Giovanni Lombardo Radice (23 September 1954 – 27 April 2023) was an Italian actor, screenwriter and theatre director. He was best known to film audiences for his roles in horror films, several of which became cult classics. He was sometimes credited under the stage name John Morghen.
Early life Radice was born in Rome in September 1954, into a prominent local family. His father, Lucio, was a mathematician and a leading member of the Communist Party. His paternal grandfather was the pedagogist Giuseppe Lombardo Radice. His uncle, Pietro Ingrao, was a prominent politician, journalist, and World War II partisan. He was the first Communist to become President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, a position he held from 1976 to 1979.
Radice studied to become a ballet dancer, but his career was sidelined by a back injury in his teenage years. After brief stint as a physical therapist, he decided to become an actor.
Career After classical training, he started a Shakespearean company called The Swan Company (named after The Swan) at the age of 19. He was a successful stage actor for several years, but by his account was "a terrible administrator" and struggled financially. After a chance meeting with Ruggero Deodato's mother-in-law, he became acquainted with the director, and after a successful audition was cast in his 1980 horror film The House on the Edge of the Park.
Throughout the 1980s, Radice appeared in many Italian cult films such as Cannibal Apocalypse (1980), City of the Living Dead (1980), Stage Fright (1987) and The Church (1989).
Radice is best known for his villainous roles in Italian horror films, and notably for the spectacular and gruesome death scenes his characters semi-regularly fall victim to. In several interviews, he reportedly stated that he wished he had never portrayed Mike Logan in Cannibal Ferox, criticizing the movie for being both fascist and racist and abusive towards animals. After his family criticized him for using his family name to create incredibly violent films, Radice adopted the stage name John Morghen, taking the anglicized form of his first name (Giovanni becomes John) and using his maternal grandmother's maiden name as his last name (Morghen).
Radice’s last public appearance was at the 2023 Romford Horror Film Festival alongside Silvia Collatina.
Personal life Lombardo Radice was married to actress Alessandra Panelli (b. 1957) from 1989 until his death. They had one child. Lombardo Radice was trilingual, fluent in English and French as well as his native Italian.
The writer was his elder brother. Radice often posted texts criticizing social injustice, capitalism and corruption in Italy.
He wrote about having a cocaine addiction when younger.
Death Lombardo Radice died on 27 April 2023, at the age of 68, the same day as his Cannibal Apocalypse co-star Ramiro Oliveros.
Filmography Year Title Role Notes1980 Cannibal Apocalypse (a.k.a. Apocalypse Domani) Charlie Bukowski 1980 City of the Living Dead (a.k.a. The Gates of Hell) Bob 1980 The House on the Edge of the Park Ricky 1981 Cannibal Ferox (a.k.a. Make Them Die Slowly) Mike Logan 1982 Cannibal Love 1984 Deadly Impact Al 1985 Big Deal After 20 Years Il giovane elegante 1986 The American Bride 1987 Stage Fright (1987, a.k.a. Deliria) Brett 1987 Eleven Days, Eleven Nights Brett 1987 Phantom of Death (1988, a.k.a. Un delitto poco comune) Father Giuliano 1988 La parola segreta 1989 The Church (a.k.a. La Chiesa) Reverend 1991 The Devil's Daughter (a.k.a. La Setta) Martin Romero 1992 Body Puzzle Morangi 1992 Ricky & Barabba Gestore dell'albergo Relais 2000 Padre Pio: Between Heaven and Earth Pope Pius XII TV Movie2000 Paul the Apostle Herod Antipas TV Movie2001 Honolulu Baby Amministratore Delegato 2002 The Soul Keeper Zorin 2002 Gangs of New York Mr. Legree 2006 The Omen Father Spiletto 2007 The Hideout Vincent Natali 2009 House of Flesh Mannequins Mr. Roeg 2010 A Day of Violence Hopper 2011 The Reverend Almighty 2012 The Infliction Lieutenant Lorenzo 2013 Long Live Freedom 2015 The Three Sisters Arthur Lehman 2015 Violent Shit: The Movie Professor Vassago 2016 Moderation Johnny - the Italian Actor 2017 Una gita a Roma Victor 2018 Lycanimator Narrator 2018 Rabbia furiosa Ranieri 2019 Beyond Fury Ivan Lenzivitch 2019 Everybloody's End Steiner 2021 Baphomet Henrik Brandr 2023 The Well Lisa's father (final film role)
References
External links
Interview at deliria-italiano.de