Andrea Roncato (born 7 March 1947) is an Italian actor,

comedian A comedian (feminine comedienne) or comic is a person who seeks to entertainment, entertain an audience by making them laughter, laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolishly (as in slapstick), or employing prop c ...

and television personality.

Biography

Andrea Roncato has a law degree from the

University of Bologna The University of Bologna (, abbreviated Unibo) is a Public university, public research university in Bologna, Italy. Teaching began around 1088, with the university becoming organised as guilds of students () by the late 12th century. It is the ...

and a

solfège In music, solfège (British English or American English , ) or solfeggio (; ), also called sol-fa, solfa, solfeo, among many names, is a mnemonic used in teaching aural skills, Pitch (music), pitch and sight-reading of Western classical music, W ...

diploma from the Conservatorio Giovanni Battista Martini. He has attended several acting courses, both in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

and in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. His fame is mainly due to the comedy duo Gigi e Andrea with fellow comedian Gigi Sammarchi. After several television appearances they became one of the most famous duos of

Italian cinema The cinema of Italy (, ) comprises the films made within Italy or by List of Italian film directors, Italian directors. Since its beginning, Italian cinema has influenced film movements worldwide. Italy is one of the birthplaces of art cinema and ...

in the 1980s. They are known for their easy-going style and irreverence. Gigi e Andrea were spokespeople for Agip Petroli and Autobianchi Y10 4WD in the 1980s. After gaining popularity with Sammarchi, Andrea Roncato continued his solo career starring in several films (including some Christmas comedies with

Massimo Boldi Massimo Antonio Boldi (born 23 July 1945) is an Italian stand-up comedian and actor. Biography Boldi was born in Luino on 23 July 1945. In 1955 his family moved to Milan, where he joined evening classes and began working as a window-dresser ...

and Christian De Sica) and in some television series. From 2002 to 2008, he starred as Romanò in the television series ''

Carabinieri The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign poli ...

'' on

Canale 5 Canale 5 () is an Italian free-to-air television channel of Mediaset, owned by MFE - MediaForEurope. It was the first private television network to have national coverage in Italy in 1980. On 4 December 2012, Mediaset launched Canale 5 HD, a ...

(seven seasons). In 2007, he was made a Knight of Malta. In 2008, he starred in the film and, in the same year, he had his first book, ''Ti avrei voluto'', published by Excelsior 1881. The following year, he was a contestant in '' Ballando con le stelle'', a

reality show Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...

Rai 1 Rai 1 () is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana. It is the company's Flagship (broadcasting), flagship television channel and is known for broadcasting ...

(and the Italian version of ''

Strictly Come Dancing ''Strictly Come Dancing'' (commonly referred to as ''Strictly'') is a British dance contest show in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly Ballroom dance, ballroom and Latin dance, Latin dance. Each couple is ...

''). In addition to his work as an actor, presenter, and voice actor, Roncato is also an acting teacher. He has served as an art director for several nightclubs and charity events. Roncato has actively promoted the "SOS Foca Monaca" campaign, supported a Fabriano initiative to raise awareness about responsible dog ownership, particularly the collection of dog waste, and has been named a global ambassador for the protection of disabled children. He is a great lover of animals, especially dogs, and has managed to create a special shelter for strays. He personally owns two, a setter named Padberg and a

Czechoslovakian Wolfdog The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog (, , ) is a breed of wolfdog that began as an experiment conducted in Czechoslovakia in 1955 by colonel Jan Hartl together with known and respected cynologist Dr. Heiri Machat. The breed was known as Czech Wolfdog ( ...

, Tullio.

Private life

In 1985, he had a two month affair with the pornography star

Moana Pozzi Anna Moana Rosa Pozzi (; 27 April 1961 – 15 September 1994), also known mononymously as Moana, was an Italian pornographic actress, television personality and politician. Early life Pozzi was born in Genoa, Italy, the daughter of Alfredo Po ...

, whom he met on the set of '' I pompieri''. In 1997, he married Stefania Orlando, a presenter and television actress, but the marriage ended in divorce after two years. Tabloid newspapers reported that his divorce was mainly due to his drug abuse. He considers himself

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

Selected filmography

Film

*'' Qua la mano'', directed by

Pasquale Festa Campanile Pasquale Festa Campanile (28 July 1927 – 25 February 1986) was an Italian screenwriter, film director and novelist, best known as a prominent exponent of the ''commedia all'italiana'' genre. Life and career Born at Melfi, in the prov ...

(1980) *'' I camionisti'', directed by Flavio Mogherini (1982) *, directed by

Sergio Martino Sergio Martino (born 19 July 1938) is an Italian film director and producer, notable for his contributions to the giallo genre. Martino is the brother of the late producer Luciano Martino (who died in 2013). They collaborated frequently in their ...

