 5) |
Live-action dubbing roles
- Gandalf in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
- Gandalf in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
- Gandalf in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
- Lenny Bruce in Lenny
- Inspector Ginko in Danger: Diabolik
- John "Johnny Boy" Civello in Mean Streets
- Monroe Stahr in The Last Tycoon
- Sam "Ace" Rothstein in Casino
- Johnny Kovak in F.I.S.T.
- Rocky Balboa in Rocky
- George in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
- King Arthur in Camelot
- John Morgan in A Man Called Horse
- Draco in Dragonheart
- Alfred Hitchcock in Hitchcock
- Sam Varner in The Stalking Moon
- The Sultan in Aladdin
- Paris Pitman Jr. in There Was a Crooked Man...
- Player King in Hamlet
- Mark Antony in Julius Caesar
- Weldon Penderton in Reflections in a Golden Eye
- Jim Beckley in Action Man
- Bob Larkin in Firecreek
- Cass Henderson in Any Wednesday
- Helmut Wallenberg in Salon Kitty
- James Langdon in The Undefeated
- Buffalo Bill in Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson
- Godefroy in The Visitors
- Lorenzo St. DuBois in The Producers
- Enzo in The Art of Racing in the Rain
- Lucky in Lucky, the Inscrutable
Honors
- On 30 September 2013, Proietti received honorary citizenship from the city of Viterbo.
- On 14 May 2021, asteroid 7916 Gigiproietti, discovered by astronomers Henri Debehogne and Giovanni de Sanctis at ESO's La Silla Observatory in 1981, was named by the Working Group Small Body Nomenclature in his memory.
Awards and nominations
- Nastro d'Argento Awards
- 1997: Nastro d'Argento for Best Male Dubbing for dubbing Robert De Niro in Casino
- 2003: Nastro d'Argento for Best Actor for Febbre da cavallo - La mandrakata
- 2018: Nastro d'Argento Lifetime Achievement Award
See also
In Spanish: Gigi Proietti para niños