Sergio Fantoni


Sergio Fantoni was an Italian actor, voice actor and director.

Biography

Fantoni was born in Rome to the actor Cesare Fantoni. He began his career appearing in films, radio dramas, television and theatrical productions from the late 1940s. He made his debut film appearance alongside his father in the 1949 film Anthony of Padua.
In addition to working mainly in his own country, he starred in international productions as well. Fantoni made several appearances in Hollywood films in the 1960s, most notably opposite Frank Sinatra in the war film Von Ryan's Express, made in 1965. In 1960, he played the villainous Haman in Esther and the King, starring Joan Collins and Richard Egan in the title roles. Among his roles in the UK, Fantoni appeared alongside Anglo-Italian actress Cherie Lunghi in the Channel 4 television series The Manageress.
Fantoni was also a voice actor. He most notably dubbed over Marlon Brando’s voice in Apocalypse Now. He also provided voice-overs for Henry Fonda, Rock Hudson, Gregory Peck, Ben Kingsley, Max von Sydow and Robert Taylor in at least one or two of their movies.

Personal life

Fantoni was married to actress Valentina Fortunato from 1961 until her death in 2019. They had one daughter, Monica.
In 1997, Fantoni underwent a laryngectomy, which caused problems for his voice. Because of this, he devoted himself mainly to directing until his retirement in 2003.
Fantoni died on 17 April 2020, at the age of 89.

Selected filmography

Live action