Rossano Brazzi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rossano Brazzi
Brazzi in 1952
Born	18 September 1916 Bologna, Kingdom of Italy
Died	24 December 1994(1994-12-24) (aged 78) Rome, Italy
Nationality	Italian
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1939–1994
Spouse(s)	Lidia Bertolini (1940–81; her death) Ilse Fischer (1984–94; his death)

Rossano Brazzi (born September 18, 1916 – died December 24, 1994) was a famous actor from Italy. He became well-known around the world after moving to Hollywood in 1948. He starred in the English-language film Three Coins in the Fountain (1954). He also played a main role in David Lean's Summertime (1955) with Katharine Hepburn.

In 1958, he played Emile De Becque, a French character, in the musical South Pacific. Some of his other famous English-language films include The Barefoot Contessa (1954), The Story of Esther Costello (1957) with Joan Crawford, Count Your Blessings (1959), Light in the Piazza (1962), and The Italian Job (1969).

Early Life and Beginnings

Rossano Brazzi was born in Bologna, Italy. His mother was Maria Ghedini, and his father, Adelmo Brazzi, worked at a shoe factory. He was named after a town called Rossano Veneto. His father was stationed there during his military service in World War I.

When Rossano was four years old, his family moved to Florence, Italy, where he grew up. He studied at San Marco University. Before he became an actor, he was a lawyer. He started his acting career in films in 1939.

Acting Career Highlights

Rossano Brazzi had a long and successful career, starring in many films in both Italy and Hollywood.

Becoming an Italian Film Star

Rossano Brazzi started his career in Italian films. Some of his early roles include Tosca (1941), The Hero of Venice (1941), and We the Living (1942). He also appeared in Girl of the Golden West (1942), which was a Western movie.

After World War II, Brazzi continued to act in Italian movies. These included The Black Eagle (1946) and Fury (1947). He also starred in Eleonora Duse (1948), a film about a famous actress.

In 1949, Brazzi moved to Hollywood and played a professor in Little Women. He then returned to Italy to make more films. These included Volcano (1951) with Anna Magnani and The Fighting Men (1950). He continued to make many Italian films in the early 1950s.

Rise to Hollywood Stardom

Rossano Brazzi became a big star in Hollywood after his role in Three Coins in the Fountain (1954). This movie was partly filmed in Italy and was very popular. He also had an important role in The Barefoot Contessa (1954) alongside Ava Gardner.

He then made more English-language films. One of these was Summertime (1955) with Katherine Hepburn. After this, he made some British movies like Loser Takes All (1956) and The Story of Esther Costello (1957).

Brazzi returned to Hollywood for several more films. These included Interlude (1957) with June Allyson and Legend of the Lost (1957) with John Wayne and Sophia Loren. He also starred in South Pacific (1958) and Count Your Blessings (1959).

Personal Life

Rossano Brazzi was married twice. In 1940, he married Lidia Bertolini. They were together until she passed away in 1981. They did not have any children together. Later, in 1984, Rossano Brazzi married Ilse Fischer. She had worked for the couple as their housekeeper for many years. This marriage also had no children.

Death

Rossano Brazzi passed away in Rome, Italy, on Christmas Eve in 1994. He was 78 years old. He died from a special kind of virus that affected his nerves.

Selected Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Rossano Brazzi para niños