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Gianni Garko | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Garko inDon Camillo in Moscow (1965) | |
| Born | Giovanni Garcovich (1935-07-15)15 July 1935 (age 90) |
| Other names | John Garko Gary Hudson |
| Alma mater | Accademia Nazionale di Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1959–present |
| Spouse | |
Gianni Garko (bornGiovanni Garcovich; 15 July 1935) is a retiredCroatian-Italian actor. He found fame as aleading man in 1960sSpaghetti Westerns, where he was often billed asJohn Garko and occasionallyGary Hudson. He is perhaps best known for his lead role asSartana, starting with the first official filmIf You Meet Sartana Pray for Your Death and starring in three sequels as this character.
OfDalmatian Italian andCroatian parentage, Garko was bornGiovanni Garcovich inZara (nowZadar, Croatia), at the time a part ofFascist Italy. In 1948, he moved toTrieste, and laterRome theAccademia Nazionale di Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico.
His first prominent film role was a small but important part in theAcademy Award-nominated Holocaust dramaKapò (1959), directed byGillo Pontecorvo. He continued to play parts in several Italian productions includingsword and sandal epics such asThe Mongols [fr] (1961) andMole Men Against the Son of Hercules (1961).
In 1964, he starred in the stage comedyLe baruffe chiozzotte at theTeatro Lirico inMilan, directed byGiorgio Strehler.
His big break came when he had a role inDon Camillo in Moscow (1965).
Garko became a star in Europe in the 1966 Spaghetti Western filmBlood at Sundown. In this movie, he played an antagonist named El General Sartana. In 1968, he played an unrelated protagonist also named Sartana inIf You Meet Sartana Pray for Your Death (Italian:Se incontri Sartana prega per la tua morte). The movie was an immediate box office success, and led to four official follow-up Sartana films, with Garko starring in the first three of them:I Am Sartana Your Angel of Death (Sono Sartana, il vostro becchino, 1969),Have a Good Funeral, My Friend... Sartana Will Pay (Buon funerale, amigos!... paga Sartana, 1970), andLight the Fuse... Sartana Is Coming (Una nuvola di polvere... un grido di morte... arriva Sartana, 1970). (George Hilton starred in the fourth,Sartana's Here… Trade Your Pistol for a Coffin (C'è Sartana... vendi la pistola e comprati la bara, 1970.)
Other notable westerns Garko starred in were$10,000 Blood Money (1967) as an unofficialDjango,Vengeance is Mine/$100,000 for a Massacre (1967),The Price of Death (1971),They Call Him Cemetery (1971) alongsideWilliam Berger as well as a supporting role inBad Man's River (1971) withLee Van Cleef. During this time he achieved considerable fame inGermany,Italy, andSpain. Outside of the western genre, Garko starred inFive for Hell (1969) with frequent co-starKlaus Kinski, a small role inWaterloo (1970) as the brave and energetic French artillery commanderAntoine Drouot, andThe Heroes (1973), both withRod Steiger.
Like many of his contemporaries, his star diminished as the Spaghetti Western genre began to decline. He was still able to get roles in several successfulgialli and horror movies, sex comedies, andPoliziotteschi movies. Among these areCold Eyes of Fear (1971),The Night of the Devils (1972),Il Boss (1973),The Flower with the Petals of Steel (1973),Sette note in nero (1977 withJennifer O'Neill),Joy of Flying (1977),Graf Dracula in Oberbayern (1979, a Bavarian sex comedy),Star Odyssey (1979),Encounters in the Deep (1979),Hercules (1983 withLou Ferrigno), andMonster Shark (1984).
In 1980, he starred in the playCandida at theTeatro Morlacchi inPerugia.
After appearing inSpace: 1999 (1975) as Tony Cellini in the episode "Dragon's Domain", Garko concentrated more on television, theatre, and TV commercials. Although established inEurope, he remained little known inAmerica. In an interview, Garko mentioned that he had turned down the lead role inPretty Baby (1978) withBrooke Shields.
Garko continued to appear regularly on Italian television well into the new millennium. He played Tancredi Lombardi in 52 episodes of the 2016-2017 teen sitcomMaggie & Bianca: Fashion Friends.
In 2018, he playedFather Merrin in the play version ofThe Exorcist, at theTeatro Nuovo in Milan.
Garko's name inspired that of the title character in the 2001 filmDonnie Darko.
