Skip to main content

Alessandro Gassmann: Born to Act

Alessandro Gassmannin his directorial debut "Razzabastarda"
Alessandro Gassmann is the son of the iconic Italian actor/director Vittorio Gassman and French actress Juliette Mayniel. He was born in 1965 and grew up around cinema royalty. 

He made his cinema debut in 1982 at the age of 17 in his father's autobiographical film, "Di padre in figlio." He went on to study his craft under his father's direction at the Theatre Workshop of Florence. 

Vittorio Gassman was very active in theater and seemed just as comfortable on stage as he did in front of the camera. Known for his powerful interpretations of Dante's "Inferno" and "Paradiso," it is no surprise that he nurtured his son's acting aspirations on stage before he launched his career in television and film. One of Gassmann's strong qualities, which he undoubtedly inherited from his father is his incredible range and ease in going from genre to genre. He can play a light hearted, handsome love interest with the same conviction of playing a cunning villain. 

Gassmann began his screen career with roles in television movies and within about five years, made the transition to film. Now, he continues to work in both mediums. He's appeared in dozens of international productions and has portrayed his share of roles in English. His first major English language role was in director, John Irvin's 1995 film "A Month by the Lake" in which Gassmann portrays Vittorio Balsaria, the handsome but quirky Italian love interest. Sharing the screen with the likes of Vanessa Redgrave and Uma Thurman, the role served as the perfect opportunity for Gassmann to show his impeccable comic timing and impressive range of versatility on the world's stage.

Two years later, he worked with director Ferzan Ozpetek on "Il Bagno Turco" (Steam: The Turkish Bath). He interprets the role of Francesco, who inherits a turkish bath house in Istanbul after his aunt passes away. He makes the trip with his wife to sell the bath and there he undergoes an unexpected spiritual transformation. Gassmann's performance is subtle yet intense as we watch him discover a world he never knew existed.

Alessandro Gassman with his father
In 2009, he co-starred in another English-language film, "Single Fathers." Shot in New York City, the comedy focuses on a group a 30-something men separated from their significant others and trying to be good fathers. The group develops a friendship and supports each other through the trials of relationships and fatherhood. Co-written by Gabriele Muccino and directed by Paolo Monico, the film gives international audiences another opportunity to see both the funny side and thoughtful side of this versatile artist.

The following year, Rocco Papaleo's "Basilicata Coast to Coast" premiered to a full house in New York City during the 2010 edition of Lincoln Center's Annual film series Open Roads: New Italian Cinema. Gassmann took on the role of the debonair yet troubled Rocco Santamaria. The chemistry between Papaleo and Gassmann is strong. Their authentic friendship came through in their performances. 


In 2013, Gassmann made his directorial debut with "Razzabastarda," the story of a Romanian immigrant who came to Italy more than 30 years ago and is forced to sell drugs just to get by and provide for his son. Gassmann also starred in the film opposite the talented young actor Giovanni Anzaldo. The two gave powerful performances and made a dramatic, forceful father-son team. 



As Gassmann grew up in the spotlight, he keeps his personal life private. He married fellow actress Sabrina Knaflitz in 1998. The couple met through their mutual friend, filmmaker Gianmarco Tognazzi. They are still together and have a son, named Leo. When the Italian tabloid, Gossip Blog! asked Gassmann about his marriage to Knaflitz, he adoringly described his wife as "the mother of my son, a woman of great femininity but also masculine qualities.. she has fear in her and me gives me the opportunity to protect her, in return, she protects me. She's smart but never intrusive, and after spending 20 years with me, she should be considered for beatification." 

In a 1990 interview with RAI Uno, a young Gassmann simply described his father as "Bravo." Vittorio Gassman passed away in 2000, so he was able to see much of his son's success. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Federico Fellini: A Look into the Life and Career of an Icon

A Fellini family portrait  “The term became a common word to describe something on the surface you can say is bizarre or strange, but actually is really like a painter working on a film,” said Martin Scorsese when asked to define “Felliniesque,” an adjective inspired by one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. The oldest of three children, Federico Fellini was born in the seaside town of Rimini in 1920. His father was a traveling salesman, so his mother was left to do the bulk of raising the children. One can argue that Fellini was born for his destiny. “You could tell that even as a child, he was different and unique. He was very intelligent, well above average. He was always the one to organize things, direct the others, make up games. He could control the other kids with just a look, said Fellini’s sister, Maddalena, in an interview with journalist Gideon Bachmann.  Not only was Fellini directing the children, but he was also putting on shows and charging ...

