Luigi Montefiori (16 August 1942 – 19 May 2026), better known by the stage name George Eastman, was an Italian actor and screenwriter. He participated in many of the genre film trends of Italian cinema, but was best known for his frequent collaborations with director Joe D'Amato, both as an actor and as a screenwriter.
Eastman portrayed cannibalistic serial killer Klaus Wortmann in the 1980 horror film Antropophagus, and also played a similar role in its 1981 follow-up, Absurd. Both films were directed by D'Amato and written by Eastman.
Early life and education Eastman was born in Genoa in 1942. He moved to Rome as a young man, and initially worked as a commercial artist and graphic designer. Developing an interest in acting, he studied acting under Alessandro Fersen and at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia (under Nanni Loy).
Career The young actor took his anglicized alias "George Eastman" (after Montgomery Clift's character in A Place in the Sun) when he was cast as a villain or "heavy" in many Spaghetti Westerns made in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1972, he played the villain in The Call of the Wild which starred Charlton Heston and was directed by Ken Annakin.
He later became a regular performer in many movies directed by Joe D'Amato, for whom he also wrote many screenplays. Their first work together was Cormack of the Mounties (aka Giubbe rosse) in 1975.
Eastman was a very familiar face in Italian B-cinema in the early 1980s, being generally cast as a villain, thanks to his towering 6'9" height and his dark and menacing looks. He co-starred in many Italian science fiction films such as Bronx Warriors, The New Barbarians, Endgame, Ironmaster, 2020 Texas Gladiators, and After the Fall of New York. His most famous movie is the gory horror film Anthropophagous, directed by Joe D'Amato in 1980, in which he played the monster. He also starred in D'Amato's Erotic Nights of the Living Dead, Porno Holocaust, and Absurd (aka Anthropophagous 2).
Two of his greatest major villain roles were in Rabid Dogs (aka Kidnapped, 1974) and Blastfighter (1984). He appeared in Paramount's 1985 biblical film King David playing Goliath in David's childhood flashback scene. In 1986, he performed as Stefano in the movie Regalo di Natale, directed by Pupi Avati. He also wrote and directed the science fiction film Metamorphosis/ DNA Formula LetalePalmerini, Luca M.; Mistretta, Gaetano (1996). "Spaghetti Nightmares". Fantasma Books. p. 110.. (produced by Joe D'Amato) in 1990, after which he quit acting to concentrate on his screenwriting. In 2003, he returned to acting in Christmas Rematch, a film directed by Pupi Avati.
Personal life Eastman married Manuela Romano in 1987. They had three children, including actress (b. 1994). Singer Briga was his son-in-law.
Eastman's tall stature (2.06m, or 6ft 9in) was one of his signatures.
Death Eastman died in Rome on 19 May 2026, at the age of 83.
Partial filmography + Title Year Credited as Role Notes Actor Screenwriter Story author Django Shoots First1966 Jesse Kluster My Name Is Pecos 1966 Member of Kline's group Django Kills Softly1967 Bill Ramon/Chico Poker with Pistols Lucas Django, Prepare a Coffin 1968 Lucas Bootleggers1969 McGowan "The Irish" Fellini Satyricon The Minotaur Bastard, Go and Kill1971 Ben and Charlie1972 Charlie Black Burton Baba Yaga1973 Charlie Scalawag Don Aragon A forza di sberle 1974 Cormack of the Mounties 1975 Bruckner, Ulrich P. (2002). Für ein paar Leichen mehr: der Italo-Western von seinen Anfängen bis heute (in German). Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf. p. 428. Blood and Bullets1976 Dan Caputo, "Knell" Keoma Canne mozze 1977 Sesso nero1980 Voyakis Antropophagus Nikos Karamanlis Also producer Porno Holocaust 1981 Professor Lemoine 1990: The Bronx Warriors1983 Ironmaster Vood One 2019, After the Fall of New York Big Ape Blastfighter 1984 Tom Delirium1987 Alex Jacko Il deserto del fuoco 1997 Television film Rabid Dogs 1998 Trentadue / Thirty-two 2020 Texas Gladiators Emanuelle's Revenge Carlo Crane Emanuelle Around the World1977 Guru Shanti Master Stroke Western actor
The Belle Starr Story (1968) directed by Lina Wertmüller Chuck Moll (1970) The Three Musketeers of the West House of Pleasure for Women (1976) Orgasmo Nero (1980) directed by Joe D'Amato Hard Sensations (1980) directed by Joe D'Amato Erotic Nights of the Living Dead (1980) directed by Joe D'Amato (Eastman also wrote this film) Absurd (1981) directed by Joe D'Amato (Eastman also wrote this film) Caligula... The Untold Story (1982) directed by Joe D'Amato The Bronx Warriors (1982) directed by Enzo G. Castellari Endgame (1983) directed by Joe D'Amato (Eastman also wrote this film) Detective School Dropouts (1986) directed by Filippo Ottoni Hands of Steel (1986) a.k.a. Fists of Steel, a.k.a. Vendetta Dal Futuro, directed by Sergio Martino Christmas Present (1986) directed by Pupi Avati Delirium/Photos of Joy (1987) directed by Lamberto Bava Crystal or Ash, Fire or Wind, as Long as It's Love (1989) directed by Lina Wertmüller Metamorphosis (1990) a.k.a. DNA Formula Letale (Eastman wrote and directed this film) Christmas Rematch (2004) directed by Pupi Avati
Screenplays Giubbe rosse (1974), aka Red Coats, aka Cormack of the Mounties, directed by Joe D'Amato Candido Erotico (1978)Palmerini, Luca M.; Mistretta, Gaetano (1996). "Spaghetti Nightmares". Fantasma Books. p. 111.. La Ragazza del Vagone Letto (1979)Palmerini, Luca M.; Mistretta, Gaetano (1996). "Spaghetti Nightmares". Fantasma Books. p. 111.. The Great Alligator River (1979), directed by Sergio Martino (Eastman got plot credit only) Sesso nero/ Black Sex (1980), directed by Joe D'Amato Erotic Nights of the Living Dead (1980), directed by Joe D'Amato (Eastman also co-starred in this film) Absurd/Rosso sangue (1981), directed by Joe D'Amato (Eastman co-starred in this film as the monster) Caligula... The Untold Story (1982), directed by Joe D'Amato Endgame (1983), directed by Joe D'Amato (Eastman co-starred in this film as well) Stage Fright (1987), a.k.a. Deliria, directed by Michele Soavi (Eastman has an uncredited role in this film, playing the masked killer) Metamorphosis (1990), a.k.a. DNA Formula Letale (Eastman directed this film, and had a cameo role in it as wellPalmerini, Luca M.; Mistretta, Gaetano (1996). "Spaghetti Nightmares". Fantasma Books. p. 111..) Il Principe del Deserto (TV serial)Palmerini, Luca M.; Mistretta, Gaetano (1996). "Spaghetti Nightmares". Fantasma Books. p. 111.. The Son of Sandokan (1998), made-for-TV movie
References
Footnotes
Sources
External links
Nanarland French B-movie website which reviews several of Eastman's movies