Roberto Herlitzka (2 October 1937 – 31 July 2024) was an Italian theatre and film actor. He has appeared in 38 films since 1973. In 2004 he won the
David di Donatello for Best Supporting Actor
The David di Donatello Award for Best Supporting Actor () is a film award presented by the Accademia del Cinema Italiano (ACI, ''Academy of Italian Cinema'') to recognize the outstanding performance in a supporting role of an actor who has worke ...
and
Nastro d'Argento for Best Actor
The ''Nastro d'Argento'' (Silver Ribbon) is a film award assigned each year, since 1946, by ''Sindacato Nazionale dei Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani'' ("Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists"), the association of Italian film critic ...
for his role in ''
Good Morning, Night''.
Biography
Herlitzka was born in
Turin
Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
, the second son after his brother Paolo, to Bruno Herlitzka, a
Czech Jew from
Brno
Brno ( , ; ) is a Statutory city (Czech Republic), city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava (river), Svitava and Svratka (river), Svratka rivers, Brno has about 403,000 inhabitants, making ...
who emigrated with his family, and to Micaela Berruti, a Catholic
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
who worked as a translator. His parents' marriage ended with a
declaration of nullity
In the Catholic Church, a declaration of nullity, commonly called an annulment and less commonly a decree of nullity, and in some cases, a Catholic divorce, is an ecclesiastical tribunal determination and judgment that a marriage was invalidly ...
, and his father, after marrying the painter Giorgina Lattes, emigrated to
Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
in January 1939 to escape the
Italian racial laws
The Italian racial laws, otherwise referred to as the Racial Laws (), were a series of laws promulgated by the government of Benito Mussolini in Fascist Italy from 1938 to 1944 in order to enforce racial discrimination and segregation in the King ...
, which he and his brother also escaped by temporarily obtaining their mother's surname, Berruti. In 1947, his half-sister Laura Herlitzka was born in
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
.
He studied at the Massimo D'Azeglio high school in Turin and enrolled in literature at the
University of Turin
The University of Turin (Italian language, Italian: ''Università degli Studi di Torino'', UNITO) is a public university, public research university in the city of Turin, in the Piedmont (Italy), Piedmont region of Italy. It is one of the List ...
, but soon moved to
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
to live with his father, who had become a gallery owner there. He studied under Orazio Costa at the National Academy of Dramatic Arts. In the 2002–2003 and 2003–2004 theater seasons he won the Ubu award as best Italian actor.
In 2004 he was awarded a Nastro d'argento as best actor and a
David di Donatello
The David di Donatello Awards, named after Donatello's ''David (Donatello, bronze), David'', a symbolic statue of the Italian Renaissance, are film awards given out each year by the ''Accademia del Cinema Italiano'' (the Academy of Italian Cin ...
as best supporting actor for his performance as
Aldo Moro
Aldo Moro (; 23 September 1916 – 9 May 1978) was an Italian statesman and prominent member of Christian Democracy (Italy), Christian Democracy (DC) and its centre-left wing. He served as prime minister of Italy in five terms from December 1963 ...
in
Marco Bellocchio
Marco Bellocchio (; born 9 November 1939) is an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor.
Life and career
Born in Bobbio, near Piacenza, Marco Bellocchio had a strict Catholic upbringing – his father was a lawyer, his mother a schooltea ...
's film ''
Good Morning, Night'' (which also earned him the ''Horcynus Orca'' award for four years later), and received the ''Gassman Award'' as best actor for the theatrical performances ''Let Me Go Mother'' and ''Lighea''. In 2013, at the fourth edition of the Bari International Film Festival, he obtained again the ''Gassman Award'' for being the best leading actor for the film ''
The Red and the Blue''.
Herlitzka died in Rome on 31 July 2024, at the age of 86. His health declined after his wife's death a few months earlier.
Partial filmography
* ''
Love and Anarchy
''Love and Anarchy'' () is a 1973 political comedy-drama film written and directed by Lina Wertmüller and starring Giancarlo Giannini and Mariangela Melato.
Set in Fascist Italy in the early 1930s, the film follows Tunin (Giannini), an anarch ...
'' (1973) - Pautasso
* ''
Black Holiday
''Black Holiday'' () is a 1973 Italian Political cinema, political drama film directed by Marco Leto and starring Adalberto Maria Merli and Adolfo Celi.
