Alberto Sordi was a renowned Italian comedic actor, born on June 15, 1920, in the Trastevere district of Rome. Growing up in a musical family, his father was a tuba player for the Rome Opera House, and Alberto himself was a choir boy at the Sistine Chapel. He trained in theater in Milan, but later returned to Rome to work in radio and musical halls, performing in comedy shows.
As an extra in the late 1930s, Sordi's first important role was in the 1942 film "The Three Pilots", a fascist war picture. However, it wasn't until the 1950s that he gained international recognition, starring in Federico Fellini's early films "The White Sheik" (1952) and "I Vitelloni" (1953).
Throughout his career, Sordi portrayed a wide range of characters, including The Seducer, The Bachelor, The Husband, The Widower, The Traffic Cop, and The Moralizer. Many of his protagonists were amusingly stereotypical, yet not always pleasant, representations of Italian men and society. Despite this, his films are considered masterpieces, unparalleled in quality.
Sordi went on to star, direct, and co-write over 150 films. He never married and led a reclusive personal life. On his 80th birthday, he was made Mayor of Rome for the day. In 2002, after 190 films, he announced his retirement, and sadly passed away the following year at the age of 82 due to a heart attack.
