Massimo Boldi

Last updated
Massimo Boldi
Massimo Boldi.jpg
Boldi in 2017
Born (1945-07-23) 23 July 1945 (age 78)
Luino, Kingdom of Italy [1]
Occupations
  • Stand-up comedian
  • actor
SpouseMarisa Selo (1973 – 30 April 2004) (her death)
PartnerIrene Fornaciari (2019–2020)
Children3

Massimo Antonio Boldi (born 23 July 1945) is an Italian stand-up comedian and actor.

Contents

Biography

Boldi was born in Luino on 23 July 1945. In 1955 his family moved to Milan, where he joined evening classes and began working as a window-dresser and then as a door-to-door salesman for a pastry company. In 1968 he started performing in cabaret. In the 1970s he did not perform, but managed a bar-latteria in Milan. On 29 September 1973 he married Marisa Selo (cousin of Formula One driver Michele Alboreto). Their marriage lasted until Selo's death on 8 April 2004. [2]

Artistic careers

Drummer

Boldi entered show business as a drummer. He played in the group I Mimitoki before joining the better-known La pattuglia azzurra ("The Blue Patrol"), which was headed by a young Claudio Lippi. He went on to be a drummer in Gino Paoli's orchestra and many other bands.

Stand-up comedian

Boldi's continued his drumming career at Derby Club, established in 1959 as a jazz venue by Gianni Bongiovanni and his wife Angela. Among the artists he worked with were Enzo Jannacci, Cochi e Renato, Giorgio Gaber, Bruno Lauzi, Umberto Bindi, Gino Paoli, Paolo Villaggio, Walter Waldi and Enrico Intra, joint founder of the club. There, at the suggestion of Bongiovanni, he became a stand-up comedian, creating characters that soon became popular in the club and, after appearances on local television, outside. In those years he and Teo Teocoli performed as a duo, both in the Derby Club and on television.

Television career

On Antenna 3, a local television station in Legnano, Boldi and Teocoli performed "Non lo sapessi ma lo so" ("I didn't know, but I know now"), a program that was claimed to show the way for a new generation of comedians. Directed by Beppe Recchia, it was broadcast every Wednesday evening from 20:30 to midnight. The title came from a Boldi catch phrase that appeared in a song he wrote with his friends Enzo Jannacci and Paolo Beldì.

An ad-lib by Teocoli gave rise to Boldi's most famous and popular character, Massima Cipollino, the improbable, blundering presenter of a private newscast, in which he would take calls from the program director on a telephone on his desk, replying on air "Vvvvvvv....vvvaaaaaa Beneeeeeee!!!!!" ("Oooooo Kaaaaaay!!!!!"). He would then break the telephone while hanging up. After this, Boldi appeared in many programs on Italian national television, not always with Teocoli.

On the Rai Uno program Canzonissima , Boldi played one of his most successful characters, "Mario Vigorone", before moving on to the program A Tutto Gag , directed by Romolo Siena, in which Boldi played a Tuscan cook with the catch phrase "Come dite voi a Milano?" ("How do you say in Milan?"). On the RAI he also made Saltimbanchi si muore, La Tappazzeria, and Fantastico 8 , programs made under the management of Adriano Celentano. On Mediaset, he took part in Drive In , Risatissima, Grand Hotel, Sabato al circo, La strana coppia.

In Una rotonda sul mare, Boldi and Teocoli played a parody of the Diabolik stories. Boldi was the seemingly mad thief "Diaboldik", and Teocoli played a certain "Inspector Rinko", a clear reference to Inspector Ginko, the thief in the black leotard.

On Canale 5 Boldi took part in a season of Striscia la notizia (1996–1997), Scherzi a parte (2002) and  in 2008 with Lorella Cuccarini   an edition of La sai l'ultima? . Canale 5 also gave Boldi his first fictional television role, as Lorenzo Fumagalli ("big dad") in the series Un ciclone in famiglia , directed by Carlo Vanzina.

Cinema career

After some supporting roles in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Boldi had his first major success in Carlo Verdone's 1984 film I due carabinieri ("The two carabinieri"), and then with Scuola di ladri ("School for thieves") and Yuppies .