Cast
* Adolfo Celi as Commissioner Rizzuto
* Adalberto Maria Merli as Franco Rossini
* John ...
'' (1973) - Guasco
* ''
Morel's Invention'' (1974) - Ospite che si scusa
* ''
Seven Beauties
''Seven Beauties'' (, "Pasqualino Sevenbeauties") is a 1975 historical black comedy drama Italian film written and directed by Lina Wertmüller and starring Giancarlo Giannini, Fernando Rey, and Shirley Stoler.
Written by Wertmüller, the film ...
'' (1975) - Socialist
* ''
A Joke of Destiny
''A Joke of Destiny'' () is a 1983 Italian comedy film directed by Lina Wertmüller. It was entered into the 14th Moscow International Film Festival.
Synopsis
Chaos reigns as the interior minister is stuck in his highly futuristic car and a ...
'' (1983) - Dr. Crisafulli, segretario
* ''Il giocatore invisibile'' (1985)
* ''
Summer Night
''Summer Night'' (, also known as ''Summer Night with Greek Profile, Almond Eyes and Scent of Basil'') is a 1986 Italian comedy film directed by Lina Wertmüller. The film was selected as the Italian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at th ...
'' (1986) - Salvatore Cantalamessa aka Turi
* ''
Dark Eyes'' (1987) - L'Avvocato
* ''
The Gold Rimmed Glasses
''Gli occhiali d'oro'' (internationally released as ''The Gold Rimmed Glasses'') is a 1987 Italian drama film directed by Giuliano Montaldo, starring Philippe Noiret, Rupert Everett and Valeria Golino. Set in Ferrara and in a nearby seaside resort ...
'' (1987)
* ''
Secondo Ponzio Pilato
''Secondo Ponzio Pilato'' (English: "According to Ponzio Pilato") is the traditional way of attributing Gospels authors' names) is a 1987 Italian historical comedy drama film written and directed by Luigi Magni. The film is an example of Magnis's ...
'' (1987) -
Barabba
Barabba is a locality in the Mid North region of South Australia, between Mallala and Hamley Bridge on the north bank of the Light River.
Barabba includes the former government town of Aliceburgh which was proclaimed in 1879 and named for Gov ...
* ''
The Mask'' (1988) - Elia
* ''
Traces of an Amorous Life
''Traces of an Amorous Life'' () is a 1990 Italian romantic drama film directed by Peter Del Monte. It entered the competition at the 47th Venice International Film Festival.
Cast
* Luciano Bartoli as the boss
* Valeria Golino as Lucia Fontana
* ...
'' (1990) - Teacher
* ''
In the Name of the Sovereign People
''In the Name of the Sovereign People'' () is a 1990 Italian historical comedy drama film written and directed by Luigi Magni. The film takes place during the First Italian War of Independence. It won the David di Donatello for best costumes.
...
'' (1990) -
Giuseppe Gioacchino Belli
Giuseppe Francesco Antonio Maria Gioachino Raimondo Belli (7 September 1791 – 21 December 1863) was an Italian poet, famous for his sonnets in Romanesco, the dialect of Rome.
Biography
Giuseppe Francesco Antonio Maria Gioachino Raimondo Bell ...
* ''Marcellino'' (1991) - Il precettore
* ''
The Butterfly's Dream'' (1994) - Il padre
* ''
The Favourite Son
''The Favourite Son'' (original title: ''Le Fils préféré'') is a 1994 French drama film directed by Nicole Garcia and written by François Dupeyron, Jacques Fieschi and Garcia. It stars Gérard Lanvin, Bernard Giraudeau and Jean-Marc Barr.
Ca ...
'' (1994) - Raphaël, le père
* ''Intolerance'' (1996) - (segment "Ottantanni di Intolerance")
* ''Les Démons de Jésus'' (1997) - Raymond Piacentini
* ''
Marianna Ucrìa
''Marianna Ucrìa'' is a 1997 Italian drama film directed by Roberto Faenza. It is based on a novel by Dacia Maraini. It was entered into the 20th Moscow International Film Festival.
Plot
In Sicily, in the first half of the eighteenth century, ...
'' (1997) - Duca Pietro
* ''A ridosso dei ruderi, i Trionfi'' (1997)
* ''Mille bornes'' (1999) - Le père
* ''
Il corpo dell'anima'' (1999) - Ernesto
* ''Il mnemonista'' (2000) - Professor L.
