Tony Sperandeo

Italian actor (born 1953)

Rita Barbanera

(m. 1989⁠–⁠2001)

ChildrenTony Sperandeo
Priscilla Sperandeo

Tony Sperandeo (born 8 May 1953) is an Italian actor of cinema and television. Sperandeo is notable for frequently playing the roles of tough characters from his native region, Sicily. As of 2011, he was working on La Nuova Squadra, a police drama televised by Rai Tre, as the Superintendent Salvatore Sciacca.

Career

He was born Gaetano Sperandeo in Palermo.^[1]

In 1983, his acting career began with a small part in the film Kaos, directed by the Taviani brothers. In 1985, he landed a role in a cinematographic film Pizza Connection, by Damiano Damiani. He also acted in four of the sequels of the popular television drama, "La piovra", which is about the Mafia and had a little role in The Sicilian of Michael Cimino. He has appeared in many other Italian films, the most notable being La scorta ("The escort") by Ricky Tognazzi, as well as "Ragazzi fuori" and "Mery per sempre", the latter two set in his home town of Palermo. They are both directed by Marco Risi.

Since 2004, he has appeared regularly on television in the role of Superintendent Salvatore Sciacca, first in the police drama La Squadra (2004–2007), and its sequel, La Nuova Squadra (2008–2009, 2011).

In 2001, Sperandeo won the David di Donatello award for Best Supporting Actor in "I cento passi" ("One Hundred Steps"), directed by Marco Tullio Giordana, about the story of Peppino Impastato in which he played the role of Mafia boss Tano Badalamenti.

Personal life

He was married to actress Rita Barbanera (1968–2001), by whom he has two children, Tony and Priscilla. Sperandeo met her on the set of Mery per sempre, the film in which he was working at the time. They performed together in one film, La discesa di Aclà a Floristella in 1992. Rita was primarily a stage actress.

On April 27, 2001, Rita Barbanera committed suicide by jumping off the balcony at their home in Palermo.^[2] She was thirty two years old.

Filmography

Film

Kaos (1984)
Pizza Connection (1985) - Vincenzo
The Repenter (1985) - Lercara's Henchman (uncredited)
The Sicilian (1987) - Barracks Policeman #1
Mery per sempre (1989) - Turris, Guardia Carceraria
Tre colonne in cronaca (1990) - Il commissario Trapani
Il sole anche di notte (1990) - Gesuino
Ragazzi fuori (1990) - Turris (uncredited)
Una storia semplice (1991) - Policeman
Il muro di gomma (1991) - Sottufficiale Areonautica
Piedipiatti (1991) - Agente Buoncostume
Johnny Stecchino (1991) - Picciotto in auto
Caldo soffocante (1991) - Aiutante Giuliano
Briganti (1991)
Acla's Descent into Floristella (1992) - Caramazza
La scorta (1993) - Raffaele Frasca
Uomo di rispetto (1993, TV Movie)
Quattro bravi ragazzi (1993) - Franchini
Nel continente nero (1993) - Don Secondino
The Heroes (1994) - Tonino
Miracolo italiano (1994) - Onorevole Locafò
Briganti: Amore e libertà (1994) - Malacarne
Segreto di stato (1995) - Gangster
The Star Maker (1995) - 1st Baldalamenti
Palermo - Milan One Way (1995) - Marinnà
Vesna va veloce (1996) - Il camionista
Altri uomini (1997) - Salvatore Marinello
The Room of the Scirocco (1998) - Sollima
Volare! (1999) - Don Ciccio
Una sola debole voce (1998, TV Movie)
Excellent Cadavers (1999, TV Movie) - Stefano Bontade
L'uomo della fortuna (2000) - Salvatore
One Hundred Steps (2000) - Gaetano Badalamenti
Un giudice di rispetto (2000) - Giudice Francesco Di Nardo
Arresti domiciliari (2000) - Boss mafia
E adesso sesso (2001) - Don Calogero
Tra due mondi (2001)
Il testimone (2001, TV Movie)
Il latitante (2003) - Ispettore Sarnataro
Miracle in Palermo! (2003) - Sparagna
Eccezziunale... Veramente - Capitolo secondo... me (2006) - Don Pippo Calì
Il 7 e l'8 (2007) - Gino La Monica
L'uomo di vetro (2007) - Zio Titta
A Beautiful Wife (2007) - Don Pierino
Il sangue dei vinti (2008) - Salustri
Volevo gli occhi blu (2008) - Pazzo filosofo
Baaria (2009) - Breeder
Pochi giorni per capire (2009) - Sacerdote
I Picciuli (2009) - Giudice
Un neomelodico presidente (2010) - Il Professore
Backward (2010) - Gaetano il bastardo
Prigionero di un segreto (2010) - Don Alfredo
Dreamland: La terra dei sogni (2011) - Don Nicola
Pagate fratelli (2012)
Il ragioniere della mafia (2013) - Capo dei capi
La moglie del sarto (2014)
La corona spezzata (2014) - Don Vito Romano
La settima onda (2015) - Michele Manni
Il ragazzo della Giudecca (2016) - Procuratore
Quel bravo ragazzo (2016) - Vito Mancuso
Amo la tempesta (2016)
Mò Vi Mento - Lira di Achille (2017)
L'ora legale (2017) - Gaetano Patanè
Il mondo di mezzo (2017) - Gaetano Mariotti
Amare Amaro (2018) - Marcello
A Breath of Fresh Air (2022) - Nunzio

Television

La piovra, season 2 [it] (1985, TV Mini-Series) - Ravanusa's Manservant
Felipe ha gli occhi azzurri (1991)
La piovra, season 6 [it] (1992, TV Mini-Series) - Santino Rocchi
A che punto è la notte (1995, TV Movie) - Cagliusco
Non parla più (1995, TV Movie)
La piovra, season 8 [it] (1997, TV Movie) - Turi Mondello
Mia Padre e Innocente (1997, TV Movie) - Augusto Malinverni
La piovra, season 9 [it] (1998, TV Movie) - Turi Mondello
Fine secolo (1999, TV Mini-Series) - Corti
Cronaca di un ricatto (1999, TV Movie)
Don Matteo (first series, episode "Stato di Ebbrezza", 2000)
L'attentatuni (2001, TV Movie) - Antonino No&
Distretto di Polizia (2001) - Vito Tonnara
Il sequestro Soffrantini (2002, TV Movie) - Giovanni Farina, Anonima Sarda
Soldati di pace (2003)
Blindati (2003, TV Movie) - Brando Massari
Ultimo - L'infiltrato (2003, TV Movie) - Nicola De Rosa
La Squadra (2005–2007) - Sovrintendente Salvatore Sciacca
Framed! A Sicilian Murder Mystery (2022-)

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result	Ref.
2023	Nastri d'Argento Grandi Serie	Best Supporting Actor	Incastrati	Nominated	^[3]^[4]

References

^ Internet Movie Database
^ Viva Cinema, Interview with Tony Sperandeo 28 October 2008, retrieved on 10 November 2008
^ Leombruni, Lucrezia (12 May 2023). "Nastri d'Argento, Mare Fuori è la serie dell'anno". Agenzia Dire (in Italian).
^ Naselli, Antonio (17 June 2023). "NASTRI d'ARGENTO GRANDI SERIE 2023_NASTRI SPECIALI e STASERA LA PREMIAZIONE". Nastri d'Argento (in Italian).