Massimo Lopez (born 11 January 1952) is an Italian actor, voice actor, comedian, impressionist and television personality. Together with fellow actors Anna Marchesini and Tullio Solenghi, he has been a member of the comic group known as '' Il Trio'' (''The Trio'').

Biography

Lopez was born to parents from

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

who were temporarily working in

Ascoli Piceno Ascoli Piceno (; la, Asculum; dialetto ascolano: Ascule) is a town and ''comune'' in the Marche region of Italy, capital of the province of the same name. Its population is around 46,000 but the urban area of the city has more than 93,000. Geo ...

. He started his acting career in 1975 and founded ''Il Trio'' in 1982 with Tullio Solenghi and Anna Marchesini: the Trio debuts on

Rai Radio 2 Rai Radio 2 (''radio due'') is an Italian radio channel operated by the state-owned public-broadcasting organization RAI and specializing in talk programmes and popular music from Italy and China. History The origins of the channel can be ...

with the ''Hellzapoppin''

radio show A radio program, radio programme, or radio show is a segment of content intended for broadcast on radio. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series. A single program in a series is called an episode. Radio netwo ...

. Following the great success of ''Hellzapoppin'', the Trio participated in various television programs like ''

Domenica in ''Domenica in'' is an Italian Sunday long-running television show broadcast by Rai 1 since 1976. During its history, the title was also spelled as ''Domenica in...'' and ''Dom&Nica in''.Aldo Grasso – Massimo Scaglioni, ''Enciclopedia della Tel ...

'' and the 1986 edition of '' Fantastico'' and took part to the

Sanremo Music Festival The Sanremo Music Festival, officially the Italian Song Festival () and commonly known as just (), is the most popular Italian song contest and awards ceremony, held annually in the city of Sanremo, Liguria. It is the longest-running annua ...

editions of

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 **Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal enter ...

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airpor ...

and

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker ru ...

. In 1990, the Trio reaches the peak of success with the

parody A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its su ...

Alessandro Manzoni Alessandro Francesco Tommaso Antonio Manzoni (, , ; 7 March 1785 – 22 May 1873) was an Italian poet, novelist and philosopher. He is famous for the novel '' The Betrothed'' (orig. it, I promessi sposi) (1827), generally ranked among the maste ...

's '' The Betrothed'', which was broadcast on

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 television channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream and ge ...

in 5 episodes. Together with Solenghi and Marchesini, Lopez brought on stage two theatrical shows: ''Allacciare le cinture di sicurezza'' (''Fasten your seat belts'') in 1987 and ''In principio era il trio'' (''In the Beginning, there was the Trio'') in 1990. The Trio dissolved in 1994, due to the will of all three actors to work as soloists, but reunited for one last time in 2008 to celebrate its 25th anniversary with the TV-program '' Non esiste più la mezza stagione''. In 2005, Lopez hosted together with Solenghi ''

Striscia la notizia ''Striscia la notizia'' () is an Italian satirical television program on the Mediaset-controlled Canale 5. Founded in 1988, it is meant to be a parody of the daily news, which airs right before the program, but ''Striscia'' also satirizes gover ...

''. As a voice actor, Lopez is known for dubbing voices. He has been providing the current Italian voice of

Homer Simpson Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the American animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared, along with the rest of his family, in '' The Tracey Ullman Show'' short ...

in ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...

'' since the death of

Tonino Accolla Antonio "Tonino" Accolla (6 April 1949 – 14 July 2013) was an Italian actor and voice actor. Biography Accolla began his career in the late 1970s making his very first dubbing contribution in the 1979 film ''Apocalypse Now''. He was also nota ...

in 2013. He has also dubbed some famous actors, including

Stephen Fry Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starrin ...

in ''

The Hobbit ''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the ''N ...

'' film franchise as well as

Mike Myers Michael John Myers Order of Canada, OC (born May 25, 1963) is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. His accolades include seven MTV Movie & TV Awards, MTV Awards, a Primetime Emmy Awards, Primetime Emmy Award, and a Screen Acto ...

in the second installment of the ''

Austin Powers ''Austin Powers'' is a series of American spy action comedy films: '' Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery'' (1997), '' Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me'' (1999) and ''Austin Powers in Goldmember'' (2002). The films were produced ...

'' movies and

Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comed ...

in the live action adaption of ''

Popeye Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by E. C. Segar, Elzie Crisler Segar.Doc McStuffins ''Doc McStuffins'' is an American educational computer-animated children's television series created and executive produced by Chris Nee (an Irish-American who was an associate producer for international versions of Sesame Street) and produc ...

'' as well as Grand Pabbie in '' Frozen'', Ramon in ''

Happy Feet ''Happy Feet'' is a 2006 computer-animated jukebox musical comedy film directed, produced, and co-written by George Miller. It stars the voices of Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Brittany Murphy, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Hugo Weaving, ...

