Oscar-nominated Italian actor, director, and multilingual dubber Giancarlo Giannini was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on March 6. Upon receiving the star Giannini, who gained international recognition for his leading role in Italian films and dubbing of international movie stars said, “I thank Hollywood, where I am very loved, maybe even more than in Italy,” according to online Italian newspaper Fanpage.it.
Born in 1941 in La Spezia, Giannini rose to fame in 1965 with “Libido,” a Freudian psychological thriller directed by Vittorio Salerno and Ernesto Gastaldi. From 1966 onwards, he was cast as the male lead in several award-winning films directed by Italian director Lina Wertmüller, who died in 2021. The actor has starred in movies like “Hannibal,” “Seven Beauties,” and “Love and Anarchy.” Giannini dedicated his star to Wertmüller, thanking her for the opportunities.
“I’m intimidated by receiving the star in Hollywood. I’ve been to America many times, also bringing my films with Lina Wertmüller. We’ve had good success,” said Giannini, according to Italian newspaper RaiNews. “I had an Oscar nomination for ‘Seven Beauties,’ but I think the star is more important. I am a star forever for the public.”
The Italian actor built a reputation for dubbing international actors in films released in Italy. Giannini has been the dubber for famous actors including Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino, Michael Douglas, Dustin Hoffman, Gerard Depardieu, and Ian McKellen. He currently teaches acting at Rome’s Centro Sperimentale, the city’s most prestigious acting school, and is also on its Board of Directors, according to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
“Giancarlo Giannini is an Italian treasure and a cultural icon of foreign film. We are ecstatic to add him to the Hollywood Walk of Fame where he joins many of his Italian compatriots such as Gina Lollobrigida, Lina Wertmuller, Sophia Loren, Rodolfo Valentino, and many others” stated Ana Martinez, Producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in a press release. “The Walk of Fame is a multicultural award and we are proud to honor many great artists from around the world.”
Asia London Palomba
Asia London Palomba is a trilingual freelance journalist from Rome, Italy. In the past, her work on culture, travel, and history has been published in The Boston Globe, Atlas Obscura, The Christian Science Monitor, and Grub Street, New York Magazine's food section. In her free time, Asia enjoys traveling home to Italy to spend time with family and friends, drinking Hugo Spritzes, and making her nonna's homemade cavatelli.