In film, Boldi plays the typical Milan citizen, bourgeois and methodical, always prone to tachycardia. Some of his favourite expressions, such as "Bestia che dolore!" ("Damn that pain!"), "Mi hai fatto un male pazzesco!" ("You have really hurt me!"), "Ciao Cipollino!" ("Hi Cipollino!"), "Vavavavavava!" ("Gogogogogo!") and "Non lo sapessi ma lo seppi!" ("I didn't know it but I knew it!"), have become popular catchphrases.

Boldi and De Sica

Boldi has co-starred with Christian De Sica in movies for about twenty years. Together they have made 24 movies, beginning with traditional Christmas ones including Vacanze di Natale, A spasso nel tempo (1996), Paparazzi (1998), Tifosi ("Fans") (1999) and Christmas in Love (2004). By 2002, their films had grossed 300 billion lire ($150 million). [3] Since separating from De Sica, Boldi has played in Olé (2006), Matrimonio alle Bahamas (2007) and La fidanzata di papà ("Dad's girlfriend") (2008).

In politics

Boldi ran for the Italian Socialist Party at the 1992 elections. But this was a brief diversion, which he immediately abandoned to return to acting.

Selected filmography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teo Teocoli</span> Italian actor

Antonio "Teo" Teocoli is an Italian actor, TV conductor, singer and writer appearing in about 30 mostly Italian productions since 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paolo Villaggio</span> Italian actor, writer and comedian (1932–2017)

Paolo Villaggio was an Italian actor, voice actor, writer, director and comedian. He is noted for the characters he created with paradoxical and grotesque characteristics: Professor Kranz, the ultra-timid Giandomenico Fracchia, and the obsequious and meek accountant Ugo Fantozzi, perhaps the favourite character in Italian comedy. He wrote several books, usually of satirical character. He also acted in dramatic roles, and appeared in several movies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aurelio De Laurentiis</span> Italian film producer and businessman

Aurelio De Laurentiis is an Italian film producer. He owns the film production company Filmauro and the Italian football club Napoli.

Alessia Marcuzzi is an Italian television host, actress and former fashion model.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nino Frassica</span> Italian actor and television personality (born 1950)

Antonino "Nino" Frassica is an Italian actor and television personality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marisa Merlini</span> Italian actress

Marisa Merlini was an Italian character actress active in Italy's post-World War II cinema. Merlini appeared in over fifty films during her career, which spanned from World War II to 2005. In Luigi Comencini's 1953 film Pane, amore e fantasia, she portrayed Annarella, a village midwife, who marries the local police marshal, played by Vittorio De Sica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pietro De Vico</span> Italian actor

Pietro De Vico was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 70 films between 1948 and 1991. He was married, from 1937 until his death in 1999, to actress Anna Campori.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lino Banfi</span> Italian actor

Lino Banfi is an Italian actor and screenwriter. Since 1960 he has appeared in more than 100 films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlo Vanzina</span> Italian film director, producer and screenwriter (1951–2018)

Carlo Vanzina was an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renato Pozzetto</span> Italian actor

Renato Pozzetto is an Italian actor, director, comedian, and singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian De Sica</span> Italian actor and director

Christian De Sica is an Italian actor and film director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massimo Ghini</span> Italian film actor

Massimo Ghini is an Italian actor.

Raimondo Crociani was an Italian film editor and occasional director.

Antonio Cantafora, also known professionally as Michael Coby, is an Italian film and television actor.

Licinia Lentini is an Italian actress and television personality. She was sometimes credited as Lilian Lacy and Licia Lee Lyon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrea Roncato</span> Italian actor, comedian and television personality

Andrea Roncato is an Italian actor, comedian and television personality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonio Allocca</span> Italian actor

Antonio Allocca was an Italian character actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enrico Oldoini</span> Italian director and screenwriter (1946–2023)

Enrico Oldoini was an Italian director and screenwriter.

Neri Parenti is an Italian film director and writer. He is known for comedy films, including the series starring Paolo Villaggio playing the character Ugo Fantozzi, and a later series of cinepanettoni—zany comedy films scheduled for release during the Christmas period.

References

  1. "Massimo Boldi". IMDb.
  2. repubblica.it. "E' morta Marisa Selo, moglie di Massimo Boldi". trovacinema.repubblica.it.
  3. Rooney, David (7 January 2002). "Local yokels deliver a boffo B.O holiday gift". Variety . p. 30.