Memo Benassi | |
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![]() Memo Benassi on stage (1942) | |
Born | Domenico Benassi 21 June 1886 |
Died | 24 February 1957
Bologna, Emilia-Romagna Italy | (aged 70)
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1916–1955 (film) |
Domenico "Memo" Benassi (21 June 1886 – 24 February 1957) was an Italian stage and film actor who appeared in more than forty films in a mixture of leading and supporting roles.
Born in Sorbolo, Benassi initially formed as a musician, studying cello at the Parma Conservatory. [1] His professional acting career was launched in the late 1910s by Gualtiero Tumiati, who offered him a role in his stage company after noting him during an amateur theatrical performance. [1] He was later enrolled in several major theater companies of the time, notably working with Eleonora Duse and Emma and Irma Gramatica. [1] In 1925, he formed his own stage company. [1] He made his film debut in 1932, and had main roles in films by Alessandro Blasetti and Max Ophüls, among others. [1] He played the composer Beethoven in the 1942 film Rossini. [2] After the war, he mostly focused on his theatrical career, working with Giorgio Strehler and Luchino Visconti. [1]