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Luc Merenda | |
|---|---|
 Merenda inShoot First, Die Later (1974) | |
| Born | (1943-09-03)September 3, 1943 (age 81) |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, model, antiquarian |
| Years active | 1970–present |
Luc Charles Olivier Merenda (born 3 September 1943) is a French actor and former model, known as was one of the most prominentleading men of Italianpoliziotteschi films during the 1970’s.[1]
Merenda was born inNogent-le-Roi, a small town in the department ofEure-et-Loir, near Paris. His paternal grandfather wasItalian. He was raised inParis andAgadir,French Morocco, due to his parents' work.[2] Throughout his teenage years, he was an avidsavateur,motorcyclist, andskydiver.[2]
At age 24, Merenda moved to New York City to attendColumbia University. While supporting himself as a waiter, he took up modeling, which eventually earned him enough publicity to begin his acting career in his native France.
Merenda’s film debut was a supporting role in Brazilian filmmakerWalter Hugo Khouri’s dramaThe Palace of Angels. He was subsequently cast as secret agentHubert Bonisseur de La Bath in the popularOSS 117 series. He starred inOSS 117 Takes a Vacation, becoming the fifth actor overall to play the character. Though he was signed to a five-picture deal, the mediocre box office returns led producers to release him from his contract. He subsequently played supporting roles inLaw Breakers,Red Sun, and the Hollywood filmLe Mans (all in 1971).
In 1971, Merenda was spotted by a casting director while vacationing inRome. The director convinced Merenda to appear in a series ofphoto comics, which caught the attention of Italian producers and led him to be cast in his first starring role in a feature film - theSpaghetti WesternMan Called Amen. He has a significant breakthrough working with producerCarlo Ponti and directorSergio Martino in 1973, first as a co-lead in thegialloTorso, and then as the lead inThe Violent Professionals. The latter was a major hit of thepoliziottesco genre and made Merenda a superstar overnight.[3][4][5]
He subsequently played similar, morally-gray cop characters in films likeShoot First, Die Later,Silent Action,Kidnap Syndicate, andNick the Sting, directed by the likes of Martino andFernando Di Leo.[6] Other films he appeared in during this time included anunsploitation film,The Nun and the Devil, and another giallo,Puzzle.
With the downturn of poliziotteschi and the Italian film industry as a whole in the 1980’s, Merenda’s work became gradually more and more sporadic. He played a leading role inTinto Brass’ avant-garde comedyAction, and played several different characters inSuperfantozzi. One of his last major roles was as GeneralJosé Borjes in the period film'O Re (1989). After this, he retired from acting, though he made acameo appearance in the 2007 American horror filmHostel: Part II, playing an Italian detective in homage to his B-movie roles.
In 2022, nearly 15 years after his last role, Merenda made a surprise return to acting when he dubbed the voice of Vincent Martin for the French-language dub ofMrs. Harris Goes to Paris. He subsequently announced a return to film acting. He starred in the 2023 filmIl paese del melodramma.
In 1979, Merenda married Italian journalist Germana Monteverdi, from whom he divorced ten years later. He later remarried, to Annie Minet.
Since retiring from acting, Merenda has worked as anantiquarian. Specializing in Asian art, he runs a store at Marché Biron in Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine and a gallery in Thoiry.[7][8][9]
Merenda is fluent in both French and Italian, and speaks conversational English.
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