Diego Abatantuono
| Diego Abatantuono | |
|---|---|
Diego Abatantuono and Francesco Lèon
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| Born |
Diego Abatantuono 20 May 1955 Milan, Italy |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1976 — present |
| Website | Official website |
Diego Abatantuono (born 20 May 1955) is an Italian cinema and theatre actor, and screenwriter.
Abatantuono was born in Milan to a father of Apulian origin and a mother from Como. The latter worked as wardrober in a Milanese jazz and later cabaret club, Derby, whose owner was Abatantuono's uncle.
He started to work at Derby first in lighting, then as artistical director and later as an actor. After a stint with the music-comical group Gatti di VicoloMiracoli and several minor film roles, he returned to work at Derby where he was discovered by famous TV showman, film director and talent scout Renzo Arbore, who cast him in his 1980 film Il Pap'occhio. Here started Abantantuono's first successful career in the recurrent role of a poorly cultivated immigrant from southern Italy (the "Terruncello"), speaking a personal form of slang which was to become a kind of brand.
His most successful performance was in the 1982 cult favorite Eccezzziunale... veramente, for which he also wrote the screenplay. He plays three different roles as a tifoso (fan) of Italy's three main football teams: A.C. Milan, Internazionale, and Juventus. He reprised all three roles for the 2006 sequel Eccezzziunale...veramente - Capitolo secondo... me, which featured cameos from then-current Milan players Paolo Maldini, Massimo Ambrosini, Alessandro Costacurta, Dida, Andriy Shevchenko, and Gennaro Gattuso. Milan were actually participating in the group stage of the 2005-06 UEFA Champions League at the time the players' scenes were filmed.
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Wikipedia