Umberto Orsini (born 2 April 1934) is an Italian actor. He achieved prominence as a stage actor in Luchino Visconti's company, before becoming known to general audiences for his roles in RAI television dramas. He won the Nastro d'Argento for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Visconti's The Damned (1969), and was nominated for the David di Donatello for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Early Bird Catches the Worm (2008).
Early life Orisini was born in Novara in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, on 2 April 1934. Prior to pursuing an acting career, he worked as a notary. He enrolled in the Accademia Nazionale di Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico in Rome, and graduated in 1954.
Career He began his professional stage career as a founding member of Milan's Compagnia dei Giovani, under the direction of Giorgio De Lullo and Romolo Valli. He performed with the Paolo Stoppa and Rina Morelli's company in a 1960 production of L'Arialda, directed by Luchino Visconti, and achieved critical praise for his performance as 'Nick' in a production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, opposite Enrico Maria Salerno. He performed extensively with Gabriele Lavia for the Teatro Eliseo, of which he was the artistic director between 1980 and 1997.
After a minor role in Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita, Orsini made his official film debut in the 1960 film Love in Rome. After several supporting roles, including in the star-studded international production Candy, Orsini made his breakthrough in Visconti's The Damned, playing a disillusioned industrialist in 1930s Germany whose anti-Nazi views leave him a target of the new regime. The role earned Orsini praise from Italian critics, and he won that year's Nastro d'Argento for Best Supporting Actor.
He would collaborate again with Visconti in the 1973 historical epic Ludwig, which also reunited him with Damned co-stars Helmut Berger and Helmut Griem. Outside his native Italy, Orsini also worked in French cinema, notably playing the husband of the title character in Emmanuelle 2 and Goodbye Emmanuelle.
Orsini found success on Italian television, becoming a regular fixture of RAI programming. He co-hosted the Sunday morning cooking show Colazione allo studio 7 with Luigi Veronelli.
Personal life
Orsini was romantically involved with Ellen Kessler for 20 years.
Filmography Film Year English titleOriginal titleRole Director Notes1957Marisa la civetta SailorMauro BologniniUncredited1960Love in RomeUn amore a RomaPeppino BarlacchiDino RisiLa Dolce Vita Man in ShadesFederico FelliniUncreditedChiamate 22-22 tenente SheridanTommyGiorgio Bianchi1961Io bacio... tu baciPaoloPiero VivarelliBattle of the WorldsIl Pianeta degli uomini spentiDr. Fred SteeleAntonio MargheritiCaccia all'uomo Giovanni MaimontiRiccardo Freda1962The SeaIl mareThe ActorGiuseppe Patroni Griffi1963The Shortest DayIl giorno più cortoSoldierSergio CorbucciUncreditedNoche de veranoMiguel SolinasJorge GrauDon't Tempt the DevilLes Bonnes CausesPhillietChristian-JaqueSweet Skin Strip-teaseDancerJacques Poitrenaud1965The MythLa violenza e l'amore RobertoAdimaro Sala1966PlaygirlTimoWill TremperMademoiselle AntonioTony RichardsonThe StepsTa skalopatiaRobertoLeonard Hirschfield1967The Sailor from GibraltarPostcard VendorTony RichardsonThe Girl and the GeneralLa Ragazza e il GeneralePvt. TarasconiPasquale Festa Campanile1968CandyThe Big GuyChristian Marquand1969The DamnedLa caduta degli deiHerbert ThallmanLuchino ViscontiInterrabang Fabrizio BertiGiuliano Biagetti1970A Big Grey-Blue BirdEin großer graublauer VogelMorelliThomas SchamoniViolent CityCittà violentaSteveSergio SollimaBali Incontro