The Timeless Talent of Stefania Sandrelli

On screen since the tender age of 14, she has captivated audiences for more than 50 years with a compelling combination of strength and vulnerability. She achieved stardom at just 14 years old playing the angelic cousin of a love-struck Marcello Mastroianni in Pietro Germi’s “Divorce Italian Style.” More than half a century later, she is still going strong and remains one of Italy’s most esteemed actors. Stefania Sandrelli was born on June 5, 1946, in Viareggio in the province of Lucca in northern Italy. As a child, she studied music and dance. Then in 1960, she won a beauty pageant and was featured on the cover of Le Ore magazine. Her purity captivated the country and shortly thereafter, movie offers began pouring in. Just one year later, she made her cinema debut in three feature films: Mario Sequi’s Gioventù di notte , Luciano Salce’s The Fascist, and Pietro Germi’s Divorce Italian Style . She instantly became a star and before long was a key figure in Italy’s legend...

Gianfranco Rosi to premiere 'Sotto le nuvole' at Venice Film Fest, exploring Naples' history

Documentary filmmaker Gianfranco Rosi will premiere his much-anticipated latest film at the upcoming 82nd Venice International Film Festival , which runs August 27 - Sept. 6. "Sotto le nuvole" (Below the Clouds)  takes a deep dive into the rich history and culture of Naples and the area surrounding Mount Vesuvius. There has not been much information revealed but so far, we know that the film will focus on themes similar to those explored by Rosi in his previous works, such as the examination of Roman culture in "Sacro GRA" (2013) and Lampedusa's refugee crisis in "Fuocoammare" (2016).  The film's synopsis reads, “The land around Vesuvius is a vast palimpsest. On the surface, underground and even beneath the sea of the modern city of Naples and its surroundings, the memory of history is etched into tunnels, walls and fissures, the remains of women, children and men — statues, buried cities. Only thin layers separate contemporary and ancient life, an...

The Anthology Film Archives Presents: The Italian Connection: Poliziotteschi and Other Italo-Crime Films of the 1960s and '70's

June 19 – June 29 Influenced both by 1960s political cinema and Italian crime novels, as well as by French noir and American cop movies like "Dirty Harry" and "The French Connection," many Italian filmmakers in the late-60s and early-70s gradually moved away from the spaghetti western genre, trading lone cowboys for ‘bad’ cops and the rough frontier of the American west for the mean streets of modern Italy. Just as they had with their westerns, they reinvented the borrowed genre with their inimitable eye for style and filled their stories with the kidnappings, heists, vigilante justice, and brutal violence that suffused this turbulent moment in post-boom 1970s Italy. The undercurrent of fatalism and cynicism in these uncompromising movies is eerily reminiscent of the state of discontent in Italy today. ‘The Italian Connection’ showcases the diversity and innovation found in the genre, from the gangster noir of Fernando Di Leo’s "Caliber 9" ...

Riccardo Scamarcio Joins Cast of "John Wick 2"

Update to our original January 18 post.. - According to the Hollywood Reporter, the follow-up to John Wick has been given an official title — John Wick, Chapter 2 — and a release date from Lionsgate: Feb. 10, 2017. It's just been reported that Keanu Reeves is in Rome shooting his new film, "John Wick 2" with Italian actors Riccardo Scamarcio and Claudia Gerini . The film is an action-thriller and sequel to "John Wick". Shooting began last October in New York City. John Wick, played by Reeves, is a hitman that comes out of retirement to seek vengeance for the theft of his vintage car and the killing of his puppy, a gift from his recently deceased wife. The scenes being shot in Italy for the sequel reportedly take his career to the international level.  Riccardo Scamarcio One of Italy's most recognizable faces, Riccardo Scamarcio has built a solid career based on the diversity in the roles he chooses and the intensity with which he plays the...