* ''L'ultima lezione'' (2000) - Federico Caffè
* ''Quartetto'' (2001) - Paolo
* ''
It's Easier for a Camel...'' (2003) - Father
* ''Le intermittenze del cuore'' (2003) - Carlo
* ''
Good Morning, Night'' (2003) -
Aldo Moro
Aldo Moro (; 23 September 1916 – 9 May 1978) was an Italian statesman and prominent member of Christian Democracy (Italy), Christian Democracy (DC) and its centre-left wing. He served as prime minister of Italy in five terms from December 1963 ...
* ''
The Voyage Home'' (2004) - Protadio
* ''
Secret Journey'' (2006) - Padre Angelo
* ''
Boris'' (2007, TV series) - Orlando Serpentieri
* ''
The Demons of St. Petersberg'' (2008) - Pavlovic
* ''All Human Rights for All'' (2008) - Tolik (segment "Art. 9") / Voce narrante (segment "Art. 11")
* ''Narciso, dietro i cannoni, davanti ai muli'' (2008) - Ciso
* ''Aria'' (2009) - Giovanni
* ''
The Red Shadows'' (2009) - Sergio Siniscalchi
* ''
Christine Cristina
''Christine Cristina'' is a 2009 Italian biographical drama film co-written and directed by Stefania Sandrelli, in her directorial debut.
It depicts medieval writer Christine de Pizan's real life events.
Plot
Cast
*Amanda Sandrelli as ...
'' (2009) - Sartorius
* ''Gli anni verdi'' (2010) - Guru
* ''Sette opere di misericordia'' (2011) - Antonio
* ''
The Last Earthling
''The Last Man on Earth'' is a 2011 Italian science fiction drama film directed by Gian Alfonso Pacinotti. Its original Italian title is ''L'ultimo terrestre'', which means "The last earthling." The story follows a man with relational problems whi ...
'' (2011) - Padre di Luca
* ''Rien Va'' (2011) - Alessandro Tommasi
* ''
The Ideal City
''The Ideal City'' () is a 2012 Italian thriller drama film, written and directed by Luigi Lo Cascio. It is Cascio's directorial debut film. The film premiered in International Film Critics' Week section at 69th Venice International Film Festiva ...
'' (2012) - Custode Maneggio
* ''
Dormant Beauty'' (2012) - Lo psichiatra
* ''
The Red and the Blue'' (2012) - Prof. Fiorito
* ''
The Great Beauty
''The Great Beauty'' ( ) is a 2013 art drama film co-written and directed by Paolo Sorrentino. Filming took place in Rome starting on 9 August 2012. It premiered at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival where it was screened in competition for the Palme ...
'' (2013) - Cardinal Bellucci
* ''Io, Arlecchino'' (2014) - Giovanni
* ''
Blood of My Blood
"Blood of My Blood" is the sixth episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 56th overall. The episode was written by Bryan Cogman, and directed by Jack Bender.
Bran Stark and Meera Reed are re ...
'' (2015) - Conte
* ''
Sweet Dreams'' (2016) - padre Ettore Abisso
* ''
Non c'è più religione
''Non c'è più religione'' () is a 2016 Italian comedy film directed by Luca Miniero.
Cast
*Claudio Bisio as Cecco
*Alessandro Gassmann as Bilal
*Angela Finocchiaro as Sister Marta
*Nabiha Akkari as Haida
*Mehdi Meskar as Alì
*Laura Adriani as ...
'' (2016) - Bishop
* ''Veleni'' (2017) - Rettore
* ''
Loro'' (2018) - Crepuscolo
* ''Primula Rossa'' (2018) - Cristiano
* ''
Magical Nights'' (2018) - Fulvio Zappellini
* ''
The Name of the Rose
''The Name of the Rose'' ( ) is the 1980 debut novel by Italian author Umberto Eco. It is a historical fiction, historical murder mystery set in an Italian monastery in the year 1327, and an intellectual mystery combining semiotics in fiction, ...
'' (2019, TV Series) - Alinardo da Grottaferrata
* ''
Il processo'' (2019, TV Series)
* ''
Citizens of the World'' (2019)
*''
The Hidden Child'' (2021)
References
External links
*
1937 births
2024 deaths
Italian male film actors
Italian people of Czech descent
Male actors from Turin
Accademia Nazionale di Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico alumni
David di Donatello winners
Nastro d'Argento winners
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