Vittorio Gassman Biography: Director, Children, Age, Height, Net Worth, Wife, Movies, Awards, Death, Nationality, Religion

Vittorio Gassman was a celebrated Italian actor, director, and screenwriter. He became popular as “Il Mattatore” (The Showman) after the immense success of his 1959 television show of the same name, where his versatile performing abilities were showcased to a broad audience.

His occupation spanned theater, film, and television, establishing him as one of Italy’s most highly regarded performers.

A key film role that solidified his fame internationally was the criminal in the neorealist film Bitter Rice (1949), followed by his iconic comedic turn in Big Deal on Madonna Street (1958) and his powerful dramatic performance in Scent of a Woman (1974).

Profile

• Full Name: Vittorio Gassmann
• Nickname: Il Mattatore, The Sir Laurence Olivier of Italy
• Date of Birth: September 1, 1922
• Age: Deceased
• Gender: Male
• Place of Birth: Genoa, Liguria, Italy
• Nationality: Italian
• Profession: Actor, film director, writer, screenwriter
• Height: 6 feet 1¾ inches (1.87 m)
• Parents: Heinrich Gassmann (father), Luisa Ambron (mother)
• Siblings: Mary Gassman (older sister)
• Spouse: Nora Ricci, Shelley Winters, Diletta D’Andrea
• Children: Paola Gassman, Vittoria Gassman, Alessandro Gassmann, Jacopo Gassman
• Relationship Status: N/A (Deceased)
• Religion: Lapsed Christian/Atheist/Personal faith
• Ethnicity: German-Italian
• Net Worth: $5 million

Early Life and Education

Vittorio Gassman, who would be 103 in 2025 if he were alive, was born on September 1, 1922, in Genoa, Italy. His father, Heinrich Gassmann, was an engineer from Karlsruhe, Germany, and his mother, Luisa Ambron, was an Italian Jewish woman from Pisa.

He was raised with his older sister, Mary. While still young, the family moved to Rome, where he spent his formative years.

His background was a mix of German and Italian heritage. He was raised in a household where his mother initially discouraged his legal aspirations.

He began his higher education at the University of Rome, studying law.

However, he left law school quickly to pursue performing arts. He enrolled in the Accademia Nazionale d’Arte Drammatica “Silvio d’Amico” (National Academy of Dramatic Art) in Rome, a leading Italian acting conservatory, where he received formal dramatic training and graduated.

His early athletic skill as a talented basketball player, where he played competitively in his teenage years, contributed to his commanding physical presence as an actor.

Personal Life

Vittorio Gassman‘s private life often made him a subject of public discussion due to his many relationships and marriages. He first married actress Nora Ricci in 1944.

They had one daughter, Paola Gassman, who continued the family acting tradition. They divorced in 1952.

In 1952, he married American actress Shelley Winters in Hollywood. They met while working on film projects. They had a daughter named Vittoria in 1953 before divorcing in 1954.

From 1964 to 1968, Gassman was in a relationship with French actress Juliette Mayniel. While they never formally married, they had a son, Alessandro Gassmann, in 1965, who became a prominent Italian actor and director.

He married his third wife, Diletta D’Andrea, in 1972, and they remained married until his death in 2000. They had a son, Jacopo Gassman, who works as a theatre director.

Career

Vittorio Gassman‘s career began on the professional stage in 1943. He was a classically trained performer known for his powerful voice, imposing stature, and intellectual approach to roles.

He performed leading roles in theatrical productions of Shakespearean tragedies like Hamlet and Othello. His film career started in 1946, and he gained wide recognition for his role as a desperate thief in the neorealist landmark Bitter Rice (1949).

He spent a period in Hollywood in the 1950s, appearing in films like Sombrero and Rhapsody with Elizabeth Taylor, but he found the roles limiting and returned to Italy. Back in Italy, he gained enormous fame and a defining nickname, “Il Mattatore,” following the success of his 1959 television program.

He excelled in the “Commedia all’italiana” genre, starring in many successful films directed by Mario Monicelli and Dino Risi, including Big Deal on Madonna Street (1958) and Il sorpasso (The Easy Life) (1962).

Gassman was a versatile performer who worked across different genres, from historical epics like The Great War to the internationally acclaimed drama Scent of a Woman (1974), which earned him a Best Actor award at Cannes.

He worked with major directors internationally, including Robert Altman in A Wedding and Barry Levinson in Sleepers.

In addition to acting, he founded the Teatro Popolare Italiano to bring classical plays to wider audiences across Italy.

He was also involved in Italian voice dubbing, notably as the voice of Mufasa in the Italian version of The Lion King.

Awards

• Cannes Film Festival Best Actor Award (1975) for Scent of a Woman
• Nastro d’Argento for Best Actor (multiple times)
• David di Donatello Award for Best Actor (record seven times)
• Donostia Award (1988) at the San Sebastián Film Festival
• Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival (1996)
• Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts (1997)

Net Worth

Vittorio Gassman‘s net worth at the time of his death in 2000 was at least $5 milliom. He had an extensive and high-earning career across stage, film, and television that produced significant income over five decades.

Death

Vittorio Gassman died at his home in Rome on June 29, 2000, at the age of 77. The cause of death was an acute heart attack he suffered in his sleep.

He had reportedly been suffering chronically from emphysema, bronchitis, high blood pressure, and depression in his later years.

Social Media

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Filmography

• Prelude to Death (1946)
• Daniele Cortis (1947)
• The Mysterious Knight (1948)
• L’ebreo errante (1948)
• Bitter Rice (1949)
• The Miracle (1949)
• A Tale of Five Cities (1951)
• The Dream of Zorro (1952)
• Sombrero (1953)
• Rhapsody (1954)
• The Glass Slipper (1955)
• War and Peace (1956)
• Kean: Genius or Scoundrel (1957)
• Big Deal on Madonna Street (1958)
• The Great War (1959)
• The Hooligan (1960)
• Ghosts of Rome (1961)
• Il sorpasso (The Easy Life) (1962)
• The Success (1963)
• Frenzy (1963)
• Il Gaucho (The Gaucho) (1964)
• Slalom (1965)
• Queens’ Gambit (1966)
• The Devil in Love (1966)
• Woman Times Seven (1967)
• The Tiger (1967)
• Ghosts – Italian Style (1967)
• Profumo di donna (Scent of a Woman) (1974)
• A Wedding (1978)
• Sharky’s Machine (1981)
• Tempest (1982)
• The Life and Loves of Christabel (1984)
• The Family (1987)
• Torrents of Spring (1989)
• When We Were Repressed (1992)
• Sleepers (1996)
• La cena (The Dinner) (1998)