Italian actor Carlo Delle Piane dies at 83

Carlo Delle Piane, the Italian character actor known for his distinctive face and collaborations with major directors, died at age 83. Born in Campo de' Fiori, Rome in 1936, he began acting at 12 in the 1948 film "Cuore" directed by Duilio Coletti, playing Garoffi alongside Vittorio De Sica. He appeared in over 70 films, including "Guardia e ladri" (1951) with Totò and Aldo Fabrizi, and "Un americano a Roma" with Alberto Sordi. His most significant partnership was with director Pupi Avati, starting with "Tutti defunti tranne i morti" (1977), which Avati described as love at first sight. Delle Piane cited Buster Keaton as an inspiration for his essential acting style. He was married to Neapolitan singer Anna Crispino, with whom he co-wrote and performed the theater piece "Io, Anna e Napoli" (2010). Despite a 70-year career celebrated in Rome weeks before his death, Avati noted that no other director besides himself and Ermanno Olmi ("Tickets") had cast Delle Piane. He also performed in Toronto in the 1960s with Nino Manfredi and Aldo Fabrizi in "Rugantino."