Apulian actors who made the history of Italian cinema

Puglia is a land famous for its natural, artistic, historical beauties and for its cuisine known throughout the world, but also for the many artists who were born here, especially Apulian actors, highly appreciated in the Italian cinema scene and international.

Apulian actors: yesterday and today

• One of the actors who brought Puglia to Hollywood was Rodolfo Valentino, born in Castellaneta in the province of Taranto in 1895, who left for New York at the age of just 18 to pursue the American dream, arriving in Hollywood where he made his breakthrough as an actor in several productions, including “My Official Wife”, “The Quest of Life”, “The Foolish Virgin”.

• Talent and beauty are not lacking even in the Apulian cinema actors of today: an example is Riccardo Scamarcio, born in 1979, originally from Trani. His fame in the cinema came with the generational cult “Tre metri sopra il cielo” and from there his career was on the rise even in roles in international productions such as in Woody Allen’s “To Rome With Love“.

• Titled most handsome in Italy in 1992 is the actor and presenter from Bari Ettore Bassi, born in 1970 who began studying theater in Turin at just 19 years old. In 1993 he led the Banda dello Zecchino and in 1994 he began his career as an actor in the TV miniseries “Italian Restaurant” and from that moment on he took part in many other TV series such as “I ragazzi del muretto 3“, “Un posto al sole”, “Carabinieri” and the more recent “La porta rossa”.

• Among the Apulian women we remember the Bitonto actress and presenter Bianca Guaccero who made her film debut in the film “Burnt Earth” alongside Giancarlo Giannini and Michele Placido. Since that moment there have been many participations in films and TV series: among the most famous “Capri“, “La Terza Verità“, “Mia Madre” while among the presences as host, in 2008 the co-hosting of the Sanremo Festival and the current hosting of the Rai Due afternoon program “Detto Fatto”.

Laughter made in Puglia

• The undisputed king of laughter is the actor from Bari who grew up in Capurso, Luca Pasquale Medici, aka Checco Zalone, who has some of the most successful films in the history of Italian cinema in his CV. His career as a comedian took off in Zelig Off in 2005 where he performed parodies of famous songs. His debut as an actor took place in 2009 with the film “Cado dalle nubi” and from that moment on, a series of successes and box office successes followed: “Che bella giorno”, “Sole a catinelle”, “Quo vado?”, until the last “Tolo Tolo”.

• It is precisely in one of these films (“Cado dalle nubi”) that another famous actor from Bari appears, Dino Abbrescia: a “born” theater actor, he only subsequently landed in films such as “Io non ho paura“, “Manuale d’amore” and in TV series such as “Distretto di Polizia 10 and 11” or “Squadra Anti-Mafia”.

• Spokesman of Apulian joy throughout Italy is also the comedian and actor from Bari Emilio Solfrizzi, who graduated from DAMS in Bologna. Famous for the couple created with his friend Antonio Stornaiolo, “Toti and Tata”. There are many characters played in cinema and on TV such as the successful role of Paolo Giorgi in “Tutti pazzi per amore”.

• Last but not least, Pasquale Zagaria, better known as Lino Banfi, born in Andria and a leading representative of the Italian sexy comedy genre of the 60s and 80s, much appreciated for the role of Oronzo Canà in “L’allenatore nel pallone”and in other funny comedies that still make us laugh today. Certainly, the television audience is still fond of his role as Nonno Libero in “Un medico in famiglia”.