Antonio Sabàto Sr.

Antonio Sabàto Sr.
Sabàto in Gang War in Milan (1973)
Born(1943-04-02)April 2, 1943
Montelepre, Sicily, Kingdom of Italy
DiedJanuary 10, 2021(2021-01-10) (aged 77)
Hemet, California, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1966–2006
Children5, including Antonio Jr.
RelativesVirginia Madsen (granddaughter-in-law)

Antonio Sabàto Sr. (2 April 1943 – 10 January 2021)[1] was an Italian actor, best known for his starring roles in Spaghetti Western and poliziotteschi films. He was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor for his performance in Grand Prix (1966).[2]

Life and career

Sabàto was born in Montelepre, Sicily on April 2, 1943. He made his film debut at the age of 23 in the 1966 film Lo scandolo, with Anouk Aimée and Philippe Leroy.

That same year, Sabàto had his breakout role in the John Frankenheimer-directed Formula One racing drama Grand Prix, playing the hotshot Italian driver Nino Barlini. The film was both a critical and commercial success, becoming one of the highest-grossing films of 1966 and winning three Academy Awards. Sabàto was nominated for New Star of the Year – Actor at the 24th Golden Globe Awards.[2]

Sabato subsequently starred in a string of Spaghetti Westerns. He was cast in a supporting role in the sci-fi film Barbarella (1968), but during filming he was recast with David Hemmings and all his scenes reshot.[3] Production stills of Sabato in the role still exist.[4]

During the 1970s, Sabàto starred in numerous poliziotteschi films.

In 1985, Sabàto moved to the United States and retired to Southern California. He appeared opposite his son, actor Antonio Sabàto Jr., in the 1997 film High Voltage and on seven episodes of the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful.

Personal life

Sabàto married a Czech Jewish woman, Yvonne, in 1971. She was born in Prague (then part of Czechoslovakia) and the daughter of a Holocaust survivor. They had two children together, a son, Antonio Jr, and a daughter, Simonne.[5] They divorced sometime before 1997, when she remarried to California-based businessman George F. Kabouchy.[6][7] Via his grandson Jack Sabato, he was the grandfather-in-law to actress Virginia Madsen.

He became a naturalized United States citizen after moving to California in the 1980s.

Death

Sabàto died from complications of COVID-19 at a hospice in Hemet, California, on 10 January 2021, at age 77.[8][9]

Selected filmography

References

  1. ^ Countryman, Eli (January 9, 2021). "Antonio Sabáto Sr., Italian American Actor and Father of Antonio Sabáto Jr., Dies at 77". Variety. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Antonio Sábato". Golden Globes. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  3. ^ "Barbarella/Fun Facts - The Grindhouse Cinema Database". www.grindhousedatabase.com. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  4. ^ "Barbarella - Publicity still of Jane Fonda & Antonio Sabàto". MovieStillsDB.com. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  5. ^ Hoffman, Allison (August 13, 2009). "A Nice Jewish Boy". Tablet Magazine. Nextbook Inc. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  6. ^ "Star Tracks". PEOPLE.com. Meredith Corporation. April 28, 1997. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  7. ^ "Los Angeles County". Los Angeles Times. December 16, 1987. ISSN 0458-3035. Archived from the original on January 4, 2012. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  8. ^ Vadukul, Alex (January 21, 2021). "Antonio Sabàto, Spaghetti Western Leading Man, Dies at 77". The New York Times.
  9. ^ Countryman, Eil (January 9, 2021). "Antonio Sabáto Sr., Italian American Actor and Father of Antonio Sabáto Jr., Dies at 77". Variety.


Stub icon

This article about an Italian actor or actress is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.