Diego Abatantuono


Diego Abatantuono is an Italian cinema and theatre actor, and screenwriter.

Biography and career

Abatantuono was born in Milan to a father of Apulian origin and a mother from Como. The latter worked as wardrober in a Milanese jazz and later cabaret club, Derby, whose owner was Abatantuono's uncle.
He started to work at Derby first in lighting, then as artistical director and later as an actor. After a stint with the music-comical group Gatti di VicoloMiracoli and several minor film roles, he returned to work at Derby where he was discovered by famous TV showman, film director and talent scout Renzo Arbore, who cast him in his 1980 film Il Pap'occhio. Here started Abantantuono's first successful career in the recurrent role of a poorly cultivated immigrant from southern Italy, speaking a personal form of slang which was to become a kind of brand.
His most successful performance was in the 1982 cult favorite Eccezzziunale... veramente, for which he also wrote the screenplay. He plays three different roles as a tifoso of Italy's three main football teams: A.C. Milan, Internazionale, and Juventus. He reprised all three roles for the 2006 sequel Eccezzziunale...veramente - Capitolo secondo... me, which featured cameos from then-current Milan players Paolo Maldini, Massimo Ambrosini, Alessandro Costacurta, Dida, Andriy Shevchenko, and Gennaro Gattuso. Milan were actually participating in the group stage of the 2005-06 UEFA Champions League at the time the players' scenes were filmed.
Abatantuono's first role as a dramatic actor came in 1986, when he was called by PupiAvati for his Regalo di Natale. Though occasionally returning to comical roles, Abatantuono was featured in numerous movies by his friend Gabriele Salvatores, including the Academy Award winner Mediterraneo, Nirvana and Io non ho paura.
Abatantuono is also a popular figure of Italian television shows. He is well known to be a long-time A.C. Milan fan.

Filmography

Actor