Ruggero Deodato was born on May 7, 1939, in Potenza, Italy, and spent his formative years outside Rome. During this period, he was fortunate enough to have Renzo Rossellini, the son of renowned Italian director Roberto Rossellini, as one of his close friends. Renzo, aware of Ruggero's passion for filmmaking, persuaded him to work as a second unit director on some of his father's productions.
From 1958 to 1967, Deodato worked as a second unit director for several cult film directors, including Anthony M. Dawson (Antonio Margheriti),Riccardo Freda, and Joseph Losey. His directorial debut was the action-fantasy film Hercules, Prisoner of Evil (1964),which he took over from Margheriti, who had quit the production.
Deodato's claim to fame was the spaghetti western Django (1966). His career gained momentum in 1968 when he directed a series of films based on comic-book characters and musicals. It was during this time that he met and later married Silvia Dionisio while working on one of these films.
From 1971 to 1975, Deodato focused on television, directing the series All'ultimo minuto (1971) as well as TV commercials for prominent brands such as Esso Oil, Band-Aid, and Fanta. He returned to filmmaking with an erotic melodrama and a police thriller, but his marriage was falling apart during this time.
In 1977, Deodato directed the notorious film Last Cannibal World (1977),and later, Cannibal Holocaust (1980). He then traveled to New York City and directed the disturbing thriller House on the Edge of the Park (1980),which was a semi-follow-up to Wes Craven's The Last House on the Left (1972). Deodato made House on the Edge of the Park (1980) in just 19 days on a tiny budget, and he went on to direct more action and horror films.
Today, Deodato resides in Rome with his current partner, Micaela Rocco, and continues to work in the film industry, occasionally directing TV series. Rumors suggest that he is planning a sequel to Cannibal Holocaust.
