Oreste Lionello


Oreste Lionello was an Italian actor and voice actor.

Biography

Lionello was born in Rhodes, to Calabrian parents, and grew up in Reggio Calabria. He began his career as a theatre actor, and was considered amongst the founders of Italian cabaret. In 1953 he entered the Musical Theatrical Company of RAI and the following year he debuted in television with Marziano Filippo, a boys' show. In the 1960s, he was one of the founders of the Bagaglino comic theatre and TV company and he had found success as an entertainer on Italian TV in the 1970s and 1980s. As an actor, Lionello acted in over 56 feature films and several television shows. He appeared in five episodes of Le avventure di Laura Storm and he made his debut film appearance in The Cheerful Squadron.
As a voice actor, Lionello was the official Italian voice of Woody Allen. Other actors he dubbed included Charlie Chaplin, Groucho Marx, Dick Van Dyke, Peter Sellers, Gene Wilder, Michel Serrault, Donald Pleasence, Clive Revill, Gérard Depardieu, Rick Moranis and Roman Polanski. He also dubbed Robin Williams as Mork in the first two seasons of Mork & Mindy. In his animated roles, Lionello dubbed popular animated characters for Disney and Warner Bros. between the 1950s and 1970s. He was considered a pioneer of Italian voice dubbing and founded the C.V.D. along with Renato Turi, Giancarlo Giannini, Valeria Valeri, Corrado Gaipa and other dubbers.

Personal life

Lionello was married with six children, most of which followed in his footsteps. This includes Luca, Cristiana, Alessia and Davide, who are all actors and dubbers. His oldest son Fabio Luigi is a television director. He also had another daughter, Vivianna.

Death

Lionello died on 19 February 2009 in Rome at the age of 81 after a long illness and was buried at the Campo Verano. Allen later paid tribute to him in an interview.
After his death, the voice of Woody Allen was passed on to Leo Gullotta.

Filmography

Cinema

The Cheerful Squadron - The Quartermaster's Assistant È arrivata la parigina - BasilioDevil's Cavaliers - Rollò, Stiller HenchmanLa cento chilometri - The Tram Passenger with Glasses Il Mattatore - Il Ragioniere Toto, Fabrizi and the Young People Today - Student Le pillole di Ercole - GinoThe Two Rivals Totòtruffa 62 - PippoLa voglia matta - Biondo Nerone '71 - Aiutante della registaThe [Beast of Babylon Against the Son of Hercules] The Swindlers - Ciocchi L'ultima carica Queste pazze pazze donne - Nannarella's Brother Le sette vipere - Barbikian The Magnificent Gladiator - DrusiusTop Crack - PeterI due sanculotti - NapoleoneRiderà! - FrancoMr. Kinky - PuccioVIP my Brother Superman - Mini VIP I quattro del pater noster - MamboFour Flies on Grey Velvet - The ProfessorThe Case of the Bloody Iris - Arthur - PhotographerMamma... li turchi! - Mamma li TurchiThe Sensual Man - PainterProvaci anche tu Lionel - Lionel LionelliLe avventure di Barbapapà - Narrator Antoine and Sebastian - LedieuSesso in testa - EpifanioPoker in Bed - AlbertoI sette magnifici cornuti - AntonioThe Sensual Man The Sex Machine - DriverUn sorriso, uno schiaffo, un bacio in bocca - Sexycop - Commissario SolmiRemo e Romolo - EtruscoSoldier of Fortune - Giovenale da VetrallaThe Best - Amilcare ChiocchiettiLa prima notte di nozze My Sister in Law - Francesco Lo PrestiCassiodoro il più duro del pretorio Nerone - SenecaPer amore di Poppea - NeroKakkientruppen - Ispettore generaleScherzi da prete - Spartaco De SimoneTutti a squola - Professore di scienzeL'imbranato Ciao marziano - Il mafiosoQuella peste di Pierina - Il TigreAttenti a quei P2 - Licio BelliBiancaneve & Co... - Mago MagoneTi spacco il muso, bimba! Petomaniac - Narratore Sfrattato cerca casa equo canone - Il nonnoMassimamente folle Dov'era Lei a quell'Ora? - Procuratore CapoStorie di Seduzione - PolicemanI Fetentoni Opopomoz - Scarapino No Problem - Signor PairoPostcards from Rome - The dog

Dubbing roles

Animation

Live action

Work as dubbing director

BBC Television ShakespeareCrimes and MisdemeanorsGhostbusters IIHannah and Her SistersPolice Academy 3: Back in TrainingPolice Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol