Gian Maria Volontè

About Gian Maria Volontè

Who is it?: Actor, Director, Writer
Birth Day: April 09, 1933
Birth Place:  Milan, Lombardy, Italy, Italy
Other names: John Wells, Johnny Wels
Occupation: Actor
Years active: 1957–1993
Spouse(s): Armenia Balducci
Partner(s): Carla Gravina Angelica Ippolito (1977-his death)
Children: Mauriel Morejon
Relatives: Claudio Camaso (brother)

Gian Maria Volontè

Gian Maria Volontè was born on April 09, 1933 in  Milan, Lombardy, Italy, Italy, is Actor, Director, Writer. Born in Milan in 1933, Gian Maria Volontè studied in Rome at the National Dramatic Arts Academy, where he obtained his degree in 1957. He began working in theatre and television, where he was soon noticed as one of the most promising actors of his generation. After several supporting appearances in film, he reached notoriety with the character of Ramón Rojo in Sergio Leone's Per un pugno di dollari (1964). This success was doubled in Leone's next film, Per qualche dollaro in più (1965). The following ten years would be the most intense of Volontè career. L'armata Brancaleone (1966) (directed by Mario Monicelli) was the most successful Italian movie of the year, A ciascuno il suo (1967) (directed by Elio Petri) won the Grand Prix du Scenario at the Cannes Film Festival, and Volontè won his first Nastro d'Argento (Silver Ribbon - the most presitgious acting award in Italy) in 1970 for Indagine su un cittadino al di sopra di ogni sospetto (1970) (also directed by Petri), making him an international star. The film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign-Language Film, the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival and two Italian Golden Globes, including one for his performance. In 1972, he starred in two Italian movies as the protagonist: Petri's La classe operaia va in paradiso (1971) and Francesco Rosi's Il caso Mattei (1972), both of which won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, where he also won a Special Mention. In his life, Volontè won a huge number of other prizes and honours, becoming one of the most celebrated Italian actors of the seventies, and challenging Vittorio Gassman and Marcello Mastroianni as the most popular Italian actor. He died in Greece in 1994.
Gian Maria Volontè is a member of Actor

Does Gian Maria Volontè Dead or Alive?

As per our current Database, Gian Maria Volontè has been died on 6 December 1994(1994-12-06) (aged 61)\nFlorina, Greece.

🎂 Gian Maria Volontè - Age, Bio, Faces and Birthday

When Gian Maria Volontè die, Gian Maria Volontè was 61 years old.

Popular As Gian Maria Volontè
Occupation Actor
Age 61 years old
Zodiac Sign Taurus
Born April 09, 1933 ( Milan, Lombardy, Italy, Italy)
Birthday April 09
Town/City  Milan, Lombardy, Italy, Italy
Nationality Italy

🌙 Zodiac

Gian Maria Volontè’s zodiac sign is Taurus. According to astrologers, Taurus is practical and well-grounded, the sign harvests the fruits of labor. They feel the need to always be surrounded by love and beauty, turned to the material world, hedonism, and physical pleasures. People born with their Sun in Taurus are sensual and tactile, considering touch and taste the most important of all senses. Stable and conservative, this is one of the most reliable signs of the zodiac, ready to endure and stick to their choices until they reach the point of personal satisfaction.

🌙 Chinese Zodiac Signs

Gian Maria Volontè was born in the Year of the Rooster. Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Rooster are practical, resourceful, observant, analytical, straightforward, trusting, honest, perfectionists, neat and conservative. Compatible with Ox or Snake.

Some Gian Maria Volontè images

Biography/Timeline

1944

Volonté was born in Milan but grown up in Turin, his father Mario was a fascist officer from Saronno (province of Varese), who in 1944 was in command of the Brigata Nera of Chivasso, near Turin. His mother, Carolina Bianchi, belonged to a wealthy Milanese industrial family and his younger brother Claudio was an actor too. He went to Rome to train for an acting career at the Accademia Nazionale di Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico, which he left in 1957. He had a brief career in television and acting in Shakespeare and Goldoni plays on the stage, before establishing his film career.

1960

Volonté made his debut in 1960 in Sotto dieci bandiere, directed by Duilio Coletti. Just four years later, he played "Ramón Rojo" in A Fistful of Dollars (1964), and "El Indio" in For a Few Dollars More (1965), both for cash reasons as he did not consider either role serious. Both films were directed by the then-unknown Sergio Leone, and Volonté's roles in them would bring him his greatest recognition from American audiences. He played Carlo Levi in Cristo si è fermato a Eboli (1979), which was based on Levi's autobiographical account of his years in internal-exile in Aliano, south Italy, in the 1930s. The English title is Christ Stopped at Eboli. Volonté played the memorable role of the Bandito-turned-guerrilla, El Chucho, in A Bullet for the General (1966).

1961

Volonté's performances as memorable but neurotic characters, or as a gifted leader of brigands or Revolutionaries, together with the unexpected, worldwide success of the films, gave him international fame. Volonté had already played comedies, including A cavallo della tigre (1961), by Luigi Comencini, and confirmed his versatility in L'armata Brancaleone (1966). However, he found his main dimension in dramatic roles for Banditi a Milano (1968), by Carlo Lizzani, Sbatti il Mostro in prima pagina (1972) by Marco Bellocchio, La Classe operaia va in paradiso (1972) by his friend Elio Petri and Il sospetto (1975) by Francesco Maselli.

1968

In 1968, Volonté won a Silver Ribbon as best actor for A ciascuno il suo, also directed by Elio Petri. Volonté received the same award for two other performances: Petri's Indagine su un cittadino al di sopra di ogni sospetto (1971, winner of an Academy Award as best foreign film), considered by many to be his finest; and in The Abyss (1989).

1981

Volonté was a strong political Activist and known for his pro-Communist leanings. In 1981, he helped terrorist Oreste Scalzone to flee from capture in Italy to Denmark. He was the partner of Italian Actress Carla Gravina for almost 10 years after they met when they played Romeo and Juliet in a theatre production in 1960. The two had a daughter Giovanna, born in the early 1960s. Actress Angelica Ippolito was his companion from 1977 until his death in 1994.

1983

In 1983 he won the award for Best Actor at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival for La Mort de Mario Ricci. Four years later, at the 37th Berlin International Film Festival, he won the Silver Bear for Best Actor for Il caso Moro. 1988 Cannes Film Festival Official Selection, remarkable play as a Renaissance physician in The Abyss by André Delvaux from Marguerite Yourcenar's famous novel. In 1990, Volonté was named Best European Actor for Porte aperte. In 1991, at the Venice Film Festival, he won a Golden Lion for his career as a whole. Volonté played numerous roles outside Italy.

1994

Volonté died from a heart attack in 1994 at Florina, Greece, during the filming of Ulysses' Gaze, directed by Theo Angelopoulos. Actor Erland Josephson replaced him in the role. Volonté's resting place is a small cemetery on the Sardinian island of Isola della Maddalena.

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