(1983) *'' Fantozzi subisce ancora'', directed by

Neri Parenti Neri Parenti (born 26 April 1950) is an Italian film director and writer. He is known for comedy films, including the series starring Paolo Villaggio playing the character Ugo Fantozzi, and a later series of '' cinepanettoni''—zany comedy film ...

(1983) *, directed by Sergio Martino (1983) *'' L'allenatore nel pallone'', directed by Sergio Martino (1984) *, directed by Sergio Martino (1985) *'' I pompieri'' directed by Neri Parenti (1985) *''

Rimini Rimini ''Rimini Rimini'' is a 1987 Italian anthology comedy film directed by Sergio Corbucci. It consists of five segments, all set in Rimini. The film has a sequel, ''Rimini Rimini - Un anno dopo'', directed by Bruno Corbucci and released in 1988. Plot ...

'', directed by

Sergio Corbucci Sergio Corbucci (; 6 December 1926 – 1 December 1990) was an Italian film director, screenwriter and Film producer, producer. He was one of the main exponents of the Spaghetti Western genre during the 1960s and 1970s, with his most notable work ...

(1986) *, directed by Sergio Martino (1986) *, directed by

Alberto Bevilacqua Alberto Bevilacqua (27 June 1934 – 9 September 2013) was an Italian writer and filmmaker. Leonardo Sciascia, an Italian writer and politician, who read Bevilacqua's first collection of stories, ''The Dust on the Grass'' (1955), was impressed ...

(1987) *''

Rimini Rimini - Un anno dopo ''Rimini Rimini - Un anno dopo'' is a 1988 Italian anthology comedy film directed by Bruno Corbucci. It is the sequel to the 1987 film '' Rimini Rimini''. Plot summary The film is divided into episodes set on the beaches of Rimini. A womanize ...

'', directed by

Bruno Corbucci Bruno Corbucci (23 October 1931 – 7 September 1996) was an Italian screenwriter and film director. He was the younger brother of Sergio Corbucci and wrote many of his films. He was born in Rome, where he also died. The vast majority of h ...

and

Giorgio Capitani Giorgio Capitani (29 December 1927 – 25 March 2017) was an Italian film director and screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, ...

(1987) *, directed by

Maurizio Lucidi Maurizio Lucidi (1932–2005) was an Italian director, screenwriter and editor, sometimes credited as Mark Lender. Born in Florence, Lucidi started his career as film editor in the early 1960s. In 1964 he was assistant director for Pier Paolo P ...

(1987) *'' Vacanze di Natale '90'', directed by

Enrico Oldoini Enrico Oldoini (4 May 1946 – 10 May 2023) was an Italian director and screenwriter. Born in La Spezia, in 1966 Enrico Oldoini started attending the Silvio D'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Art in Rome, without graduating. From 1972, he th ...

(1990) *'' Vacanze di Natale '91'', directed by Enrico Oldoini (1991) *'' Ne parliamo lunedì'', directed by Luciano Odorisio (1990) *'' Anni 90'', directed by Enrico Oldoini (1992) *, directed by Sergio Martino (1993) *'' Anni 90: Parte II'', directed by Enrico Oldoini (1993) *'' Gli inaffidabili'', directed by

Jerry Calà Calogero Alessandro Augusto Calà, known by his stage name Jerry Calà (born 28 June 1951), is an Italian actor, filmmaker, comedian and singer who has written, directed, and acted in multiple film and television projects. He is considered one o ...

(1997) *'' Simpatici & antipatici'', directed by Christian De Sica (1998) *, directed by (1999) *'' Ricordati di me'', directed by

Gabriele Muccino Gabriele Muccino (; born 20 May 1967) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. He has worked his way from making short films only aired on Italian television to become a well-known and successful American filmmaker. He is the elder brother o ...

(2003) *, directed by (2003) *'' L'allenatore nel pallone 2'', directed by Sergio Martino (2008) *, directed by Gian Luca Rossi (2008) *'' Il cuore grande delle ragazze'', directed by

Pupi Avati Giuseppe Avati, better known as Pupi Avati (born 3 November 1938), is an Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is known to horror film fans for his two '' giallo'' masterpieces, '' The House with Laughing Windows'' (1976) and '' ...

(2011) *, directed by Andrea Biglione (2011) *''

Napoletans ''Napoletans'' is a 2011 Italian film directed by Luigi Russo. Plot In a small town in southern Italy there is the family Di Gennaro. Gennaro, the householder, is a noted dentist, married to Anna, a housewife, a few years converted to Buddhism. ...

