Oreste Lionello (18 April 1927 – 19 February 2009) was an Italian actor and voice actor.
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Biography
Lionello was born in Rhodes (which was then a possession of Italy), to Calabrian parents, and grew up in Reggio Calabria. He began his career as a theatre actor, and was considered amongst the founders of Italian cabaret. In 1953 he entered the Musical Theatrical Company of RAI (Italian state TV) and the following year he debuted in television with Marziano Filippo, a boys' show. In the 1960s, he was one of the founders of the Bagaglino comic theatre and TV company and he had found success as an entertainer on Italian TV in the 1970s and 1980s. As an actor, Lionello acted in over 56 feature films and several television shows. He appeared in five episodes of Le avventure di Laura Storm and he made his debut film appearance in The Cheerful Squadron.
As a voice actor, Lionello was the official Italian voice of Woody Allen. Other actors he dubbed included Charlie Chaplin, Groucho Marx, Dick Van Dyke, Peter Sellers, Gene Wilder, Michel Serrault, Donald Pleasence, Clive Revill, Gérard Depardieu, Rick Moranis and Roman Polanski. He also dubbed Robin Williams as Mork in the first two seasons of Mork & Mindy. In his animated roles, Lionello dubbed popular animated characters for Disney and Warner Bros. between the 1950s and 1970s. He was considered a pioneer of Italian voice dubbing and founded the C.V.D. along with Renato Turi, Giancarlo Giannini, Valeria Valeri, Corrado Gaipa and other dubbers.
Personal life
Lionello was married with six children, most of which followed in his footsteps. This includes Luca, Cristiana, Alessia and Davide, who are all actors and dubbers. His oldest son Fabio Luigi is a television director. He also had another daughter, Vivianna.
Death
Lionello died on 19 February 2009 in Rome at the age of 81 after a long illness and was buried at the Campo Verano. Allen later paid tribute to him in an interview.
After his death, the voice of Woody Allen was passed on to Leo Gullotta.
Filmography
Dubbing roles
Animation
Z in Antz
Tibbs in One Hundred and One Dalmatians
Roquefort / Georges Hautecourt in The Aristocats
Boo-Boo Bear in Hey There, It's Yogi Bear!
Grand Duke in Cinderella (1967 redub)
Ziggy in The Jungle Book
Jeremy Hillary Boob in Yellow Submarine
Reverend Timms in Postman Pat
Mickey Mouse / Donald Duck in All Disney Productions (1950s-1970s)
Bugs Bunny / Daffy Duck / Sylvester in Looney Tunes (1950s-1970s)
Asterix in Asterix the Gaul
Asterix in Asterix and Cleopatra
Fritz the Cat in Fritz the Cat (1973 redub)
The Mouse in Goliath II
Live action
Victor Shakapopulis in What's New Pussycat?
Isaac Davis in Manhattan
Boris Grushenko in Love and Death
Howard Prince in The Front
Leonard Zelig in Zelig
Victor / Fabrizio / The Fool / Sperm in Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask)
Sandy Bates in Stardust Memories
Virgil Starkwell in Take the Money and Run
Miles Monroe in Sleeper
Fielding Mellish in Bananas
Alvy Singer in Annie Hall
Mickey Sachs in Hannah and Her Sisters
Sheldon Mills in New York Stories
Andrew in A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy
Danny Rose in Broadway Danny Rose
Allan Felix in Play It Again, Sam
Joe in Radio Days
Cliff Stern in Crimes and Misdemeanors
Gabe Roth in Husbands and Wives
Lenny Weinrib in Mighty Aphrodite
Kleinman in Shadows and Fog
Nick Fifer in Scenes from a Mall
Work as dubbing director
BBC Television Shakespeare
Crimes and Misdemeanors
Ghostbusters II
Hannah and Her Sisters
Police Academy 3: Back in Training
Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol
Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach
