Donald Andrew Novello (born January 1, 1943) is an American actor, comedian, singer, writer, film director and producer. He is best known for his work on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

's ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. ...

'' from 1978 to 1980, and again from 1985 to 1986, often as the character Father Guido Sarducci. He appeared as Sarducci in many subsequent television shows, including '' Married... with Children'', '' Blossom'', ''

It's Garry Shandling's Show ''It's Garry Shandling's Show'' is an American sitcom that was initially broadcast on Showtime from September 10, 1986 to May 25, 1990. It was created by Garry Shandling and Alan Zweibel. The series is notable for breaking the fourth wall. S ...

'', ''

Unhappily Ever After ''Unhappily Ever After'' is an American sitcom television series that aired for 100 episodes on The WB from January 11, 1995, to May 23, 1999, for a total of five seasons. The series was produced by Touchstone Television. Synopsis The series fo ...

'', ''

Square Pegs ''Square Pegs'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS during the 1982–1983 season. The series follows Patty Greene (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Lauren Hutchinson ( Amy Linker), two awkward teenage girls desperate to fit in at Weemawee High S ...

'', and ''

The Colbert Report ''The Colbert Report'' ( ) is an American late-night talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December 18, 2014, for 1,447 episodes. The show fo ...

'', and in the 1980 documentary film '' Gilda Live''. He is also the voice of Vincenzo "Vinny" Santorini in the franchise of '' Atlantis: The Lost Empire''.

Early life

Novello was born in Ashtabula,

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, the son of Eleanor Eileen (née Finnerty), a nurse, and Augustine Joseph Novello, a physician. He is of Italian and Irish descent. The family moved to Lorain, Ohio, when Don was a young boy. In 1961, he graduated from Lorain High School. He subsequently enrolled at the University of Dayton and graduated in 1964. In 1965, he graduated with a Bachelor of Foreign Trade degree from the American Graduate School of International Management (since renamed the

Thunderbird School of Global Management Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University (or simply Thunderbird) is a global management school in Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 1946 as an independent, private institution, it was acquired by Arizona State University ( ...

, now part of Arizona State University).

Career

In the late 1960s, Novello worked as an advertising copywriter for

Leo Burnett Leo Burnett (October 21, 1891 – June 7, 1971) was an American advertising executive and the founder of Leo Burnett Company, Inc. He was responsible for creating some of advertising's most well-known characters and campaigns of the 20th cent ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. Novello created the Father Guido Sarducci character in 1973 after finding a monsignor's outfit for $7.50 at a St. Vincent de Paul thrift shop. Adding sunglasses, a broom mustache, cigarette and a thick Italian accent, Sarducci became popular in a San Francisco nightclub. Sarducci appeared on San Francisco Channel 20's ''Chicken Little Comedy Show'', and comic

David Steinberg David Steinberg (born August 9, 1942) is a Canadian comedian, actor, writer, director, and author. At the height of his popularity, during the late 1960s and mid 1970s, he was one of the best-known comics in the United States. He appeared on ...

was watching. Steinberg hired Novello as a writer for a TV show that never aired, but he also introduced Novello to Tommy and Dick Smothers, and they hired Novello, too. Novello performed on ''

The Smothers Brothers Show ''The Smothers Brothers Show'' is an American fantasy sitcom featuring the Smothers Brothers that aired on CBS on Friday nights at 9:30 p.m. ET from September 17, 1965, to April 22, 1966, co-sponsored by Alberto-Culver's VO5 hairdressing ...

'' in 1975, appearing as Sarducci. In the 1970s, Novello started to write letters to famous people under the pen name of Lazlo Toth (after Laszlo Toth, a deranged man who vandalized Michelangelo's Pietà in Rome). The letters, written to suggest a serious but misinformed and obtuse correspondent, were designed to tweak the noses of politicians and corporations. Many of them received serious responses; Novello sometimes continued the charade correspondence at length, with humorous results. The letters and responses were published in the books ''The Lazlo Letters'', ''Citizen Lazlo!'', and ''From Bush to Bush: The Lazlo Toth Letters''. ''The Lazlo Letters'', Novello's first book of stilted letters to celebrities, caught the attention of Lorne Michaels, producer of ''Saturday Night Live''. Novello was hired as a writer for the show's third season in 1977-1978 where he remained through the fifth season, and returned as a writer in the eleventh season. He also appeared numerous times on the show in the Father Guido Sarducci character. In 1980, under the name of Father Guido Sarducci, he sang lead vocals on the Warner Bros. Records release "I Won't Be Twisting This Christmas"/"Parco MacArthur" (WBS49627). Novello co-wrote the first tune with M. Davich, and the second tune is an Italian language cover of " MacArthur Park", the

