Ezio Greggio

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Ezio Greggio
Greggio in 2012
Born (1954-04-07) 7 April 1954 (age 70)
Cossato, Italy
NationalityItalian
Occupations
  • Actor
  • comedian
  • film director
  • writer
Years active1972–present
Websiteeziogreggio.it

Ezio Greggio (Italian pronunciation: [ˈɛttsjo ˈɡreddʒo]; born 7 April 1954) is an Italian comedian, actor, writer and film director.

In Italy he is mostly known for his long-lasting appearances in TV shows like Drive In and Striscia la notizia, while abroad he is noted for his movies and his collaboration with Mel Brooks.

TV career[edit]

Born in Cossato, a small town near Biella,[1] Greggio began his TV career at age 18 in Telebiella, the first local private owned station in Italy thanks to the help of founder Peppo Sacchi.

In 1978 he was hired as a comedian in RAI, appearing in La sberla e Tutto compreso with Giancarlo Nicotra and Giancarlo Magalli. His appearances in the national TV didn't gain him success, but Greggio had the chance to meet Gianfranco D'Angelo, another young comedian.

D'Angelo convinced Greggio to move to the newborn Fininvest (later Mediaset), a local TV channel founded in Milan by Silvio Berlusconi. They were both included in the cast of the main show of the network, Drive In, a 2-hour weekly show featuring a bunch of young emerging comedians. Greggio quickly became spotlight chaser of the whole show.

Drive In was a very innovative show, and had great success giving national fame to almost all the actors involved, like Enrico Beruschi, Giorgio Faletti, Teo Teocoli, Francesco Salvi, Carlo Pistarino, Enzo Braschi and many others, including of course Greggio and D'Angelo.

In 1988 he followed the creator and head writer Antonio Ricci to a long series of successful shows: after Odiens, a show loosely inspired by Drive In, Greggio in 1990 and 1993 presented Paperissima, a container for bloopers and funny homemade videos. In these shows, Greggio created his most famous recurring gags.

Since 1988 he has been the main presenter (along with D'Angelo and later Enzo Iacchetti) of Striscia la notizia, a daily television news parody. He starred in the program every year for some months, from the beginning up to now.

Movie career[edit]

Greggio wrote and acted his first movie, Sbamm! in 1980.[citation needed]

He was noted by Carlo Vanzina, and was included in the cast of Yuppies, in the 1986 sequel Yuppies 2 and in the 1987 film Montecarlo Gran Casinò with Paolo Rossi.[citation needed]

He appeared in many other comic/trash films, almost always directed by Enrico Oldoini.[citation needed]

In 1994, he debuted as director with The Silence of the Hams, a parody movie inspired by The Silence of the Lambs and Psycho. The movie was shot in the United States: during this work, Greggio built a strong friendship with movie director Mel Brooks and with Dom DeLuise (both appearing in the movie).[citation needed]

Brooks named one of Dom DeLuise's killers in his Robin Hood: Men in Tights, "Dirty Ezio", and had Greggio in the cast of Dracula: Dead and Loving It.[citation needed]

In 1997, Greggio came back to the camera, directing The Good Bad Guy and in 1999 Screw Loose, with Mel Brooks as actor.[citation needed]

Since 2000, Greggio acted in a great number of TV productions.

Greggio moved his residence to Montecarlo,[2][3] and is the director of the Montecarlo Film Festival.[citation needed]

Personal life[edit]

Ezio Greggio has two sons, Giacomo and Gabriele, born respectively in 1991 and 1995, following the marriage between Greggio and the Spanish model Isabel Bengochea. Later in the early 2000s he divorced his wife. The marriage with Isabel Bengochea had lasted about 20 years. He later had love affairs with other younger women. From 2018 to 2023 he had a romance with Romina Pierdomenico.[4]

Since 2015 he also has Albanian citizenship.[5][6][7][8]

As a writer[edit]

Ezio Greggio published five humor books with Mondadori:

  • Presto che è tardi (1997)
  • Chi se ne fut-fut (1998)
  • E lui o non è lui? (1999)
  • E su e giù e trik e trak (2003)
  • In una certa manieeera (2005)
  • N°1. Una vita di avventure, incontri, scherzi e risate (2023)

Filmography[edit]

Film roles showing year released, title, role played and notes
Title Year Role Notes
Sbamm! 1980 Pallone Feature film debut
Yuppies 1986 Willie
Yuppies 2
Montecarlo Gran Casinò 1987 Oscar
Occhio alla perestrojka 1990 Marco
Vacanze di Natale '90 Arturo Zampini
Vacanze di Natale '91 1991 Leopoldo
Infelici e contenti 1992 Vittorio
Anni 90 Psychologist Cameo appearance
The Silence of the Hams 1994 Antonio Motel Also director and screenwriter
Miracolo italiano Manuel Rodriguez
Selvaggi 1995 Bebo
Dracula: Dead and Loving It The Coachman
The Good Bad Guy 1997 Joe Fortunato Also producer, director and screenwriter
Screw Loose 1999 Bernardo Puccini Also director
2001: A Space Travesty 2000 Valentino
Un'estate al mare 2008 Ugo Persichetti
Giovanna's Father Sergio Ghia
Box Office 3D: The Filmest of Films 2011 Various Also director, screenwriter and executive producer
Lockdown all'italiana 2020 Giovanni

Television[edit]

Television roles showing year released, title, role played and notes
Title Year Role Notes
La sberla 1978–1979 Co-host Variety show
Tutto compreso 1981 Co-host Variety show
Drive In 1983–1988 Various characters Main performer (seasons 1–5)
Miss Italia 1987 1987 Host Annual beauty contest
Striscia la notizia 1988–present Host Regular host (seasons 1–3, 5–27, 29–present)
Odiens 1988–1989 Host Variety show
Paperissima 1990–1993 Host Seasons 1 and 3
Anni '50 1998 Arturo Colombo Miniseries
Anni '60 1999 Vittorio Ferrari Miniseries
Un maresciallo in gondola 2002 Arturo Colombo Television film
Benedetti dal Signore 2004 Friar Giacomo Lead role; 8 episodes
O la va, o la spacca 2004–2005 Erminio Miniseries
Veline 2008–2012 Host Seasons 3–4
Occhio a quei due 2009 Edo Marchini Television film

References[edit]

  1. ^ Colombo, G.; L, W.W.I.S.R.; Italy, W.W. (2006). Who's Who in Italy. International red series. Who's Who in Italy. p. 874. ISBN 9788885246522. Retrieved 17 June 2018. GREGGIO Ezio, (Dott), actor, film producer, journalist bom Cossato/Biella, April 7, 1954 ...
  2. ^ Franco, Luigi (24 May 2013). "Ezio Greggio, un tapiro per il conduttore: lo stipendio pagato all'estero". Il Fatto Quotidiano (in Italian). Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  3. ^ Berni, Federico (25 May 2013). "Monza I pm indagano sugli stipendi di Ezio Greggio versati a Monaco". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  4. ^ "Ezio Greggio e Romina Pierdomenico si sono lasciati: "Ora siamo grandi amici"". tgcom24.mediaset.it. tgcom24.mediaset.it. 13 May 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  5. ^ "Ezio Greggio ottiene la cittadinanza albanese". 13 January 2015.
  6. ^ ""Ezio Greggio ha preso la cittadinanza albanese"".
  7. ^ "Ezio Greggio diventa cittadino albanese".
  8. ^ "7 chicche su Ezio Greggio, il conduttore di Striscia sempre in pista". 10 December 2021.

External links[edit]