Roman born actor Luca Zingaretti is a
fixture in Italian cinema and television. His guy next store appeal gives him
the ability to assimilate into a crowd yet hold his own in the presence of
other cinema heavyweights. Zingaretti had his eye on entertainment at a young
age and was classically trained at Rome's prestigious drama school, Accademia
Nazionale d'Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico. Upon graduating in 1984, he
immediately hit the stage, appearing in classic plays such as Chekhov's
"Three Sisters" and Shakespeare's "Titus Andronicus."
A few years after graduating film school,
he landed his first feature film role in Giuliano Montaldo's "Gli
occhgioriali d'oro" (The Gold-Rimmed Glasses) and later that year made his
first television appearance in "Il Giudice Istruttore" (The
Investigating Magistrate) by the late film director and screenwriter,
Florestano Vancini. In the mid-90's, he gained recognition by working with
directors, Marco Risi and Ricky Tognazzi. Then, his big break came in 1999 with
the lead role as
Salvo
Montalbano, a loyal inspector in search of justice, in RAI television's,
"Il commissario
Montalbano," a mystery series based on the character and novels created by
Andrea Camilleri. The series ran for a whopping 12 years and consisted of 22
films. Since the series ended, he's taken on a variety of roles working with
seasoned directors like Pupi Avati and Marco Tullio Giordana as well as younger
filmmakers like Daniele Luchetti and Ivan Cotroneo. Between 2008 and 2010, he
worked on eight new Montalbano films that were broadcast on RAI through 2013. The
original Montalbano mystery series may have ended, but the actor has not
abandoned the character. Zingaretti is mesmerizing to watch in both
lead and supporting roles. In Daniele Luchetti's 2007 drama, "Mio fratello
è figlio unico" (My Brother Is An Only Child). Zingaretti had a supporting
role as Mario Nastri, the aforementioned Fascist tablecloth salesman. In the
film, he plays a father figure to the lead character, Accio, a rebellious
teenager who feels like the black sheep of his family. Mario Nastri is caring
and takes the boy into his home. On the other hand, he is strong in his Fascist
beliefs and carries out violent acts in the name of politics. When he meets his
sad fate, you can't help but empathize with Accio when he cries for "Poor
Mario".
In the docudrama, "Perlasca,"
Zingaretti plays another Fascist character. This time, the title role of Giorgio Perlasca, an
Italian credited for saving thousands of Jews during World War II. During the fall of Mussolini in 1943,
Perlasca was working
for an Italian importer in Budapest, Hungary. When Italians residing in the country
were urged home, Perlasca refused, on the grounds that he did not want to live
under German occupation in Italy. He stayed in Budapest and found work with a
Spanish envoy. He, along with other members of the diplomatic community, issued
protective passes to Budapest Jews. In late 1944, after the Spanish envoy left
the country, he appointed himself in charge and continued issuing protective
passes. In the end, about 3,500 Hungarian Jews were saved because of his
efforts. Zingaretti articulately communicates the sensitivity and passion that
Perlasca had as he carried out this brave mission. The film is a two-part made
for TV movie, which serves as a history lesson and entertaining drama.
Zingaretti continues to move back and
forth between television and cinema. He recently worked on a program for Rai
titled, "Il giudice meschino." Directed by Carlo Carlei, the project
gave Zingaretti the opportunity to work with his wife, actress Luisa Ranieri.
It was not the first time the couple had worked together. They also shared the
screen in the television miniseries, "Cefalonia," directed by Riccardo
Milani.
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