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Totò
Actor

Totò

14 Feb 1898Born
15 Apr 1967Died
69Age at death
118Credits

Biography

Totò was born Antonio Clemente in a poor district of Naples, the illegitimate son of Anna Clemente from Sicily and Marquis Giuseppe De Curtis from Naples. Nicknamed “il principe della risata’ (the prince of laughter), he was an Italian comedian, film and theatre actor, writer, singer and songwriter, and widely considered one of the greatest Italian artists of the 20th century.

Read the full biography

 While he first gained his popularity as a comic actor, his dramatic roles, poetry, and songs are all of cultural import; his style and a number of his recurring jokes and gestures have become universally known memes in Italy.

As a comic actor, Totò is classified as an heir of the Commedia dell'Arte tradition, and has been compared to such figures as Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin.  At the age of 15, he was already acting as a comedian in small theatres, under the pseudonym "Clerment". His early repertoire mostly consisted in imitations of Gustavo De Marco's characters. He served in the army during World War I and then went back to acting to develop the trademarks of his style.   

In 1937, he appeared in his first movie "Fermo con le mani", and later starred in 96 more films, many of which are still frequently broadcast on Italian television. In his vast cinematographic career, Totò had the opportunity to act side by side with virtually all major Italian actors of the time. Totò's unmistakable figure, with his peculiarly irregular face (due to an accident in his teen years), and his unique trademark ability to disarticulate his body like a marionette, soon became very popular and his comic gags became part of the Italian culture. Totò died at the age of 69 in Rome after a series of heart attacks. Due to overwhelming popularity there were three funeral services: the first in Rome, and the second and third in Naples. Totò's birth home has been recently opened to the public as a museum.

Known for

Filmography

The 80 most recent of 118 credits.

