Umberto Orsini

Umberto Orsini (born 2 April 1934) is an Italian actor. He achieved prominence as a stage actor in Luchino Visconti's company, before becoming known to general audiences for his roles in RAI television dramas. He won the Nastro d'Argento for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Visconti's The Damned, and was nominated for the David di Donatello for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Early Bird Catches the Worm (2008).

Early life Orisini was born in Novara in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, on 2 April 1934. Prior to pursuing an acting career, he worked as a notary. He enrolled in the Accademia Nazionale di Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico in Rome, and graduated in 1954.

Career He began his professional stage career as a founding member of Milan's Compagnia dei Giovani, under the direction of Giorgio De Lullo and Romolo Valli. He performed with the Paolo Stoppa and Rina Morelli's company in a 1960 production of L'Arialda, directed by Luchino Visconti, and achieved critical praise for his performance as 'Nick' in a production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, opposite Enrico Maria Salerno. He performed extensively with Gabriele Lavia for the Teatro Eliseo, of which he was the artistic director between 1980 and 1997.

After a minor role in Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita, Orsini made his official film debut in the 1960 film Love in Rome. After several supporting roles, including in the star-studded international production Candy, Orsini made his breakthrough in Visconti's The Damned, playing a disillusioned industrialist in 1930s Germany whose anti-Nazi views leave him a target of the new regime. The role earned Orsini praise from Italian critics, and he won that year's Nastro d'Argento for Best Supporting Actor.

He would collaborate again with Visconti in the 1973 historical epic Ludwig, which also reunited him with Damned co-stars Helmut Berger and Helmut Griem. Outside his native Italy, Orsini also worked in French cinema, notably playing the husband of the title character in Emmanuelle 2 and Goodbye Emmanuelle.

Orsini found success on Italian television, becoming a regular fixture of RAI programming. He co-hosted the Sunday morning cooking show Colazione allo studio 7 with Luigi Veronelli.

Personal life

Orsini was romantically involved with Ellen Kessler for 20 years.

Filmography Film

Television

Awards and recognition