'', Mr. Peabody in '' Mr. Peabody & Sherman'' and Lionheart in ''

Zootopia ''Zootopia'' (titled ''Zootropolis'' in various regions) is a 2016 American computer-animated buddy cop action comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 55th Disney animated feature film, ...

''. On 27 March 2017 Lopez suffered a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which m ...

while he was performing on stage; he quickly underwent an

angioplasty Angioplasty, is also known as balloon angioplasty and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), is a minimally invasive endovascular procedure used to widen narrowed or obstructed arteries or veins, typically to treat arterial atherosclero ...

and was transferred to a cardiological rehabilitation center, where he recovered completely and came back on stage two months later.

Personal life

Lopez is the younger brother of the late voice actor

Giorgio Lopez Giorgio Lopez (16 February 1947 – 10 August 2021) was an Italian actor, voice actor, and theatre director. Biography Born in Naples, Lopez began his career during the late 1960s. Remembered for his work as a stage actor, director and playwrig ...

, who was the official Italian dubbing artist for

Danny DeVito Daniel Michael DeVito Jr. (born November 17, 1944) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He gained prominence for his portrayal of the taxi dispatcher Louie De Palma in the television series '' Taxi'' (1978–1983), which won him a Go ...

. He is also the uncle of voice actors Gabriele and Andrea Lopez.

Filmography

Cinema

* ''

Odd Squad ''Odd Squad'' (stylized as ''ODD SQUAD'') is a children's live action educational television series that premiered on TVOKids in Canada and PBS Kids in the United States on November 26, 2014. Similar to '' Cyberchase'' and '' Peg + Cat'', othe ...

'' (1981) * '' Aida of the Trees'' (2001) - Voice

Television

With the Trio

* ''

'' (1985–1986) * '' Fantastico'' (1986–1987) * ''

Sanremo Music Festival 1986 The Sanremo Music Festival 1986 was the 36th annual Sanremo Music Festival, held at the Teatro Ariston The Ariston Theatre ( it, Teatro Ariston) is a cinema in Sanremo, Italy. It has been the venue of the annual Sanremo Music Festival The ...

'' (1986) * '' Sanremo Music Festival 1987'' (1987) * '' Sanremo Music Festival 1989'' (1989) * '' Non esiste più la mezza stagione'' (2008)

As soloist

* '' Scherzi a parte'' (1995, 1997) * '' Quelli che... il Calcio'' (2001–2002) * ''

'' (2005) * '' Miss Italia Show'' (2018)

Dubbing roles

Animation

in ''

'' (season 24+) *Chilly McStuffins in ''

Doc McStuffins ''Doc McStuffins'' is an American educational computer-animated children's television series created and executive produced by Chris Nee (an Irish-American who was an associate producer for international versions of Sesame Street) and produc ...

'' (season 2+) *Ramon in ''

'' *Ramon in '' Happy Feet 2'' *Grand Pabbie in '' Frozen'' *Grand Pabbie in ''

Frozen II ''Frozen 2'' (stylized as ''Frozen II'') is a 2019 American computer-animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The 58th animated film produced by the stud ...

'' *Mayor Leodore Lionheart in ''

'' * Mr. Peabody in '' Mr. Peabody & Sherman'' *

Captain Qwark Captain Qwark (Copernicus Leslie Qwark; ( ) is a fictional character from Insomniac Games' '' Ratchet & Clank'' video game series. He first appeared in the 2002 video game '' Ratchet & Clank'' as the secondary antagonist then became the main a ...

in ''

Ratchet & Clank ''Ratchet & Clank'' is a series of action platformer and third-person shooter video games. The franchise was created and developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation consoles, such as PlayStation ...

'' *Eduardo in ''

Rio 2 ''Rio 2'' is a 2014 American 3D computer-animated musical comedy film produced by Blue Sky Studios and directed by Carlos Saldanha. It is the sequel to the 2011 computer-animated film '' Rio'' and the second installment of the ''Rio'' franchise. ...

'' *

Papa Smurf Papa Smurf is one of the protagonists from the comic strip the Smurfs. Most Smurfs are said to be about 100 years old, but at the advanced age of 546 (553 in the 1980s series episode "The Littlest Giant"), Papa is the oldest Smurf and the leader o ...

in '' Smurfs: The Lost Village'' *Archibald Snatcher in '' The Boxtrolls'' *Horse in ''

A Town Called Panic ''A Town Called Panic'' (French: ''Panique au village'', "Panic at the village") is a 2002-2003 French-language Belgian stop-motion sitcom created by Stéphane Aubier and Vincent Patar for La Parti and Pic Pic André. It follows the everyday ev ...