Jimmy Webb Jimmy Layne Webb (born August 15, 1946) is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He has written numerous platinum-selling songs, including " Up, Up and Away", " By the Time I Get to Phoenix", " MacArthur Park", " Wichita Lineman", " Wo ...

song, in an arrangement similar to that recorded by

Richard Harris Richard St John Francis Harris (1 October 1930 – 25 October 2002) was an Irish actor and singer. He appeared on stage and in many films, notably as Corrado Zeller in Michelangelo Antonioni's '' Red Desert'', Frank Machin in '' This Sporting ...

. Novello made newspapers around the world when he visited the

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Vatican City, the city-state ruled by the pope in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum The Holy See * The Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and sovereign entity recognized ...

in 1981 wearing the Father Guido Sarducci costume and, while taking photographs for a magazine article in an area where photography was prohibited, was arrested by the

Swiss Guard The Pontifical Swiss Guard (also Papal Swiss Guard or simply Swiss Guard; la, Pontificia Cohors Helvetica; it, Guardia Svizzera Pontificia; german: Päpstliche Schweizergarde; french: Garde suisse pontificale; rm, Guardia svizra papala) is ...

s along with his photographer (Paul Solomon), and eventually charged with "impersonating a priest". The charges were later dropped, and Solomon managed to protect the film from confiscation. In his stage show in Las Vegas and Reno with the Smothers Brothers, Sarducci rolled a wheelchair with a dummy in the robes of a cardinal. In the act, Sarducci explained he was the assistant of 108-year-old "Cardinal Dario Fungi." For a brief period in 1982, Novello was a producer on '' SCTV'', a Toronto-based comedy show starring Martin Short, Joe Flaherty,

John Candy John Franklin Candy (October 31, 1950 – March 4, 1994) was a Canadian actor and comedian known mainly for his work in Hollywood films. Candy rose to fame in the 1970s as a member of the Toronto branch of the Second City and its '' SCTV'' seri ...

, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas, Rick Moranis,

Andrea Martin Andrea Louise Martin (born January 15, 1947) is an American-Canadian actress, singer, and comedian, best known for her work in the television series '' SCTV'' and ''Great News''. She has appeared in films such as '' Black Christmas'' (1974), ''W ...

and Catherine O'Hara. He was installed by NBC as one of a series of producers for the show's fourth season, and produced a total of 9 episodes. In 1983, Novello had a cameo as Father Sarducci in the video for Rodney Dangerfield's comedy rap song " Rappin' Rodney" which was heavily played on MTV. In 1984 Novello wrote ''The Blade'', a high school yearbook parody in which the students are represented by sheep. Novello co-wrote the unfilmed script for ''Noble Rot'' with

John Belushi John Adam Belushi (January 24, 1949 – March 5, 1982) was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known for being one of the seven original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL''). Throughout his c ...

. He also narrated Faerie Tale Theatre's third-season episode ''Pinocchio'' with

Paul Reubens Paul Reubens (; born Rubenfeld; August 27, 1952) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and children's entertainer. He is known for his character Pee-wee Herman. Reubens joined the Los Angeles troupe The Groundlings in the 1970s, an ...

as the titular puppet. Also in 1984, Novello appeared in the music video for the Jefferson Starship song "No Way Out". In 1989, Novello co-starred in the anthology film ''

New York Stories ''New York Stories'' is a 1989 American anthology film consisting of three segments with the central theme being New York City. The first is ''Life Lessons'', directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Richard Price and starring Nick Nolte. The s ...

'' in the Francis Ford Coppola-directed segment, ''Life Without Zoe''. In his 2 1/2 star review of the movie, Roger Ebert cited Novello for giving "the most engaging performance in the movie." In 1990, Novello portrayed "Dominic Abbandando" in the film ''

The Godfather Part III ''The Godfather Part III'' is a 1990 American crime film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola from the screenplay co-written with Mario Puzo. The film stars Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Andy García, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegn ...

''. Abbandando appears with speaking lines in the first scene as public relations and media coordinator for Don

Michael Corleone Michael Corleone is a fictional character and the protagonist of Mario Puzo's 1969 novel ''The Godfather''. In the three ''Godfather'' films, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, Michael was portrayed by Al Pacino, for which he was twice-nominate ...

