Gabriele Lavia

Gabriele Lavia (born 10 October 1942 in Milan, Lombardy) is one of Italy’s most versatile performers, celebrated for his work across cinema, television, and the stage. Growing up in a culturally rich environment, Lavia studied acting at the prestigious Accademia dei Filodrammatici in Milan, where he cultivated a deep appreciation for classical theatre that would later inform his directing style. He made his screen debut in the late 1960s and quickly became a familiar face in Italian genre cinema, appearing in nearly thirty films and television productions since 1970. His horror credentials are particularly noteworthy; he delivered memorable performances in Dario Argento’s Deep Red (1975) and Inferno (1980), as well as in Beyond the Door (1974) and Pupi Avati’s cult classic Zeder (1983), cementing his status as a reliable presence in the giallo and supernatural thriller traditions. Beyond acting, Lavia has devoted much of his career to the theatre, serving as artistic co‑director of Rome’s historic Teatro Eliseo from 1980 to 1987 and later as artistic director of the Teatro Stabile in Turin between 1997 and 2000. His directorial vision extended to the silver screen, where he helmed six feature films, many of which he also wrote or co‑wrote. The adaptation Il Principe di Homburg (1983), based on Heinrich von Kleist’s play, earned him the Nastro d’Argento for Best New Director, while the erotic thriller Sensi (U.S. title: Evil Senses, 1986) showcased his willingness to explore controversial subject matter. In 1993 Lavia took on the role of artistic director of the Taormina Film Festival, further influencing Italian cultural life. Throughout his multi‑decade career, he has consistently blended bold theatrical sensibility with a keen eye for cinematic storytelling, making him a distinguished figure in contemporary Italian arts.