'' *

Cowardly Lion The Cowardly Lion is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. He is depicted as an African lion, but like all animals in Oz, he can speak. Since lions are supposed to be "The Kings of Beasts," the Coward ...

in '' Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return'' *Bobby in ''

Turbo In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pr ...

'' *Bruno Bullnerd in ''

ChalkZone ''ChalkZone'' is an American animated television series created by Bill Burnett and Larry Huber for Nickelodeon. The series follows Rudy Tabootie, an elementary school student who discovers a box of magic chalk that allows him to draw portals ...

Live action

*Latin Lover Narrator in ''

Jane the Virgin ''Jane the Virgin'' is an American romantic comedy-drama and satirical telenovela developed by Jennie Snyder Urman. The series premiered October 13, 2014, on The CW and concluded on July 31, 2019. It is a loose adaptation of the Venezuelan tele ...

'' * Master of Lake-town in '' The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug'' *Master of Lake-town in '' The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies'' *Mr. Johnson in ''

Love & Friendship ''Love & Friendship'' is a 2016 period comedy film written and directed by Whit Stillman. Based on Jane Austen's epistolary novel '' Lady Susan'', written c. 1794, the film stars Kate Beckinsale, Chloë Sevigny, Xavier Samuel, and Emma Gre ...

'' *

Popeye Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by E. C. Segar, Elzie Crisler Segar.Popeye Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by E. C. Segar, Elzie Crisler Segar.A Single Man ''A Single Man'' is a 2009 American period romantic drama film based on the 1964 novel of the same name by Christopher Isherwood. The directorial debut of fashion designer Tom Ford, the film stars Colin Firth, who was nominated for the Acade ...

'' *Lee Chen-chiang in '' Game of Death II'' *Zanik Hightopp in '' Alice Through the Looking Glass'' *Tommy Brue in ''

A Most Wanted Man ''A Most Wanted Man'' is a thriller/ espionage novel by British writer John le Carré, published in September 2008 by Hodder & Stoughton in the United Kingdom and in October 2008 by Scribner in the United States. A young Chechen ex-prisoner ...

'' *

/ Dr. Evil /

Fat Bastard Fat Bastard is a fictional character in the second and third films of the ''Austin Powers'' series. A morbidly obese henchman hailing from Clydebank, Scotland, Fat Bastard serves Dr. Evil in his quest to destroy Austin Powers. The character i ...

in '' Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me'' *Fernando Cienfuegos in ''

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again ''Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again'' is a 2018 British-American jukebox musical romantic comedy film written and directed by Ol Parker, from a story by Parker, Catherine Johnson, and Richard Curtis. It is the sequel to the 2008 film ''Mamma Mia!'' ...

'' *Chuck Lumley in '' Night Shift'' *Papa Rudy in '' The Walk'' *

Method acting Method acting, informally known as The Method, is a range of training and rehearsal techniques, as formulated by a number of different theatre practitioners, that seeks to encourage sincere and expressive performances through identifying with, u ...

teacher in '' The Disaster Artist'' *Ghost in ''

22 Jump Street ''22 Jump Street'' is a 2014 American satirical buddy cop action comedy film directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, written by Jonah Hill, Michael Bacall, Oren Uziel and Rodney Rothman and produced by and starring Hill and Channing T ...

'' * Stephen Hawking in ''

The Big Bang Theory ''The Big Bang Theory'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom served as executive producers on the series, along with Steven Molaro, all of whom also served as head writers. It premiered on CBS ...

'' *Mr. Bennet in '' Pride and Prejudice and Zombies'' *Aamir Barkawi in ''

London Has Fallen ''London Has Fallen'' is a 2016 American action thriller film directed by Babak Najafi and written by Creighton Rothenberger, Katrin Benedikt, Chad St. John and Christian Gudegast. It is the second installment in the ''Has Fallen'' film series ...

'' *

Splinter A splinter (also known as a sliver) is a fragment of a larger object, or a foreign body that penetrates or is purposely injected into a body. The foreign body must be lodged inside tissue to be considered a splinter. Splinters may cause initia ...

in ''

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' is an American media franchise created by the comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It follows Leonardo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Leonardo, Michelangelo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Miche ...

'' *Splinter in '' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows''

Video games

in ''

Lego Dimensions ''Lego Dimensions'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure platform crossover video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Wii U, Xbox One and Xbox 360. I ...

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lopez, Massimo 1952 births Living people Italian impressionists (entertainers) Italian male comedians Italian male film actors Italian male stage actors Italian male television actors Italian male video game actors Italian male voice actors Italian people of Spanish descent Italian television personalities People from Ascoli Piceno 20th-century Italian male actors 21st-century Italian male actors 20th-century Italian comedians 21st-century Italian comedians Ciak d'oro winners