. Most notable is when he slaps down a news reporter with the challenge: "You think you know better than the Pope?" Novello appears in many other scenes as well, shadowing George Hamilton, and in the climactic scene on the steps of the Palermo opera house, Teatro Massimo. In 2001, he lent his voice to the character Vincenzo "Vinny" Santorini in the Disney animated film '' Atlantis: The Lost Empire'', and subsequently in the direct-to-video sequel '' Atlantis: Milo's Return''. In 2003, he filed papers to enter the

2003 California recall The 2003 California gubernatorial recall election was a special election permitted under California state law. It resulted in voters replacing incumbent Democratic Governor Gray Davis with Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger. The recall effort ...

election, but failed to collect enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. In 2005, after the death of

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

, Novello, as Father Guido Sarducci, reprised his former ''SNL'' role as "Special Vatican Reporter" for

Air America Radio Air America (formerly Air America Radio and Air America Media) was an American radio network specializing in progressive talk radio. It was on the air from March 2004 to January 2010. The network was founded as a left wing alternative to counter ...

host (and fellow ''Saturday Night Live'' alumnus)

Al Franken Alan Stuart Franken (born May 21, 1951) is an American comedian, politician, media personality, and author who served as a United States senator from Minnesota from 2009 to 2018. He gained fame as a writer and performer on the television comed ...

. He continued this role until the election of Pope Benedict XVI. In 2006, he portrayed the role of Galileo on the podcast " The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd". He portrayed Pope Pius XII in the 2009 short film '' All in the Bunker''. On June 23, 2010, he appeared on ''

'' as Father Guido Sarducci. On October 30, 2010, he gave the

benediction A benediction ( Latin: ''bene'', well + ''dicere'', to speak) is a short invocation for divine help, blessing and guidance, usually at the end of worship service. It can also refer to a specific Christian religious service including the exposit ...

at the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear hosted by Jon Stewart and

Stephen Colbert Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program '' The Colbert Report'' from 2005 ...

. American recording artist Guthrie Thomas credited Don Novello as "the best performer in the room" when Novello appeared as Father Guido Sarducci on one of Thomas' albums in a recording studio full of famous performers.

Personal life

Novello resides in

San Anselmo, California San Anselmo () is an incorporated town in Marin County, California, United States. San Anselmo is located west of San Rafael, at an elevation of 46 feet (14 m). It is located about north of San Francisco. The town is bordered by San Rafael ...

. He has one brother, Joseph "Joe" Novello, and one sister, Eileen. His former sister-in-law Dr. Antonia Novello M.D. served as Surgeon General of the United States from 1990 to 1993. His niece is film producer Holly Wiersma (Wonderland, Billionaire Boys Club).

Selected acting credits

*''

'' (1978–1980, 1985–1986) (TV) - Father Guido Sarducci *'' Gilda Live'' (1980) - Father Guido Sarducci *''

'' (1982) (TV) - Father Guido Sarducci *'' Mr. Mike's Mondo Video'' (1979) - Men in Film Room (voice, uncredited) *''Become an Artist'' (1982) - Father Guido Sarducci *'' Head Office'' (1985) - Sal *''Father Guido Sarducci Goes to College'' (1985) - Father Guido Sarducci *''

'' (1986) (TV) - Father Guido Sarducci *'' Tucker: The Man and His Dream'' (1988) - Stan *''

'' (1989) - Hector (segment "Life without Zoe") *'' The Spirit of '76'' (1990) - Translator *''

'' (1990) - Dominic Abbandando *''

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

Great Performances ''Great Performances'' is a television anthology series dedicated to the performing arts; the banner has been used to televise theatrical performances such as plays, musicals, opera, ballet, concerts, as well as occasional documentaries. It is p ...

La Pastorela: The Shepherd's Tale'' (1991) - Father Guido Sarducci *''

Teenage Bonnie and Klepto Clyde ''Teenage Bonnie and Klepto Clyde'' is a 1993 American romantic crime film co-written and directed by John Shepphird and starring Maureen Flannigan as Bonnie and Scott Wolf as Clyde. Premise A modern-day retelling of the story of 1930s bank ...