'', directed by Luigi Russo (2011) *''La corona spezzata'', directed by Ruben Maria Soriquez (2013) *''Cornici di vita'', directed by Giovanni Giordano (2015) *'' Odissea nell'ospizio'', directed by Jerry Calà (2019) *'' Under the Riccione Sun'', directed by YouNuts! (2020) *'' Diabolik: Ginko Attacks!'', directed by Manetti Bros. (2023) *'' The American Garden'', directed by

(2024)

Television

* (1984) * (1985–1986) *'' Don Tonino'' (1987–1989) *, directed by (1991) * (1992) *, directed by Lodovico Gasparini (1995) *''Mamma, mi si è depresso papà'', directed by

Paolo Poeti Paolo is a masculine given name, the Italian language, Italian form of the name Paul (name), Paul. It may refer to: People Art * Paolo Abbate (1884–1973), Italian-American sculptor * Paolo Alboni (1671–1734), Italian painter * Paolo Anton ...

(1996) *''La storia di Gigi 2'', directed by and Marco Mazzieri (1997) *'' I misteri di Cascina Vianello'', directed by Gianfrancesco Lazotti (1997) *, directed by Fabio Luigi Lionello (1998) * (2001) *''

'', 7 seasons, directed by

Raffaele Mertes Raffaele Mertes (born 1959) is an Italian film director. He began as a cinematographer, with his first work being on the 1982 film ''Un gusto molto particolare''. His first film as director was the made-for-TV biblical film ''Esther (1999 film), ...

, Sergio Martino, Giandomenico Trillo, (2002–2008) *, directed by Pier Francesco Pingitore (2003) *''

Crimini ''Agaricus bisporus'', commonly known as the cultivated mushroom, is a basidiomycete mushroom native to grasslands in Eurasia and North America. It is cultivated in more than 70 countries and is one of the most commonly and widely consumed m ...

'', directed by Antonio Manetti and Marco Manetti (2006) *''

Il Capitano Il Capitano (; ) is one of the four stock characters of commedia dell'arte. He most probably was never a "Captain", but rather appropriated the name for himself. Its genesis dates back to the Pyrgopolinices of Titus Maccio Plautus' Miles glor ...

'', directed by Vittorio Sindoni (2007) *, directed by Francesco Bovino (2008) *, directed by

(2012) * (2014) * (2015) *'' Provaci ancora prof! 6'', directed by (2015) *'' Don Matteo 10'', directed by (2016) *'' Liberi tutti'' (2019)

Books

Awards

*1984 –

Telegatto Telegatto (a composition of ''television'' and ''gatto'', meaning "cat", after the trophy, which is a small statue representing a cat), was an Italian television award first conceived in 1971 following the contest ''Gran Premio internazionale de ...

for '' Premiatissima'' *1985 – Telegatto for ''

Miss World Miss World is the oldest existing international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951. Since his death in 2000, Morley's widow, Julia Morley, has co-chaired the pageant. Along with Miss Universe, Mi ...

'' *1991 – Telegatto for ''Sabato al Circo'' *2002 – Career award given to Gigi e Andrea at ''Festival del Cabaret'' by municipality of

Martina Franca Martina Franca, or just Martina (Bari dialect, Martinese: ), is a town and ''comune, municipality'' in the province of Taranto, Apulia, Italy. It is the second most populated town of the province after Taranto, and has a population (2016) of ...

. *2004 – Premio Walter Chiari, awarded during the exhibition of ''Il Sarchiapone'' in

Cervia Cervia () is a seaside resort town in the province of Ravenna, located in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. Cervia is a major seaside resort in Emilia-Romagna, North Italy. Its population was 28,983 at the 2023 census. It is mainly ...

*2006 – Premio Speciale for the television series ''

'', awarded during the Festival di Villa Basilica in

Lecce Lecce (; ) is a city in southern Italy and capital of the province of Lecce. It is on the Salentine Peninsula, at the heel of the Italian Peninsula, and is over two thousand years old. Because of its rich Baroque architecture, Lecce is n ...

*2007 – Title of Knight of Malta *2008 – Premio Speciale Totò at the fourth edition of the ''Cabaret Festival'' in

Pompeii Pompeii ( ; ) was a city in what is now the municipality of Pompei, near Naples, in the Campania region of Italy. Along with Herculaneum, Stabiae, and Villa Boscoreale, many surrounding villas, the city was buried under of volcanic ash and p ...

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Roncato, Andrea 1947 births Conservatorio Giovanni Battista Martini alumni Italian male comedians Italian male film actors Italian male stage actors Italian male television actors Italian television personalities Living people Mass media people from Bologna Italian Roman Catholics Knights of Malta Male actors from Bologna Comedians from Bologna