Stefano Dionisi
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
Romantic leading man Stefano Dionisi began his career in his native Italy, appearing with Valerie Perrine in the TV-movie "Rose" (1986), followed by a starring turn in episode five of the immensely popular Mafia drama series "La Piova/The Octopus" in 1987. While his feature debut came opposite Nastassja Kinski in "Il Segretto/The Secret" (1990), the picture that really launched him to international prominence was Gerard Corbiau's Oscar-nominated "Farinelli" (1994), which cast him as 18th Century castrato singing sensation Carlo Broschi. Charming and compellingly handsome, Dionisi came across as a modern, narcissistic "superstar," and the actor's preparation for the role included several months' study with Belgian music coach Daniel Lipnick to master the lip-synching for the digitally-fused voices of counter-tenor Derek Lee Ragin and soprano Ewa Mallas Godlewska that approximated the famous castrato's beautiful tenor.
"Farinelli" proved he was not afraid of controversial roles and led to his first English-language part as Pharaoh in the TNT miniseries "Moses" (1995), starring Ben Kingsley. After acting with Marcello Mastroianni in "Pereira Declares" (also 1995; released in the USA in 1998), Dionisi bleached his hair blond to play Valeria Marini's gay brother in "Bambola" (1996) and lost weight and sported a buzz cut to play an Auschwitz survivor and friend to Primo Levi (John Turturro) for Francesco Rosi's "The Truce/La Truega" (1997). He reteamed with Antonio Tibaldi, who had previously directed him in "Running Against/Correre Contro" (1996), for "Claudine's Return" (1998), starring Christina Applegate as a bohemian laundress trying to escape her painful childhood memories. Dionisi then did some globe-trotting, appearing in Mike Figgis' British-made "The Loss of Sexual Innocence" and the German movie "Gloomy Sunday" (both 1999) and the French biopic "Les Enfants du siecle/Children of the Century" (lensed 1999), supporting Juliette Binoche as pioneering feminist writer George Sand.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1986
Acted with Valerie Perrine in the TV-movie "Rose", directed by Tomasso Sherman
1987
Starred in episode five of the immensely popular Mafia drama series "La Piova/The Octopus"
1990
Feature debut in "Il Segretto/The Secret", co-starring Nastassja Kinski
1994
Starred as Carlo Broschi, castrato singing superstar of the 18th century in "Farinelli"; role launched him to international prominence
1995
Played Pharoah in TNT miniseries "Joseph", starring Ben Kingsley
1995
Acted with Marcello Mastroianni in "Pereira Declares"
1996
Played Pablo in Antonio Tibaldi's "Running Against"
1996
Dyed his hair platinum blond to play the gay brother of "Bambola" (Valeria Marini), a beautiful, maddening woman over whom various men fight and die
1997
Altered his appearance with a buzz cut and by losing weight to play Auschwitz survivor Daniele, friend to Primo Levi (John Turturro), in "La Treuga/The Truce"
1998
Signed the "Telefood Appeal Against World Hunger" and did a promotional spot for them
1998
Acted opposite Valeria Golino in "Shooting the Moon/L'Albero delle pere/The Pear Tree"; also acted with Golino in TV miniseries "La Vita che verra/The Life to Come"
1998
Co-starred opposite Christina Applegate in Tibaldi's "Claudine's Return", playing a hotel handyman who drifts into her life
1999
Played pianist and composer Andras in German movie "Gloomy Sunday"
1999
Portrayed Lucca in Mike Figgis' "The Loss of Sexual Imnnocence"
Family
Companions