'' (1993) - Sanchez *'' Blossom'' (1993) - Father Guido Sarducci *''One Night Stand'' (1995) - Warren Miller *'' Casper'' (1995) - Father Guido Sarducci *'' Married... with Children'' (1995) (TV) - Father Guido Sarducci *''

Jack Jack may refer to: Places * Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community * Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community * Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas, USA People and fictional characters * Jack (given name), a male given name, ...

'' (1996) - Bartender *''

Touch In physiology, the somatosensory system is the network of neural structures in the brain and body that produce the perception of touch ( haptic perception), as well as temperature ( thermoception), body position (proprioception), and pain. It ...

'' (1997) - Father Navaroli *''

Just the Ticket ''Just the Ticket'' is a 1998 film directed by Richard Wenk. It stars Andy García and Andie MacDowell. Garcia was also the producer. The film was originally titled ''A Piece of Cake''. Plot Gary Starke (Garcia), desperate to get his girlfrien ...

'' (1999) - Tony *'' The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle'' (2000) - Fruit Vendor Twins *'' Just One Night'' (2000) - Italian Drifter *''Nothing Sacred'' (2000) - Caterer *'' Atlantis: The Lost Empire'' (2001) - Vincenzo 'Vinny' Santorini (voice) *'' Atlantis: Milo's Return'' (2003) - Vincenzo 'Vinny' Santorini (voice) *'' Factory Girl'' (2006) - Mort Silvers *''

'' (2010) (TV) - Father Guido Sarducci *'' Twixt'' (2011) - Melvin *''

Palo Alto Palo Alto (; Spanish for "tall stick") is a charter city in the northwestern corner of Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a coastal redwood tree known as El Palo Alto. The city was es ...

'' (2013) - Mr. Wilson

Writing credits

*''

'' (1975) (TV) *''Van Dyke and Company'' (1976) (TV) *''

'' (1978–1986) (TV) *''Things We Did Last Summer'' (1978) (TV) *'' Gilda Live'' (with Gilda Radner, Anne Beatts,

Lorne Michaels Lorne Michaels (born Lorne David Lipowitz; November 17, 1944) is a Canadian-American producer, screenwriter, and comedian. He is best known for creating and producing ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1980, 1985–present) and producing the '' La ...

, Michael O'Donoghue, Rosie Shuster, Marilyn Suzanne Miller,

Paul Shaffer Paul Allen Wood Shaffer (born November 28, 1949) is a Canadian singer, composer, actor, author, comedian, and multi-instrumentalist who served as David Letterman's musical director, band leader, and sidekick on the entire run of both ''Late Ni ...

and Alan Zweibel) (1980) *'' SCTV'' (1982) (TV) *''Noble Rot'' (with

) (1982) (unproduced) *''A Man Called Sporacaione'' (1982) (unproduced) *''

Blondes vs. Brunettes ''Blondes vs. Brunettes'' was an ABC TV special that was broadcast on May 14, 1984. The one-hour variety show, co-hosted by Joan Collins and Morgan Fairchild, was a humorous look at the personality and lifestyle differences between blonde and bru ...

'' (with Lisa Medway) (1984) (TV) *''Father Guido Sarducci Goes To College'' (1985) (VHS) *''Our Planet Tonight'' (1987) (TV)

Bibliography

*''The Lazlo Letters'' (1977) *''The Blade: Shellville High School Yearbook'' (1984) *''Citizen Lazlo!: The Lazlo Letters Vol. 2'' (1992) *''From Bush to Bush: The Lazlo Toth Letters'' (2003)

Albums

*''Father Guido Sarducci Live at St. Douglas Convent'' (1980) *'' Breakfast in Heaven'' (1986) *''Everybody's Free to Wear Camouflage'' (2000) (CD Single) written by; Cat McLean, Don Novello and Narada Michael Walden, which was a top 20 hit in the UK. *''One Hundred Bulbs on the Christmas Tree Party'' (2006) Appeared on the compilations ''Holidays in Dementia'' (1995) and ''A Classic Rock Christmas'' (2002). He made guest appearances on the Handsome Boy Modeling School albums '' So... How's Your Girl?'' (1999) and '' White People'' (2004).

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Novello, Don 1943 births American male comedians American male film actors American male television actors American television writers American male television writers American people of Irish descent American writers of Italian descent Living people People from Ashtabula, Ohio People from San Anselmo, California Thunderbird School of Global Management alumni American sketch comedians Comedians from California Comedians from Ohio Screenwriters from California Screenwriters from Ohio Screenwriters from Arizona