25/02/2003 - Italian cinema mourns the actor and director who died in his Roman home at the age of 82. 200 films in a career that spanned 50 years portraying the "average Italian male"

Veteran Italian character actor and director, Alberto Sordi died early this morning at his house in Rome at the 82 following a long illness.
Born in Rome on 15 June 1920, Sordi began his career - which was to span half-a-century - before the Second World War when he dubbed Oliver Hardy. He came to popular attention on Italian radio. After a long apprenticeship on the stage and in minor film roles, Sordi's professional turning point came when he met Federico Fellini who cast him as The White Sheik in 1952 and Vitelloni in 1953.
Sordi made almost 200 films and his most famous trait was the uncanny ability with which he captured the vices and virtues of the "average Italian male". He worked with some of Italy's greatest directors like Vittorio De Sica, Mario Monicelli, Steno, Dino Risi and Luigi Zampa. Sordi made his last film in 1998.
Towards the end of his career Sordi turned to directing and was inspired by current affairs issues like justice, old age, animal rights, politics and the father-and-son relationship he portrayed in In Viaggio con papà, co-starring the actor-director who is considered to be Sordi's natural "heir", Carlo Verdone.

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