Jerry Calà
Jerry Calà | |
---|---|
Born |
Calogero Calà June 28, 1951 Catania, Italy |
Nationality | Italian |
Occupation | actor, film director |
Jerry Calà (born 28 June 1951) is an Italian actor, filmmaker, comedian and singer who has written, directed, and acted in multiple film and television projects. He is considered one of the most popular italian actors and comedians of the eighties and nineties in his country.[1]
Background
Calà was born Calogero Calà in Catania, and as a child he moved first in Milan and then in Verona.[2] He married the italian showgirl Mara Venier in 1984, but divorced three years later. He remarried the businesswoman Elisabetta Castioni in 2002 and in 2003 was born his son Johnny.[2]
Career
In the early 1970s Calà co-founded together with Umberto Smaila, Franco Oppini and Ninì Salerno a cabaret-ensemble, "i gatti di Vicolo Miracoli".[2] In early 80's, after two films with the group, he started a solo career as leading actor in numerous comedy films, obtaining a great popularity in Italy.[2] In 1993 he starred in the dramatic movie Diary of a Maniac, directed by Marco Ferreri and which was entered into the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival, where Calà won the award for best actor for the italian film criticism.[3] He debuted as director in 1994 with Chicken Park, a low-budget parody of Jurassic Park.[4] His most famous films are: I fichissimi (1981), Time for Loving (1983), Vacanze di Natale (1983), Vacanze in America (1984) and Yuppies - The italian young people (1986) directed by Carlo Vanzina; I'm Going to Live by Myself (1982) and A Boy and a Girl (1984) directed by Marco Risi; Yuppies 2 (1986) directed by Enrico Oldoini; Bomber (1982) directed by Michele Lupo; At the sports bar (1983) directed by Francesco Massaro; Rimini Rimini (1987) directed by Sergio Corbucci; Professione vacanze (1987) directed by Vittorio De Sisti; Italian brothers (1989) directed by Neri Parenti; Abbronzatissimi (1991) and Abbronzatissimi 2 - A year again (1993) directed by Bruno Gaburro; Diary of a maniac (1993) directed by Marco Ferreri; Vita smeralda (2006) and Torno a vivere da solo (2008) directed by himself.[2]
Filmography
- Arrivano i gatti (1979)
- Una vacanza bestiale (1980)
- I fichissimi (1981)
- Bomber (1982)
- I'm Going to Live by Myself (1982)
- In the sports bar (1983)
- Time for Loving (1983)
- Vacanze di Natale (1983), also singer
- A Boy and a Girl (1984)
- Vacanze in America (1984)
- Domani mi sposo (1984)
- Love at First Sight (1985)
- Yesterday - Vacanze al mare (1985) TV show
- Yuppies - The italian young people (1986)
- Il ragazzo del Pony Express (1986)
- Yuppies 2 (1986)
- Professione vacanze (1987) Tv show
- Rimini Rimini (1987)
- Below zero (1987)
- Bride and groom (1988)
- Delitti e profumi (1988)
- Italian brothers (1989)
- Pay attention to the perestrojka (1990)
- Abbronzatissimi (1991)
- Saint Tropez - Saint Tropez (1992)
- Diary of a Maniac (1993)
- Abbronzatissimi 2 (1993)
- Chicken Park (1994), also director
- Ragazzi della Notte (1995), also director
- Gli Inaffidabili (1997), also director
- Do not call me "dad" (1997)
- Death Run (1999)
- The '60's (1999)
- Vita Smeralda (2006), also director
- Torno a vivere da solo (2008), also director
- Happily N'Ever After 2 (2009), italian voice of the Magic Mirror
- Pipi Room (2011), only director
- Operazione vacanze (2012)
- I don't pay - The country of the evaders (2012)
- A hospice odyssey (2017), also director
References
External links
- Jerry Calà on IMDb
- Official website (in Italian)