Lando Buzzanca


Gerlando Buzzanca, best known as Lando Buzzanca, is an Italian theatrical, film and television actor, whose career spanned over 55 years.

Life and career

Born in Palermo the son of a cinema projectionist, at 16 years old Buzzanca left the high school and moved to Rome to pursue his dream of becoming an actor. In order to survive, he took many jobs including waiter, furniture mover, and a brief appearance as a slave in the film Ben-Hur. He made his official debut in Pietro Germi's Divorce, Italian Style, and soon specialized in the role of the average immigrant from southern Italy.
After two successful "James Tont" films in which he played a parody of James Bond, starting from the late 1960s, Buzzanca got a large success in a series of satirical commedia sexy all'italiana films which satirized major institutions such as politics, religion, trade unions and financial world. With the decline of the genre, he slowed his film activities, focusing into theatre and television, in which he enjoyed a resurgence of popularity in the 2000s thanks to a series of well-received TV-series.
In 2013, following the death of his wife Lucia and a heavy depression, Buzzanca attempted suicide by cutting his veins.

In 2015 he has fully recovered from depressive period undertaking a relationship with a younger woman, Antonella.

In 2016 he participates as dancer in the television program Ballando con le Stelle and lives a new and intense romance with a younger actress and journalist Francesca Della Valle.

Awards

David di Donatello

Selected filmography

YearFilmRoleDirector
1959Ben-HurJewish Slave in the Desert William Wyler
1961Divorce, Italian StyleRosario MulèPietro Germi
1962His Days Are NumberedSon of CesareElio Petri
1963The Eye of the Needlecarabiniere SanfilippoMarcello Andrei
1963The Girl from ParmaMichele PantanòAntonio Pietrangeli
1963Le monachineAmilcare FranzettiLuciano Salce
1963I mostriLuciana's Husband Dino Risi
1964ExtraconjugalRoberto Massimo Franciosa
1964Corpse for the LadyEnzoMario Mattoli
1964Seduced and AbandonedAntonio AscalonePietro Germi
1964Love in Four DimensionsSicilian husbandMino Guerrini
1964I marziani hanno dodici maniLo sposoCastellano & Pipolo
1964Love and MarriageMino Guerrini and Gianni Puccini
1964The Magnificent CuckoldGuardianAntonio Pietrangeli
1965Su e giùCuccio Mino Guerrini
1965Letti sbagliatiSteno
1965James Tont operazione U.N.O.James TontBruno Corbucci
1965James Tont operazione D.U.E.James TontBruno Corbucci
1965The SuckerLinoGérard Oury
1965The Double BedBirolliJean Delannoy, François Dupont-Midi, Alvaro Mancori and Gianni Puccini
1965Made in ItalyGiulio Nanni Loy
1966For a Few Dollars LessBillMario Mattoli
1966Ringo and Gringo Against AllSerg. GringoBruno Corbucci
1966I nostri maritiRagionier Manzi Luigi Filippo D'Amico, Dino Risi and Luigi Zampa
1966After the FoxPolice ChiefVittorio De Sica
1967Spia, spioneCarlo BarazzettiBruno Corbucci
1967A Rose for EveryoneLinoFranco Rossi
1967Don Juan in SicilyGiovanni PercollaAlberto Lattuada
1967Operation St. Peter'sNapoleoneLucio Fulci
1968Colpo di sole?Mino Guerrini
1968Anyone Can PlayBlackmailerLuigi Zampa
1968Better a WidowMassitoDuccio Tessari
1968Criminal AffairEsteban de FloriRossano Brazzi
1969Puro siccome un angelo papà mi fece monaco... di MonzaNunzio di LicordiaGiovanni Grimaldi
1969La donna a una dimensioneHost on TV Bruno Baratti
1969House of PleasureCount LombardiniFranz Antel
1969Monte Carlo or Bust!MarcelloKen Annakin
1970Un caso di coscienzaSalvatore VaccagninoGiovanni Grimaldi
1970Il debito coniugaleOrazioFranco Prosperi
1970Fermate il mondo…voglio scendere!Ricky CeciarelliGiancarlo Cobelli
1970When Women Had TailsKaoPasquale Festa Campanile
1970The Swinging ConfessorsDon SalvatoreMarco Vicario
1970La prima notte del Dottor Danieli, industriale col complesso del... giocattoloCarlo DanieliGiovanni Grimaldi
1970Nel giorno del SignorePietroBruno Corbucci
1971The Blonde in the Blue MovieRosario TrapaneseSteno
1971Man of the YearMichele CannarittaMarco Vicario
1971Secret FantasyNiccolò VivaldiPasquale Festa Campanile
1971Le belveVarious charactersGiovanni Grimaldi
1972The EroticistGiacinto "Gianni" PuppisLucio Fulci
1972When Women Lost Their TailsHamPasquale Festa Campanile
1972Il sindacalistaSaverio RavizziLuciano Salce
1972La calandriaLidioPasquale Festa Campanile
1972L'uccello migratoreAndrea PomeraroSteno
1973My Darling SlaveDemetrio CultreraGiorgio Capitani
1973Il magnateFurio CiceroneGiovanni Grimaldi
1973Io e luiRicoLuciano Salce
1974Playing the FieldCarmelo Lo CascioLuigi Filippo D'Amico
1974Il domesticoRosario "Sasà" CabaduniLuigi Filippo D'Amico
1975Il fidanzamentoLuigi MannozziGiovanni Grimaldi
1975Il gatto mammoneLollo MascaluciaNando Cicero
1975Dracula in the ProvincesCav. Costante NicosiaLucio Fulci
1976San Pasquale Baylonne protettore delle donneGiuseppe CicerchiaLuigi Filippo D'Amico
1978Travolto dagli affetti familiariMemé Di CostanzoMauro Severino
1980Prestami tua moglieAlex FortiniGiuliano Carnimeo
1982I'm Going to Live by MyselfGiuseppeMarco Risi
1987Secondo Ponzio PilatoValerianLuigi Magni
1994Once a Year, Every YearGiuseppeMarco Risi
2000Il segreto del giaguaroMazzaroAntonello Fassari
2007I VicerèPrince GiacomoRoberto Faenza
2017Chi salverà le rose?ClaudioCesare Furesi
2018W Gli SposiReverendoValerio Zanoli

Television