Dario Cantarelli

Dario Cantarelli (born 16 September 1945) is an Italian actor celebrated for his versatile contributions to both stage and screen. He launched his professional acting career in 1973 with the Granteatro company led by Carlo Cecchi, quickly distinguishing himself by tackling a broad repertoire that included Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, Eduardo De Filippo’s Filumena Marturano, and works by Molière, Pirandello, Pinter and Brecht. During this formative period Cantarelli also entered cinema, collaborating with eminent directors such as Nanni Moretti, Marco Bellocchio, the Taviani brothers and later Paolo Sorrentino, thereby establishing a dual trajectory that would define his artistic identity. His theatrical engagements expanded through collaborations with the Ater company, where he performed in Alexander Vasiljevič Suchov‑Kobylin’s The Vampire of St. Petersburg and Italo Svevo’s La burla riuscita, and later with Valeria Moriconi’s troupe, interpreting classic and contemporary pieces ranging from Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s The Knight of the Rose to Thomas Bernhard’s Alla meta and Aldo Palazzeschi’s Interrogatorio della contessa Maria.

Beyond the footlights, Cantarelli cultivated a substantial filmography, appearing in projects directed by Marco Bellocchio, Daniele Luchetti, Pupi Avati and many others, often bringing the same intensity and nuance honed on stage to his screen performances. His television work includes roles such as a commissioner in the popular series Un commissario a Roma alongside Nino Manfredi, and appearances in Linda and the Brigadier (2000) and the TV movie I am Gaetano (2016). Over more than five decades, Cantarelli’s dedication to his craft has earned him a reputation as a reliable character actor whose breadth of experience enriches every production he joins, making him a respected figure in contemporary Italian performing arts.