Sergio Fantoni (7 August 1930 – 17 April 2020) was an Italian actor, voice actor, playwright and director.[1]
Biography
Fantoni was born in Rome to the actor Cesare Fantoni. He began his career appearing in films, radio dramas, television and theatrical productions in the late 1940s.[2] He made his debut film appearance alongside his father in the 1949 film Anthony of Padua.
In addition to working mainly in his own country, he starred in international productions as well. Fantoni made several appearances in Hollywood films in the 1960s, most notably opposite Frank Sinatra in the war film Von Ryan's Express, released in 1965. In 1960, he played the villainous Haman in Esther and the King, starring Joan Collins and Richard Egan in the title roles. Among his roles in the UK, Fantoni appeared alongside Anglo-Italian actressCherie Lunghi in the Channel 4 television series The Manageress.
Fantoni was married to actress Valentina Fortunato (whom he met at the Piccolo Teatro in Milan in 1954) from 1961 until her death in 2019. They had one daughter, Monica.
In 1997, Fantoni underwent a laryngectomy, which caused problems for his voice. Because of this, he devoted himself mainly to directing until his retirement in 2003.
Fantoni died on 17 April 2020, at the age of 89.[4][5]