  1. 2023Totò e il Principe De Curtis - L'uomo oltre la mascheraFilm: Se stesso
  2. 2009Hollywood sul TevereFilm
  3. 1980SuperTotòFilm
  4. 1978Antologia di TotòFilm: Totò (se stesso)
  5. 1977Kolossal - The Magnificent MacistiFilm
  6. 1975Un sorriso, uno schiaffo, un bacio in boccaFilm: (archive footage)
  7. 1968Caprice Italian StyleFilm: Anziano Signore / Iago
  8. 1968What Are the Clouds?Film: Iago
  9. 1968Totò StoryFilm
  10. 1967Tutto Totò - Il tuttofareFilm
  11. 1967Tutto Totò - Totò a NapoliFilm: Totò, la guida non autorizzata
  12. 1967Tutto Totò - Totò CiakFilm: Totò l'agente segreto
  13. 1967Tutto Totò - Totò Ye YeFilm: musicista capellone
  14. 1967Il latitanteFilm: Gennaro La Pezza
  15. 1967Tutto Totò - Il grande maestroFilm: Mardoccheo Stonatelli, Writer
  16. 1967The WitchesFilm: Ciancicato Miao (segment "La Terra vista dalla Luna")
  17. 1967The Earth As Seen from the MoonFilm: Ciancicato Miao
  18. 1967Tutto Totò - La scommessaFilm: Oberdan Lo Cascio
  19. 1967Tutto Totò - Don GiovanninoFilm: Barnaba Parmiggiani aka 'Babà'
  20. 1967Tutto Totò - Premio NobelFilm: il professor Serafino Bolletta
  21. 1966The Treasure of San GennaroFilm: Don Vincenzo
  22. 1966The Hawks and the SparrowsFilm: Totò Innocenti / Frate Cicillo
  23. 1965Rita the American GirlFilm: Serafino Benvenuti
  24. 1965The MandrakeFilm: il frate
  25. 1965Latin LoversFilm: Rag. Antonio Gargiulo (ep. Amore e morte)
  26. 1965Totò d'ArabiaFilm: Totò
  27. 1964Beautiful FamiliesFilm: Filiberto Comanducci
  28. 1964What Ever Happened to Baby Toto?Film: Totò Baby / il Padre
  29. 1964Laughs Italian StyleFilm
  30. 1964Totò versus the Black PirateFilm: Josè
  31. 1963The CommandantFilm: Col. Antonio Cavalli
  32. 1963Gli onorevoliFilm: Antonio La Trippa
  33. 1963Toto and CleopatraFilm: Marc'Antonio / Totonno
  34. 1963Totò sexyFilm: Nini Cantachiaro
  35. 1963Le motorizzateFilm: Urbano Cacace (segment "Il Vigile Ignoto")
  36. 1963The Monk of MonzaFilm: Pasquale Cicciacalda / Don Manuel
  37. 1963Totò vs the FourFilm: commissario Antonio Saracino
  38. 1963The Shortest DayFilm: frate bersagliere
  39. 1963Two ColonelsFilm: Colonnello Di Maggio
  40. 1962Toto at NightFilm: Nini
  41. 1962Totò e Peppino divisi a BerlinoFilm: Antonio La Puzza / Amministratore di Canarinis
  42. 1962Lo smemorato di CollegnoFilm: lo smemorato
  43. 1962Totò diabolicusFilm: Galeazzo / Carlo / Scipione / Antonio / Laudomia / Pasquale
  44. 1962Totò versus MacisteFilm: Totokamen
  45. 1961The Two MarshalsFilm: Antonio Capurro
  46. 1961Totòtruffa '62Film: Antonio LoRuffo
  47. 1961Sua Eccellenza si fermò a mangiareFilm: Dott. Biagio Tanzarella
  48. 1961Totò, Peppino and... the Sweet LifeFilm: Antonio Barbacane
  49. 1960He Who Hesitates Is LostFilm: Antonio Guardalavecchia
  50. 1960The Passionate ThiefFilm: Umberto 'Infortunio' Pennazzuto
  51. 1960Letto a tre piazzeFilm: Antonio Di Cosimo
  52. 1960Toto, Fabrizi and the Young People TodayFilm: Cavalier Antonio Cocozza
  53. 1960Gentlemen Are BornFilm: Ottone Degli Ulivi, detto Zazà
  54. 1960Noi duriFilm: L'Algerino
  55. 1959La cambialeFilm: Cesare Posalaquaglia
  56. 1959You're on Your OwnFilm: Il nonno illuminato
  57. 1959The ThievesFilm: Commissario Di Savio
  58. 1959The OvertaxedFilm: Torquato Pezzella
  59. 1959Toto in MadridFilm: Totò Scorceletti
  60. 1958Totò in the MoonFilm: Pasquale Belafronte
  61. 1958Toto in ParisFilm: Marchese Gastone de Chemantel / Chateau-Boiron / il vagabondo Totò
  62. 1958The Law Is the LawFilm: Giuseppe La Paglia
  63. 1958Legs of GoldFilm: Barone Luigi Fontana
  64. 1958Totò, Peppino e le fanaticheFilm: Antonio Vignarello
  65. 1958Big Deal on Madonna StreetFilm: Dante Cruciani
  66. 1958Toto and MarcellinoFilm: Il Professore
  67. 1957Totò, Vittorio and the DoctorFilm: Michele Spillone detto Mike
  68. 1956Totò, Peppino e i fuorileggeFilm: Antonio
  69. 1956Toto, Peppino, and the HussyFilm: Antonio Caponi
  70. 1956Totò Double or Nothing?Film: Duca Gagliardo della Forcoletta
  71. 1956The Band of Honest MenFilm: Antonio Buonocore
  72. 1955Il coraggioFilm: Gennaro Vaccariello, Screenplay
  73. 1955Roman TalesFilm: Professor Semprini
  74. 1955Destinazione PiovaroloFilm: Antonio La Quaglia
  75. 1955Are We Men or Corporals?Film: Totò Esposito, Screenplay
  76. 1955Totò all'infernoFilm: Antonio Marchi, Screenplay
  77. 1955Toto and CarolinaFilm: Antonio Caccavallo
  78. 1955Variety carouselFilm
  79. 1954Totò Seeks PeaceFilm: Gennaro Piselli
  80. 1954The Gold of NaplesFilm: Don Saverio Petrillo (segment "Il guappo")

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.