ABATANTUONO, DIEGO

(1955-)

Actor. One of the new generation of young actors to emerge in the late 1970s, Abatantuono came to films and television after having been immersed from an early age in Milanese cabaret culture. He became particularly well known for his impersonation on stage of an ebullient wild-haired young lout (a so-called terrunciello or country boy) with lots of attitude and an incomprehensible speech that jumbled together the dialects of Lombardy and Puglia. The character's notoriety led to small roles in satirical films such asFantozzi contro tutti(Fantozzi against the Wind, 1980), directed by Neri Parenti, and Renzo Arbore'sII pap'occhio(The Pope's Eye, 1980). After starring in a number of extremely popular low-grade farces, films commonly referred to as "demented comedies" or "cinema trash," Abatantuono abandoned the screen for a period in order to work in theater again, attracting much praise for his interpretation of Sganarelle in a production of Moliere'sDon Giovanni. He returned to the cinema in 1986 working withPupi AvatiinRegalo di Natale(Christmas Present, 1986) and inGiuseppe Bertolucci'sStrana la vita(The Strangeness of Life, 1987) although he scored his greatest successes with roles in a handful of films directed byGabriele Salvatores, in particularMarrakech Express(1989),Turne(1990), and the Oscar-winningMediterraneo(1991). With an obvious propensity for comedy, he has also continued to prove himself in more dramatic roles inCarlo Mazzacurati'sIl toro(TheBull, 1994),Ettore Scola'sConcorrenza sleale(Unfair Competition, 2001), and Avati's more recentLa rivincita di Natale(Christmas Rematch, 2004).