Gigi Ballista (1 December 1918 – 2 August 1980) was an Italian film and television actor. He appeared in 60 films between 1961 and 1980.

Gigi Ballista
Gigi Ballista (1966)
Born(1918-12-01)1 December 1918
Florence, Italy
Died2 August 1980(1980-08-02) (aged 61)
Rome, Italy
OccupationActor
Years active1961-1980

Life and career

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Born in Florence, Ballista graduated in law, then he started working as a PR consultant in the field of advertising and industrial documentaries.[1] He debuted as an actor at a mature age in the early 1960s with some minor roles, but his breakout came in 1966 with a role of weight in Pietro Germi's The Birds, the Bees and the Italians.[1]

Following the critical and commercial success of the film, Ballista decided to pursue a professional career as an actor, and he became, mainly thanks to his characteristic hoarse and dysphonic voice, one of the most recognizable character actors in Italian cinema and television.[1]

Selected filmography

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Roberto Chiti; Roberto Poppi; Enrico Lancia. Dizionario del cinema italiano : Gli attori dal 1930 ai giorni nostri. Gremese Editore, 2003. ISBN 8884402131.
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