{{short description|Italian actor (born 1934)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Umberto Orsini | image = Umberto Orsini.jpg | caption = Orsini in March 2008 | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1934|04|02|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Novara]], [[Province of Novara]], Italy | death_date = | death_place = | othername = | alma_mater = [[Accademia Nazionale di Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico]] | occupation = [[Actor]] | years_active = 1960–present }}
'''Umberto Orsini''' (born 2 April 1934) is an Italian [[actor]]. He achieved prominence as a stage actor in [[Luchino Visconti]]'s company,<ref name="bio">{{cite book |author1=Enrico Lancia |title=Dizionario del cinema italiano |author2=Roberto Poppi |author3=Fabio Melelli |author4=Mario Pecorari |publisher=Gremese Editore}}</ref> before becoming known to general audiences for his roles in [[RAI]] television dramas. He won the [[Nastro d'Argento Best supporting Actor|Nastro d'Argento for Best Supporting Actor]] for his performance in Visconti's ''[[The Damned (1969 film)|The Damned]]'' (1969), and was nominated for the [[David di Donatello for Best Supporting Actor]] for his role in ''[[The Early Bird Catches the Worm]]'' (2008).<ref>{{cite web |date=20 March 2008 |title=Ecco le nomination ai David E' 'Caos calmo' il più quotato |url=http://qn.quotidiano.net/spettacoli/2008/03/20/73948-ecco_nomination_david.shtml |access-date=15 January 2012 |publisher=Quotidiano.net}}</ref>
== Early life == Orisini was born in [[Novara]] in the [[Piedmont|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 (1968 film)|''Candy'']], Orsini made his breakthrough in Visconti's [[The Damned (1969 film)|''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 (film)|''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 [[Kessler Twins|Ellen Kessler]] for 20 years.<ref name=somemorekesslerinfo>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/18/the-kessler-twins-sisters-alice-and-ellen-die-together-aged-89|title=The Kessler Twins sisters Alice and Ellen die together aged 89|first=Angela|last=Giuffrida|publisher=The Guardian|date=18 November 2025|accessdate=18 November 2025}}</ref>
== Filmography == === Film === {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! English title !Original title !Role ! Director ! Notes |- |1957 | colspan="2" |''Marisa la civetta'' |Sailor |[[Mauro Bolognini]] |Uncredited |- | rowspan="3" |1960 |''[[Love in Rome]]'' |''Un amore a Roma'' |Peppino Barlacchi |[[Dino Risi]] | |- | colspan="2" |''[[La Dolce Vita]]'' |Man in Shades |[[Federico Fellini]] |Uncredited |- | colspan="2" |''Chiamate 22-22 tenente Sheridan'' |Tommy |[[Giorgio Bianchi (director)|Giorgio Bianchi]] | |- | rowspan="3" |1961 | colspan="2" |''Io bacio... tu baci'' |Paolo |[[Piero Vivarelli]] | |- |''[[Battle of the Worlds]]'' |''Il Pianeta degli uomini spenti'' |Dr. Fred Steele |[[Antonio Margheriti]] | |- | colspan="2" |''[[Caccia all'uomo]]'' |Giovanni Maimonti |[[Riccardo Freda]] | |- |1962 |''[[The Sea (1962 film)|The Sea]]'' |''Il mare'' |The Actor |[[Giuseppe Patroni Griffi]] | |- | rowspan="4" |1963 |''[[The Shortest Day]]'' |''Il giorno più corto'' |Soldier |[[Sergio Corbucci]] |Uncredited |- | colspan="2" |''Noche de verano'' |Miguel Solinas |[[Jorge Grau]] | |- |''[[Don't Tempt the Devil]]'' |''Les Bonnes Causes'' |Philliet |[[Christian-Jaque]] | |- |''Sweet Skin'' |''Strip-tease'' |Dancer |[[Jacques Poitrenaud]] | |- |1965 |''The Myth'' |''La violenza e l'amore'' |Roberto |Adimaro Sala | |- | rowspan="3" |1966 |''[[Playgirl (1966 film)|Playgirl]]'' | |Timo |[[Will Tremper]] | |- | colspan="2" |''[[Mademoiselle (1966 film)|Mademoiselle]]'' |Antonio |[[Tony Richardson]] | |- |''The Steps'' |''Ta skalopatia'' |Roberto |Leonard Hirschfield | |- | rowspan="2" |1967 | colspan="2" |''[[The Sailor from Gibraltar]]'' |Postcard Vendor |Tony Richardson | |- |''[[The Girl and the General]]'' |''La Ragazza e il Generale'' |Pvt. Tarasconi |[[Pasquale Festa Campanile]] | |- |1968 | colspan="2" |[[Candy (1968 film)|''Candy'']] |The Big Guy |[[Christian Marquand]] | |- | rowspan="2" |1969 |[[The Damned (1969 film)|''The Damned'']] |''La caduta degli dei'' |Herbert Thallman |[[Luchino Visconti]] | |- | colspan="2" |[[Interrabang (film)|''Interrabang'']] |Fabrizio Berti |[[Giuliano Biagetti]] | |- | rowspan="3" |1970 |''A Big Grey-Blue Bird'' |''Ein großer graublauer Vogel'' |Morelli |Thomas Schamoni | |- |''[[Violent City]]'' |''Città violenta'' |Steve |[[Sergio Sollima]] | |- |[[Bali (1970 film)|''Bali'']] | ''Incontro d'amore'' |Carlo |[[Ugo Liberatore]] | |- |1971 | colspan="2" |''[[Roma Bene]]'' |Prince Rubio Marescalli |[[Carlo Lizzani]] | |- | rowspan="4" |1972 |''[[Shadows Unseen]]'' |''Abuso di potere'' |Enrico Gagliardi |[[Camillo Bazzoni]] | |- |''[[César and Rosalie]]'' |''César et Rosalie'' |Antoine |[[Claude Sautet]] | |- | colspan="2" |''I figli chiedono perché'' |Michèle's Father |Nino Zanchin | |- |''[[The Outside Man]]'' |''Un homme est mort'' |Alex Kovacs |[[Jacques Deray]] | |- | rowspan="5" |1973 | colspan="2" |[[La Tosca (1973 film)|''La Tosca'']] |Cesare Angelotti |[[Luigi Magni]] | |- | colspan="2" |[[Ludwig (film)|''Ludwig'']] |Count Maximilian von Holnstein |Luchino Visconti | |- | ''[[The Assassination of Matteotti]]'' |''Il delitto Matteotti'' |[[Amerigo Dumini]] |[[Florestano Vancini]] | |- |''[[Tony Arzenta|No Way Out]]'' |''Tony Arzenta'' |Isnello |[[Duccio Tessari]] | |- |''[[Story of a Cloistered Nun]]'' |''Storia di una monaca di clausura'' |Don Diego |[[Domenico Paolella]] | |- | rowspan="4" |1974 |[[Puzzle (1974 film)|''Puzzle'']] |''L’uomo senza memoria'' |Daniele |Duccio Tessari | |- | colspan="2" |[[Verdict (1974 film)|''Verdict'']] |Doctor |[[André Cayatte]] |Uncredited |- |''[[Vincent, François, Paul and the Others]]'' |''Vincent, François, Paul et les autres'' |Jacques |Claude Sautet | |- |[[The Antichrist (film)|''The Antichrist'']] |''L'anticristo'' |Dr. Marcello Sinibaldi |[[Alberto De Martino]] | |- | rowspan="2" |1975 |''[[Smiling Maniacs]]'' |''Corruzione al palazzo di giustizia'' |Erzi |[[Marcello Aliprandi]] | |- |''[[Emmanuelle 2]]'' |''Emmanuelle: L'antivierge'' |Jean |Francis Giacobetti | |- | rowspan="2" |1976 | colspan="2" |''[[Perdutamente tuo... mi firmo Macaluso Carmelo fu Giuseppe]]'' |Vito Buscemi |[[Vittorio Sindoni]] | |- |''[[A Woman at Her Window]]'' |''Une femme à sa fenêtre'' |Rico Santorini |[[Pierre Granier-Deferre]] | |- | rowspan="5" |1977 |''A Straight Laced Girl'' |''Une fille cousue de fil blanc'' |Frédéric |[[Michel Lang]] | |- | colspan="2" |''[[Casanova & Co.]]'' |Count Tiretta |[[Franz Antel]] | |- |''[[Gangbuster (film)|Gangbuster]]'' |''L'avvocato della mala'' |Farnese |Alberto Marras | |- |[[Beyond Good and Evil (film)|''Beyond Good and Evil'']] |''Al di là del bene e del male'' |[[Bernhard Förster]] |[[Liliana Cavani]] | |- | colspan="2" |''[[Goodbye Emmanuelle]]'' |Jean |[[François Leterrier]] | |- | rowspan="3" |1978 |[[The Fifth Commandment (film)|''The Fifth Commandment'']] |''L'alba dei falsi dei'' |Sturmführer Hannacker / Vater Redder |Duccio Tessari | |- |''[[Little Girl in Blue Velvet]]'' |''La petite fille en velours bleu'' |Fabrizio Conti |[[Alan Bridges]] | |- |''Other People's Money'' |''[[L'argent des autres]]'' |Blue |[[Christian de Chalonge]] | |- |1980 | [[Strawberry Blonde (1980 film)|''Strawberry Blonde'']] |''Bionda fragola'' |Antonio |[[Mino Bellei]] | |- |1994 | colspan="2" |''Elles n'oublient jamais'' |Vienne |[[Christopher Frank]] | |- |1995 |''[[Who Killed Pasolini?]]'' |''Pasolini, un delitto italiano'' |Magistrate |[[Marco Tullio