Giancarlo Giannini (; born 1 August 1942) is an Italian actor. He won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor for his performance in Love and Anarchy (1973) and received an Academy Award nomination for Seven Beauties (1975). He is also a four-time recipient of the David di Donatello Award for Best Actor.
Giannini began his career on stage, starring in Franco Zeffirelli's productions of Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream. After appearing predominantly on television throughout the early 1960s, he had his first lead role in a film in Rita the Mosquito (1965), the first of many collaborations with filmmaker Lina Wertmüller. He rose to international stardom through Wertmüller's The Seduction of Mimi (1972), Love and Anarchy (1973), Swept Away (1974), culminating in his Oscar-nominated turn in Seven Beauties (1975).
His other films include The Innocent (1976), Lili Marleen (1980), New York Stories (1990), A Walk in the Clouds (1995), Hannibal (2001), Man on Fire (2004), and the James Bond films Casino Royale (2006) and Quantum of Solace (2008). He is also a dubbing artist, contributing voice work to the Italian-language versions of dozens of films since the 1960s. He has been the main Italian dubber of Al Pacino since 1975, and has also dubbed Jack Nicholson, Michael Douglas, and Helmut Berger.
Early life Giannini was born in La Spezia and he spent most of his childhood in the settlement of Pitelli. In 1952, Giannini and his family moved to Naples where he received a diploma in electronic engineering at the Alessandro Volta Technological State Technical Institute. When he was eighteen, he moved to Rome and studied at the Accademia Nazionale di Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico.
Acting career
Stage Giannini made his stage debut at the age of 18, opposite Lilla Brignone in In memoria di una signora amica, directed by Giuseppe Patroni Griffi. His breakthrough came when he was cast by Franco Zeffirelli in a production of Romeo and Juliet which played at The Old Vic.
Film and television
Giannini made his film debut in a small part in I criminali della metropoli in 1965. He appeared in supporting roles in Anzio and The Secret of Santa Vittoria, and starred in the original version of Swept Away. In 1967, he was a special guest on an episode of Mina's TV show "Sabato Sera". He had his breakthrough in 1970. In 1971, he appeared in E le stelle stanno a guardare, a television adaptation of A. J. Cronin's novel The Stars Look Down.
Giannini won a Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor for his performance in Love and Anarchy (1973). He had big box office hits with How Funny Can Sex Be? (1973) and The Sensual Man (1974). In 1976, he starred in Seven Beauties, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Giannini is known for his starring roles in films directed by Lina Wertmüller. In addition to Seven Beauties and Swept Away, he also appeared in The Seduction of Mimi, Love and Anarchy, A Night Full of Rain, Blood Feud, and Francesca e Nunziata.
Giannini has also achieved some international success. His fluency in English has brought him a number of featured roles in Hollywood productions, most notably as Inspector Pazzi in Hannibal. He also appeared in Man on Fire. Giannini played Alberto Aragón in A Walk in the Clouds in 1995, and Emperor Shaddam IV in the 2000 Dune miniseries. In 2002, he starred in the horror film Darkness. He later portrayed French agent René Mathis in the James Bond films Casino Royale (2006) and Quantum of Solace (2008).
In 2009, Giannini received a star on the Italian Walk of Fame in Toronto, Canada. On 6 March 2023 he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.Hollywood, posata la stella di Giancarlo Giannini sulla Walk of Fame (in Italian)
Voice acting
Giannini has had a successful career as a voice actor and dubber. He helped with the foundation of the C.V.D. along with Renato Turi, Corrado Gaipa, Valeria Valeri, Oreste Lionello, Wanda Tettoni and other dubbers.Cronologia fondamentale dell'epoca d'oro del doppiaggio italiano Dagli albori agli anni 1970 (in Italian)
Giannini is the main Italian voice dubber of Al Pacino. Both he and Ferruccio Amendola were the primary dubbers of Pacino until Amendola's death in 2001 when Giannini became the main voice dubber. He also dubbed Jack Nicholson's voice as Jack Torrance in the Italian release of The Shining and the Joker in Batman and Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko in Wall Street and the 2010 sequel as well as dubbing other actors such as Dustin Hoffman, Gérard Depardieu, Ryan O'Neal, Jeremy Irons, Mel Gibson, Tim Allen, Leonard Whiting and Ian McKellen in some of their work.
In Giannini's animated roles, he voiced Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Ed Asner) in the Italian dub of the Pixar film Up. He also provided the Italian voice of Raul Menendez in the Call of Duty game franchise. Outside of dubbing, he also provided voice roles in Italian cinema, notably the animated film Momo in which he voiced the main antagonist, and Giulio Base's religious drama Judas' Gospel, where the title character serves as a narrator.
Other ventures
Aside from acting, Giannini took up inventing as a hobby. Some of the gadgets he designed were used in the 1992 film Toys starring Robin Williams. Giannini also collaborated with Gabriella Greison on his memoir Sono ancora un bambino which was published by Longanesi in 2014. A year later, he received the Premio Cesare Pavese.
In 2012 he collaborated with Italian singer Eros Ramazzotti in "Io sono te", from his album Noi.
Personal life From 1967 until 1975, Giannini was married to actress Livia Giampalmo and they had two children. Their eldest son was Lorenzo, who died in 1987 from an aneurysm shortly before his 20th birthday. Their second-born son is actor Adriano Giannini, who played his father's role in the 2002 remake of Swept Away.
Since 1983, he has been married to Eurilla del Bono and they have two sons, Emanuele and Francesco who are musicians.
Filmography Cinema YearTitleRole(s) Notes1965LibidoChristian1966Rita the MosquitoProfessor Paolo Randi1967I criminali della metropoliGerard LemaireDon't Sting the MosquitoProfessor Paolo RandiStasera mi buttoCarlo TimidoniArabellaSaverio1968AnzioPrivate Cellini1969Fräulein DoktorLieutenant Hans Rupert Le sorelleDarioThe Secret of Santa VittoriaFabio de la RomagnaRose SpotGiancarlo1970The Pizza TriangleNello Serafini1971Una prostituta al servizio del pubblico e in regola con le leggi dello statoWalterMazzabubù... Quante corna stanno quaggiù?LucioUn aller simpleWeberMio padre monsignoreOresteBlack Belly of the TarantulaInspector Tellini1972Hector the MightyUlisseThe Seduction of MimiCarmelo "Mimi" MardocheoDon Camillo e i giovani d'oggiVelenoIndian SummerGiorgio "Spider" Mosca1973Love and AnarchyAntonio "Tunin" SoffiantiniIt Was IBiagio SoilsThe Sensual ManPaolo CastoriniHow Funny Can Sex Be? Domenico / Cesaretto / Enrico / Lello / Giansiro / The Donor / Michele Maccò / Saturnino / Doctor Bianchi1974The Murri AffairTullio MurriThe BeastNino Patrovita Swept AwayGennarino Carunchio1975The Immortal BachelorGino BenacioSeven BeautiesPasqualino Frafuso1976The InnocentTullio Hermil1978A Night Full of RainPaoloBlood FeudNicola "Nick" Sanmichele1979Lovers and LiarsGuido MassacesiGood NewsThe ManLife Is BeautifulAntonio Murillo1981Lili MarleenRobert1981My Darling, My DearestGennarino Laganà1984Where's Picone?Salvatore CannavacciuoloAmerican DreamerVictor Marchand1985Fever PitchCharley1986Saving GraceAbalardi1987TernoseccoDomenico / Mimi Also director and screenwriterThe RoguesGuzman de Alfarache1988Snack Bar BudapestThe Lawyer1989'O ReFrancis II of the Two SiciliesNew York StoriesClaudioSegment: Life Without Zoë Blood RedSebastian CollogeroThe Sleazy UncleRiccardoBrown Bread SandwichesAlbertoTime to KillMajor1990Dark IllnessGiuseppe MarchiNel giardino delle roseTramontanoThe Amusements of Private LifeCharles Renard1992Once upon a CrimeInspector Bonnard1993Giovanni FalconePaolo Borsellino1994Like Two CrocodilesPietro Fraschini1995A Walk in the CloudsAlberto AragonPalermo – Milan One WayTuri Arcangelo Leofonte1996CelluloideSergio AmideiThe BorderVon ZirkenitzLa lupaFather AngiolinoThe Disappearance of Garcia LorcaTaxiUltimo bersaglioLeo SteinerMás allá del jardínBernardoNew York CrossingEnzoCervellini fritti impanatiUnknownThe Elective AffinitiesNarrator (voice)Voice-over1997MimicManny GavoilaUna vacanza all'infernoOrtegaHeaven Before I DieThief1998The DinnerProfessoreDolce far nienteCount NenciniThe Room of the SciroccoMarquis of Acquafurata1999Vuoti a perdereFrancesco CesenaMilongaCommissionerTerra bruciataMacrì2000Una noche con Sabrina LoveLeonardoWelcome AlbaniaUnknown2001ViperGuastamacchiaHannibalChief Inspector Rinaldo PazziUna lunga lunga lunga notte d'amoreMarcelloCQEnzoThe Whole ShebangPop BazinniMomoPresident of the Grey Men (voice)Animated film2002I Love You EugenioEugenioCiao AmericaZi' FeliceThe Bankers of God: The Calvi AffairFlavio CarboniJoshuaThe PopeDarknessAlbert RuaMario Monicelli, l'artigiano di ViareggioHimselfThe Council of EgyptNarrator (voice)Voice-over2003IncantatoCesareFive Moons SquareBrancoL'acqua... il fuocoDavidForeverGiovanni 2004Man on FireMiguel Manzano13 at a TableGiulio2005Raul: Straight to KillJudge Porfirio2006Tirant lo BlancEmperor of VisantiaSalvatore – Questa è la vitaTimpalisciaCasino RoyaleRené Mathis2007Milano Palermo – Il ritornoTuri Leofonte2008BastardiIl Gatto / CarloQuantum of SolaceRené Mathis2010La bella societàDr. Antonio GuarrasiLa prima notte della lunaIvan2012OmamamiaLorenzo2013AmeriQuaDon Cesare FerracaneThe Gambler Who Wouldn't DieNikitaAlso director2014PromakhosPetrosLove Pret-a-porteAlfonso2015Shades of TruthAaron Azulai2016On Air - Storia di un successoPresident Alberto HazanIl ragazzo della GiudeccaJudge Mangrella MaremmamaraEzioOggi a te... domani a meUnknownPrigioniero della mia libertà Inspector Spaccini 2017The NeighborhoodGianluca MorettiTulipani, Love, Honour and a BicycleCatarellaNobili bugieFrancoPipi, Pupu & Rosemary: the Mystery of the Stolen NotesNarrator (voice)Animated film2018The Catcher Was a SpyEdoardo AmaldiMagical NightsLeandro Saponaro2021I fratelli De FilippoEduardo ScarpettaGianni SchicchiBuoso Donati2023Book Club: The Next ChapterPolice Chief2024CabriniPope Leo XIII2025Judas' Gospel Judas (voice)
Television