Tony Sperandeo

Tony Sperandeo
Born	Gaetano Sperandeo (1953-05-08) 8 May 1953 Palermo, Italy
Nationality	Italian
Occupation	actor
Spouse(s)	Rita Barbanera (m. 1989–2001)
Children	Tony Sperandeo Priscilla Sperandeo

Tony Sperandeo (born 8 May 1953) is an Italian actor of cinema and television. Sperandeo is notable for frequently playing the roles of characters from his native region, Sicily. As of 2011, he was working on La Nuova Squadra, a police drama televised by Rai Tre, as the Superintendent Salvatore Sciacca.

Career

He was born Gaetano Sperandeo in Palermo.

In 1983, his acting career began with a small part in the film Kaos, directed by the Taviani brothers. In 1985, he landed a role in a cinematographic film Pizza Connection, by Damiano Damiani. He also acted in four of the sequels of the popular television drama, "La Piovra", which is about the Mafia. He has appeared in many other Italian films, the most notable being La scorta by Ricky Tognazzi, as well as "Ragazzi fuori" and "Mery per sempre", the latter two set in his home town of Palermo. They are both directed by Marco Risi.

Since 2004, he has appeared regularly on television in the role of Superintendent Salvatore Sciacca, first in the police drama La Squadra (2004–2007), and its sequel, La Nuova Squadra (2008–2009, 2011).

In 2001, Sperandeo won the David di Donatello award for Best Supporting Actor in "I cento passi" ("One Hundred Steps"), directed by Marco Tullio Giordana, in which he played the role of Mafia boss Tano Badalamenti.

Personal life

He was married to actress Rita Barbanera (1968–2001), by whom he has two children, Tony and Priscilla. Sperandeo met her on the set of Mery per sempre, the film in which he was working at the time. They performed together in one film, La discesa di Aclà a Floristella in 1992. Rita was primarily a stage actress.

In 2001, Rita Barbanera committed suicide by jumping off the balcony at their home in Palermo. She was thirty-two years old.

Filmography

• Kaos (1984)
• Pizza Connection (1985)
• The Repenter (1985)
• The Sicilian (1987)
• Mery per sempre (1989)
• Tre colonne in cronaca (1990)
• Briganti (1991)
• Il sole anche di notte (1990)
• Ragazzi fuori (1990)
• Caldo soffocante (1991)
• Il muro di gomma (1991)
• Una storia semplice (1991)
• Piedipatti (1991)
• Johnny Stecchino (1991)
• Uomo di rispetto (1992)
• Acla's Descent into Floristella (1992)
• Nel continente nero (1993)
• La scorta (1993)
• Quattro bravi ragazzi (1993)
• I Mitici - Colpo gobbo a Milano (1994)
• Miracolo italiano (1994)
• Segreto di stato (1995)
• Palermo - Milan One Way (1995)
• The Star Maker (1995)
• Vesna va veloce (1996)
• Altri uomini (1997)
• Volare! (1997)
• Una sola debole voce (1998)
• The Room of the Scirocco (1998)
• Excellent Cadavers (1999)
• Un giudice di rispetto (2000)
• Arresti domiciliari (2000)
• L'uomo della fortuna (2000)
• One Hundred Steps (2000)
• Il testimone (2001)
• E adesso sesso (2001)
• Tra due mondi (2001)
• Il latitante (2003)
• Miracle in Palermo! (2003)
• Eccezziunale... Veramente - Capitolo secondo... me (2006)
• Il 7 e l'8 (2006)
• Una moglie bellissima (2007)
• L'uomo di vetro (2007)
• Prigionero di un segreto (2008)
• Baaria (2009)

Television

• it (1985, mini-series)
• Felipe ha gli occhi azzurri (1991)
• it (1992, mini-series)
• A che punto è la notte (1995)
• Non parla più (1995)
• it (1997, mini-series)
• Mia Padre e Innocente (1997)
• it (1998, mini-series)
• Cronaca di un ricatto (1999)
• Don Matteo (first series, episode "Stato di Ebbrezza", 1999)
• Fine secolo (1999)
• L'attentatuni (2001)
• Distretto di Polizia (2001, series)
• Il sequestro Soffrantini (2002)
• Soldati di pace (2003)
• Blindati (2003)
• Ultimo - L'infiltrato (2003)
• La Squadra (2004–2007, series)
• La nuova Squadra (2008–2009, 2011 series)
• Il sangue dei vinti (2009, mini-series)

References

• Internet Movie Database
• Italian Wikipedia
• Viva Cinema, Interview with Tony Sperandeo, 28 October 2008 (retrieved on 10 November 2008)