Venantino Venantini
Enrico Venantino Venantini was an Italian actor. He is known internationally for his roles in several cult and exploitation films during the 1970s and 1980s, and was also a favorite of French director Georges Lautner. He won the Nastro d'Argento for Best Supporting Actor for The Dinner.
Early life
Venantini was born in Fabriano in 1930. He won a scholarship to study at the Beaux-Arts de Paris in France. To finance his studies, he took extra roles in films like Ben-Hur, and worked as a translator at the American embassy in Rome. He moved to what Paris with what little money had had, driving a Lambretta scooter.
Career
Venantini appeared in appeared in more than 190 films and television series. He made his debut in the cinema with an appearance in Un giorno in pretura under the direction of Steno and he had his first important role in , directed by Franco Rossi.
He appeared in cult favorites such as Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eye, Black Emanuelle, City of the Living Dead, The New Barbarians, The Adventures of Hercules, and Final Justice. He acted with actors such as Lino Ventura, Yves Montand, Alain Delon and Gérard Depardieu and for directors such as Ettore Scola, Luciano Salce and Dino Risi and for French film directors such as Gérard Oury and Claude Lelouch. He was a particular favorite of French director Georges Lautner, with whom he worked on 10 films.
In 2017, Venantini was the subject of a retrospective at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, the national film school of Italy, which described him as "a multifaceted actor with a prolific and heterogeneous filmography."
Personal life
Venantini was fluent in French and English, as well as his native Italian. He had two children, actor and Victoria Venantini. He remained an avid painter throughout his life.
Death
Venantini died in Viterbo at the age of 88, on 9 October 2018, while recovering from surgery.
Selected filmography
A Day in Court – Ufficiale al varietà No Sun in Venice Ben Hur – Palefrenier de la course de chars Odissea nuda – Film MakerPastasciutta nel deserto – MalapagaWarriors Five – AlbertoThe Captive City – Gen. FerolouLes Tontons flingueurs – PascalIl vuoto – Andrea MasiSalad by the Roots – Pierre MichonLe conseguenze – ValerioLa Celestina P... R... – CarloLe Corniaud – Mickey dit le bègue ou la sourisThe Agony and the Ecstasy – Paris De GrassisGalia – GregBalearic Caper – GiulianoLe Grand Restaurant – HenriqueLa grande sauterelle – VladimirRound Trip – Marc DaumelBandidos – Billy KaneThe Killer Likes Candy – CostaLove in the Night – BollertAnzio – Capt. BurnsEmma Hamilton – Le prince CarraciolaThe Libertine – AurelioHate Is My God – SweetleyErotissimo – SylvioPlaygirl 70 The War Devils – Heinrich MeinikeAre You Engaged to a Greek Sailor or an Airline Pilot? – MinistreThe Priest's Wife – MaurizioQuella chiara notte d'ottobre Macédoine – Brian GoffyLaisse aller... c'est une valse – ToscaLa araucana – Pedro de ValdiviaPer amore o per forza – Padre di JaneDelusions of Grandeur – Del BastoIl était une fois un flic... – Felice – le tueurLa rossa dalla pelle che scotta Le Rempart des béguines – MaxMaster of Love – Soldier from SicilySeven Deaths in the Cat's Eye – Father RobertsonProfession: Aventuriers – PabloNumber One – RudyThe Police Serve the Citizens? – MancinelliUn modo di essere donna – SimoneLady Dynamite - Tommaso RussoThe Magnificent Dare Devil – Piero AlbertiniLe führer en folie – Italian waiter / valetAnd Now My Love – Very Italian Italian ManAmore libero – Free Love – ChavadBlack Emanuelle – William MeredithEmmanuelle 2 – The Polo PlayerCalore in provincia – SantuzzoSex Diary – 'Bogart'Emanuelle in Bangkok – DavidA.A.A. cercasi spia... disposta spiare per conto spie – Roger, Capo della CIAYoung, Violent, Dangerous – Sign. MorandiIl pomicione – RenatoNine Guests for a Crime – WalterRene the Cane – CarloL'altra metà del cielo – Mister RickieLa Bidonata – The FrenchmanLa bravata – WalterThe Greatest Battle – MichaelEmanuelle and the White Slave Trade – Giorgio RivettiWar of the Robots – PaulFirst Love – Emilio, TV channel ownerLa Cage aux Folles – Le chauffeur de CharrierThe Concorde Affair – ForsytheCop or Hood – MarioThe Humanoid From Corleone to Brooklyn – Lt. DanovaGardenia – NocitaOn est venu là pour s'éclater – NorbertTre sotto il lenzuolo Riavanti... Marsch! – Sergeant SconocchiaTerror Express – MikeSesso profondo – Mr. MurphyLa terrazza – Un ospiteFlatfoot in Egypt – RuotoloBeast in Space – Juan CardosoLa padrina Cannibal Apocalypse – Lieutenant Hill Contraband – Captain TarantinoCity of the Living Dead – Mr. RossCannibal Ferox – Sgt. RossLongshot – Henri BressonGiggi il bullo – Don SalvatoreSesso e volentieri – Man in the cinemaDio li fa poi li accoppia – OcchipintiThe New Barbarians – Father MosesExterminators of the Year 3000 – JohnAttention une femme peut en cacher une autre! – NinoLe bon roi Dagobert – Demetrius, marchandWindsurf – Il vento nelle mani – WalterLadyhawke – Bishop's SecretaryLiberté, égalité, choucroute – Un sans culotteThe Adventures of Hercules – High PriestThe Assisi Underground – PietroFinal Justice – Joseph PalermoSogni erotici di Cleopatra – Dolabella De flyvende djævle – LuigiThe Lion's Share – Enzo GattiIl pentito Superfantagenio – PuncherCapriccio – AlfredoMadame, nuda è arrivata la straniera – Fisher Vanille fraise – AnselmoThe King's Whore – Luis de Arragon / Louis d'AragonCrazy Underwear – Alessia's FatherMadrugada de sangue Il respiro della valle Blu notte – FatherGiovani e belli – BubyL'amico di Wang – EzioThe Eighteenth Angel – ClockmakerWe'll Really Hurt You – PietroThe Dinner Toni – MinelliLivraison à domicile – Giuseppe, le père de ThomasHo visto le stelle – Duilio MaseraAtomik Circus – Le retour de James Bataille – Matt KelsoCould This Be Love? – Della PonteI Always Wanted to Be a Gangster – JoeThe Hideout – Telephone InstallerNos 18 ans – MarcelloThe Museum of Wonders – Master of Ceremonies22 Bullets – PadovanoBloody Sin – Il prelatoHyde's Secret Nightmare – BarmanPhantasmagoria – Grandpa P.O.E. Pieces of Eldritch Papa lumière – Le gérant de l'hôtelUn plus une – HenriThe Very Private Life of Mister Sim – Monsieur Matteotti pèreMarseille – GiovanniVive la crise – Luigi PirandelloMaryline – Elio, le patron du restaurant