Giordana]] | |- |1997 |''[[The Bride's Journey]]'' |''Il viaggio della Sposa'' |Don Diego |[[Sergio Rubini]] | |- |1998 | colspan="2" |''L'ospite'' |Antonio |Alessandro Colizzi | |- |2000 |''[[Johnny the Partisan]]'' |''Il partigiano Johnny'' |Pinin |[[Guido Chiesa]] | |- |2003 | colspan="2" |''Hannover'' |Aiello |Ferdinando Vicentini Orgnani | |- |2004 |''[[Love Returns]]'' |''L'amore ritorna'' |Dr. Ambrosini |Sergio Rubini | |- |2008 |''[[The Early Bird Catches the Worm]]'' |''Il mattino ha l'oro in bocca'' |Uncle Lino |[[Francesco Patierno]] | |- |2017 | colspan="2" |''Agadah'' |Belial |Alberto Rondalli | |- |2022 | colspan="2" |''[[Marcel!]]'' |Nonno |[[Jasmine Trinca]] | |- |2024 | colspan="2" |''[[Trifole]]'' |Igor |Gabriele Fabbro | |}
=== Television === {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year !Title !Role ! Notes |- |1959-60 |''[[Giallo club. Invito al poliziesco]]'' |Ronald / Robert |2 episodes |- |1960 |''La casa sull'acqua'' |Luca | rowspan="3" |Television film |- | rowspan="2" |1963 |''Lo zoo di vetro'' |[[Tom Wingfield]] |- |''Gli spettri'' |[[Ghosts (play)|Oswald Alving]] |- | rowspan="3" |1964 |''I grandi camaleonti'' |Tallien |Miniseries: 4 episodes |- |''Vita di Michelangelo'' |[[Tommaso dei Cavalieri]] |Episode #1.3 |- |''Biblioteca di Studio Uno'' |[[Gone with the Wind (novel)|Brent Tarleton]] |Episode: "La storia di Rossella O'Hara" |- | rowspan="2" |1965 |''Coriolano'' |[[Attius Tullius|Tullo Aufidio]] |Television film |- |''La figlia del capitano'' |[[The Captain's Daughter|Pyotr Andreyich Grinyov]] |Miniseries: 6 episodes |- |1966 |''Il re'' |Duca di Savoia | rowspan="2" |Television film |- |1968 |''Morte di un commesso viaggiatore'' |[[Biff loman|Biff Loman]] |- |1969 |''I fratelli Karamazov'' |[[Ivan Karamazov]] |Miniseries: 6 episodes |- |1977 |''Processo a Maria Tarnowska'' |Demiat Prilukoff |Miniseries: 3 episodes |- |1978 |''Cinéma 16'' |Clown |Episode: "Thomas Guérin, retraité" |- | rowspan="2" |1979 |''Racconti di fantascienza'' |General Guarnerius |Episode: "O.B.N. in arrivo" |- |''I racconti fantastici di Edgar Allan Poe'' |[[The Fall of the House of Usher|Robert Usher]] |Episode: "Ligeia forever" |- |1980 |''Orient-Express'' |Gaetano |Episode: "Jane" |- |1982 |''Colomba'' |Colonel Neville | rowspan="5" |Television film |- |1984 |''Notti e nebbie'' |Bruno Spada |- |1997 |[[Solomon (film)|''Solomon'']] |[[Nathan (son of David)|Nathan]] |- |1999 |[[Esther (1999 film)|''Esther'']] |[[Memucan]] |- | rowspan="2" |2000 |''Lourdes'' |Père Laurent |- |''[[Paul the Apostle (film)|Paul the Apostle]]'' |Tribune |Miniseries: 2 episodes |- |2013 |''Gourmet Wars'' |Leone |11 episodes |}
== Awards and recognition == {| class="wikitable" |- ! Award !Year !Category !Work ! Result |- |[[David di Donatello]] |2008 |[[David di Donatello for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]] |''[[The Early Bird Catches the Worm]]'' |{{nom}} |- |[[Nastro d'Argento]] |1970 |[[Nastro d'Argento for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]] |[[The Damned (1969 film)|''The Damned'']] |{{won}} |- |Kineo Award |2008 |Best Supporting Actor |''The Early Bird Catches the Worm'' |{{nom}} |}
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{IMDb name|0650753}}
{{Nastro d'Argento Best supporting Actor}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Orsini, Umberto}} [[Category:1934 births]] [[Category:Italian male film actors]] [[Category:Italian male stage actors]] [[Category:Italian male television actors]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:People from Novara]] [[Category:Male actors from Piedmont]] [[Category:Nastro d'Argento winners]] [[Category:20th-century Italian male actors]] [[Category:21st-century Italian male actors]] [[Category:Accademia Nazionale d'Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico alumni]]