d'amoreCarloUgo Liberatore1971Roma BenePrince Rubio MarescalliCarlo Lizzani1972Shadows UnseenAbuso di potereEnrico GagliardiCamillo BazzoniCésar and RosalieCésar et RosalieAntoineClaude SautetI figli chiedono perché Michèle's FatherNino ZanchinThe Outside ManUn homme est mortAlex KovacsJacques Deray1973La ToscaCesare AngelottiLuigi MagniLudwigCount Maximilian von HolnsteinLuchino Visconti The Assassination of MatteottiIl delitto MatteottiAmerigo DuminiFlorestano VanciniNo Way OutTony ArzentaIsnelloDuccio TessariStory of a Cloistered NunStoria di una monaca di clausuraDon DiegoDomenico Paolella1974PuzzleL’uomo senza memoriaDanieleDuccio TessariVerdictDoctorAndré CayatteUncreditedVincent, François, Paul and the OthersVincent, François, Paul et les autresJacquesClaude SautetThe AntichristL'anticristoDr. Marcello SinibaldiAlberto De Martino1975Smiling ManiacsCorruzione al palazzo di giustiziaErziMarcello AliprandiEmmanuelle 2Emmanuelle: L'antiviergeJeanFrancis Giacobetti1976Perdutamente tuo... mi firmo Macaluso Carmelo fu Giuseppe Vito BuscemiVittorio SindoniA Woman at Her WindowUne femme à sa fenêtreRico SantoriniPierre Granier-Deferre1977A Straight Laced GirlUne fille cousue de fil blancFrédéricMichel LangCasanova & Co.Count TirettaFranz AntelGangbusterL'avvocato della malaFarneseAlberto MarrasBeyond Good and EvilAl di là del bene e del maleBernhard FörsterLiliana CavaniGoodbye EmmanuelleJeanFrançois Leterrier1978The Fifth CommandmentL'alba dei falsi deiSturmführer Hannacker / Vater RedderDuccio TessariLittle Girl in Blue VelvetLa petite fille en velours bleuFabrizio ContiAlan BridgesOther People's MoneyL'argent des autresBlueChristian de Chalonge1980 Strawberry BlondeBionda fragola AntonioMino Bellei1994Elles n'oublient jamais VienneChristopher Frank1995Who Killed Pasolini?Pasolini, un delitto italianoMagistrateMarco Tullio Giordana1997The Bride's JourneyIl viaggio della SposaDon DiegoSergio Rubini1998L'ospite AntonioAlessandro Colizzi2000Johnny the PartisanIl partigiano JohnnyPininGuido Chiesa2003Hannover AielloFerdinando Vicentini Orgnani2004Love ReturnsL'amore ritornaDr. AmbrosiniSergio Rubini2008The Early Bird Catches the WormIl mattino ha l'oro in boccaUncle LinoFrancesco Patierno2017Agadah BelialAlberto Rondalli2022Marcel!NonnoJasmine Trinca2024Trifole IgorGabriele Fabbro
Television YearTitleRole Notes1959-60Giallo club. Invito al poliziescoRonald / Robert2 episodes1960La casa sull'acquaLucaTelevision film1963Lo zoo di vetroTom WingfieldGli spettriOswald Alving1964I grandi camaleontiTallienMiniseries: 4 episodesVita di MichelangeloTommaso dei CavalieriEpisode #1.3Biblioteca di Studio UnoBrent TarletonEpisode: "La storia di Rossella O'Hara"1965Coriolano Tullo AufidioTelevision filmLa figlia del capitanoPyotr Andreyich GrinyovMiniseries: 6 episodes1966Il reDuca di SavoiaTelevision film1968Morte di un commesso viaggiatoreBiff Loman1969I fratelli KaramazovIvan KaramazovMiniseries: 6 episodes1977Processo a Maria TarnowskaDemiat PrilukoffMiniseries: 3 episodes1978Cinéma 16ClownEpisode: "Thomas Guérin, retraité"1979Racconti di fantascienzaGeneral GuarneriusEpisode: "O.B.N. in arrivo"I racconti fantastici di Edgar Allan PoeRobert UsherEpisode: "Ligeia forever"1980Orient-ExpressGaetanoEpisode: "Jane"1982ColombaColonel NevilleTelevision film1984Notti e nebbieBruno Spada1997SolomonNathan1999EstherMemucan2000Lourdes Père LaurentPaul the ApostleTribuneMiniseries: 2 episodes2013Gourmet WarsLeone11 episodes
Awards and recognition AwardYearCategoryWork ResultDavid di Donatello2008Best Supporting ActorThe Early Bird Catches the WormNastro d'Argento1970Best Supporting ActorThe DamnedKineo Award2008Best Supporting ActorThe Early Bird Catches the Worm
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