Alberto Sordi

“I take a very simple approach. I observe and reflect real life and ordinary people and, sooner or later, that makes me laugh.” Alberto Sordi was an actor, director and screenwriter, considered one of the great names of Italian comedy. Born in Rome, he showed an interest in acting at an early age by participating in school plays. He got his first jobs as an extra at the Cinecittà Studios. He was also involved in dubbing the voices of well-known actors and in various theatrical productions. Sordi’s film career began with small films, and he achieved fame with Fellini's The White Sheik (1952) and I Vitelloni (1953). Throughout his career, he gave life to numerous comic characters and stood out for his ability to combine humor with social criticism, creating memorable figures that reflect the culture and problems of his time. With The Great War (1959), directed by Mario Monicelli, he demonstrated an extraordinary talent for drama. Among his most renowned works are Be Sick... It's Free (1968) and The Marquis of Grillo (1981). He made his directorial debut in 1966 with Smoke Over London and went on to direct several films, including An Italian in America (1967), with Vittorio De Sica, the episode “Le vacanze intelligenti” of the collective work Where Are You Going on Holiday? (1978), and his favorite, Nestore l'ultima corsa (1994). Sordi passed away in 2003 after a long illness, leaving a void in Italian cinema and being remembered as one of the greatest talents of cinema.