Nino Castelnuovo (1936-2021)
Spanish postcard by Postal Oscarcolor, no. 476. Photo: RCA Victor / 20th Century Fox.
On Monday 6 September 2021, Italian actor Nino Castelnovo passed away in Rome. His most famous role was as Guy Foucher opposite Catherine Deneuve in Les parapluies de Cherbourg (1964). He was 84.
Francesco 'Nino' Castelnuovo was born to humble beginnings in Lecco, Lombardy, in 1936, the second of four brothers. His working life began with a series of stints in various jobs, including house painting, as a mechanic, and as a sales agent, after which he decided to take drama classes at the Piccolo Teatro in Milan. A first screen appearance in 1957 was followed by his film debut two years later. He had a small supporting part in Luchino Visconti's Rocco e i suoi fratelli/Rocco and His Brothers (1960), but his career only gained traction with a co-starring role opposite Catherine Deneuve in the romantic musical drama Les parapluies de Cherbourg (Jacques Demy, 1964) though his scenes were subsequently re-dubbed. Castelnuovo's greatest popularity came via the small screen, as Renzo Tramaglino, the key protagonist of the mini-series I promessi sposi/The Betrothed (Sandro Bolchi, 1967), a period piece set during the Spanish occupation of Lombardy in the 17th century and based on a best-selling novel by Alessandro Manzoni. Other appearances have included both American and Italian-produced Westerns like The Reward (Serge Bourguignon, 1965) with Max von Sydow, and Un esercito di 5 uomini/The 5-Man Army (Don Taylor, Italo Zingarelli, 1969) starring Bud Spencer.
By the early 1970s, Nino Castelnuovo acted primarily on stage, in serial television, and was seen for several years in commercials for Olio Cuore, a corn oil company. His final fling on the international scene was a small role in The English Patient (Anthony Minghella, 1996) as an archaeologist, recalled in flashback scenes by the lead character Almásy (Ralph Fiennes). Castelnuovo retired in 2016. He was married to the actress Danila Trebbi.
Sources: I.S. Mowis (IMDb), Wikipedia, and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.
Nino Castelnuovo (1936-2021)
Spanish postcard by Postal Oscarcolor, no. 476. Photo: RCA Victor / 20th Century Fox.
On Monday 6 September 2021, Italian actor Nino Castelnovo passed away in Rome. His most famous role was as Guy Foucher opposite Catherine Deneuve in Les parapluies de Cherbourg (1964). He was 84.
Francesco 'Nino' Castelnuovo was born to humble beginnings in Lecco, Lombardy, in 1936, the second of four brothers. His working life began with a series of stints in various jobs, including house painting, as a mechanic, and as a sales agent, after which he decided to take drama classes at the Piccolo Teatro in Milan. A first screen appearance in 1957 was followed by his film debut two years later. He had a small supporting part in Luchino Visconti's Rocco e i suoi fratelli/Rocco and His Brothers (1960), but his career only gained traction with a co-starring role opposite Catherine Deneuve in the romantic musical drama Les parapluies de Cherbourg (Jacques Demy, 1964) though his scenes were subsequently re-dubbed. Castelnuovo's greatest popularity came via the small screen, as Renzo Tramaglino, the key protagonist of the mini-series I promessi sposi/The Betrothed (Sandro Bolchi, 1967), a period piece set during the Spanish occupation of Lombardy in the 17th century and based on a best-selling novel by Alessandro Manzoni. Other appearances have included both American and Italian-produced Westerns like The Reward (Serge Bourguignon, 1965) with Max von Sydow, and Un esercito di 5 uomini/The 5-Man Army (Don Taylor, Italo Zingarelli, 1969) starring Bud Spencer.
By the early 1970s, Nino Castelnuovo acted primarily on stage, in serial television, and was seen for several years in commercials for Olio Cuore, a corn oil company. His final fling on the international scene was a small role in The English Patient (Anthony Minghella, 1996) as an archaeologist, recalled in flashback scenes by the lead character Almásy (Ralph Fiennes). Castelnuovo retired in 2016. He was married to the actress Danila Trebbi.
Sources: I.S. Mowis (IMDb), Wikipedia, and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.