Enrico Maria Salerno

Biography

Salerno was born in Milan.

After a small collaboration with Piccolo Teatro di Milano, from 1954 to 1955 (and more years) worked in Teatro Stabile di Genova, with Fyodor Dostoevsky, Pirandello, William Shakespeare, Vittorio Alfieri and Giraudoux successful stage adaptations.

In 1960 with Ivo Garrani and Giancarlo Sbragia founded the stage company "Nuova Compagnia degli Associati". In 1963 starred in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee, co-starring Sarah Ferrati, stage direction by Franco Zeffirelli. In 1966 he was the star of Byron's Manfred, in the role of an actor reciting the musical score by Schumann, conducted by Claudio Abbado, directed by Mauro Bolognini.

In 1970 he made his direction film debut with love drama box office and award winning film Anonimo Veneziano. He was directed by many great film directors, as Mario Monicelli, Roberto Rossellini, Valerio Zurlini, Florestano Vancini, Dino Risi, Dario Argento, Luigi Comencini, Luigi Magni, Antonio Pietrangeli.

Married with Fioretta Pierella, he had four children: Giovanbattista, Edoardo, Pietruccio e Nicola. He married in second marriage Laura Andreini. He was a former boyfriend of actress and Silvio Berlusconi soon-to-be wife Veronica Lario.

Brother of film director Vittorio Salerno, he had a long relationship with Valeria Valeri, with whom he had a daughter, Chiara Salerno, also a dubbing actress.

In 1991 he acted as the father of Six Characters in Search of an Author by Pirandello, directed by Franco Zeffirelli.

He was an atheist. Salerno died in Rome of lung cancer in 1994. After his death, an award in support of contemporary drama was dedicated to his memory.

Selective filmography as actor