Andrea Roncato: “Finalmente faccio l’attore, quello che ho sempre voluto”

We are republishing the interview with Andrea Roncato from June 1, 2025

Reached by phone, Andrea Roncato quickly shared his enthusiasm. “How am I? Good. At my age, I’m finally getting to play an actor – something I’ve always wanted to do since I was a child. When I started out as a comedian with my friend Gigi, things went well right away, and from the late 70s onward, we were able to make a lot of successful films and TV shows. But when you make people laugh, you’re more or less playing yourself. When you step into the shoes of a character in a serious, dramatic, and emotional story, it’s different. You become someone else, you connect with a new kind of humanity. And that’s what I want to do at this stage of my life.”

And so, at 78, Roncato is juggling multiple projects. He recently wrapped filming on the Rai1 series dedicated to writer Giovannino Guareschi, Non muoio neanche se mi ammazzano, where he plays the father. Before that, he appeared in another series by Giacomo Campiotti, La ragazza dietro il banco, alongside Cristiana Capotondi. And last night in Jesi, he celebrated with the cast and crew the completion of shooting Dario D’Ambrosi’s new film, founder and director of the Teatro Patologico of Rome, titled Il principe della follia, starring Roncato and Alessandro Haber, coming soon to theaters. “It’s a beautiful and original work,” he added, “that doesn’t talk about violence against women or machismo – themes that are a bit too common – but about mental distress and loneliness. I play a taxi driver with no friends or family, who only talks to the drag queens or prostitutes he drives to work at a nightclub.”

Does that remind you of his character Loris Batacchi, the caricature of the playboy who boasted about countless women, but ultimately achieved little and secretly longed for the girlfriend who left him?
“More or less. You wouldn’t believe how many young people still stop me to show me tattoos with the words ‘Loris Batacchi,’ the man with a thousand conquests, but always lonely and melancholic.”

Is it true you have a sun tattoo on your arm, a gift from Mickey Rourke?
“Yes. I met him in 1992 at the Telegatti awards in Milan, and when he saw me months later at a hotel in Miami, he remembered me immediately. He had just broken up with his wife, Carrè Otis, and wanted to talk. Later that night, he took me to his tattoo artist. It was the first one I got – the others feature the names of my beloved dogs.”

During the golden years, wasn’t there some overlap between you and that character? Like Batacchi, you played the part: 500 conquests, fancy cars, packed nightclubs…
“I never counted the women in my life. But it’s true that I didn’t hold back, and in the 80s, you had to project an image of success, always and in any case. Everything was exaggerated back then, often to tragicomic levels. In reality, I was always much more grounded than I appeared.”

Looking back, how were those iconic 80s for you?
“Wonderful. People were doing better, having fun, and there was more money around. I remember TV shows with guests like James Brown, Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone, Tony Curtis, and Alain Delon. International stars were lining up to work with us.”

Was there a point during that time when you perhaps lost your way a little?
“Yes, but I think that can happen to anyone. Gigi and I were among the most famous comedians in Italy, working with the most beautiful stars, making a lot of money, and being a ladies’ man wasn’t so bad.”

You had relationships with Carol Alt, Elena Sofia Ricci, Moana Pozzi… In 1991, Pozzi gave ratings to her lovers in her book “The Philosophy of Moana,” and you received a 7 with the addition “a beautiful sex story”: what did Berlusconi say about that?
“Ahahaha… That was a kind of academic title for me. Moana was exceptional, very intelligent and sensitive. Berlusconi, as an entrepreneur, was a giant – he invented free television and always established special relationships with people. I had a direct line to him: he would call me at any hour and expected me to do the same when needed.”

Did you ever talk about women with him?
“Yes, of course. All men do. And when he called the most beautiful women on TV, he always told me: ‘Don’t be a fool with them, I’m the one who hires them, and they need to work first.’”

You’ve been married twice: in general, have you maintained good relationships with your exes?
“Almost all of them. I can get angry, but I get over it quickly. I can’t sleep if I’m at odds with someone. That’s just how I was raised by my parents: my father was a sacristan, and they raised us in faith. Knowing they were always there, when I was young, kept me from making big mistakes.”

Like what?
“Like getting into serious trouble about my reputation.”

Be more specific.
“Like being labeled a womanizer and a drug addict. I did try cocaine years ago, yes, but I stopped after a short time. I was never addicted. I was just honest about it, and that was a mistake.”

After graduating, how did your parents react when they found out you wanted to do something else?
“They knew I would never be a lawyer. They were just afraid I wouldn’t be able to support myself as a comedian.”

But in the end, you earned a lot of money, right?
“Yes. But money comes and goes. My only, true wealth is something else: I have a job that I love. I don’t have a boat, because I can’t swim, I don’t have a Ferrari anymore, or a house in the city or the mountains. I live in the countryside with my wife, lots of animals, two thousand square meters of garden, and fifty trees that are twenty meters tall. I have everything I need.”

During the height of your success, was there anything that scared you?
“Yes. Losing the love of the people. I’m a fish, always searching for love, respect, and validation. Thankfully, it worked out: people haven’t abandoned me, and they still stop me on the street, letting me know they care. Without all of that, I wouldn’t be here today.”

When your success waned, who was there for you?
“The true and lasting relationships. The rest of the time, you just have to love this job, even when it gives you nothing in return. That’s how it works.”

Is there a long list of wrongs to right?
“No. The only one is with myself, to try to improve my work as an actor every time.”

Was it difficult to transition to art-house cinema?
“No. It was a decision I made, realizing that years pass and to be credible, you have to change the way you live and work. It’s nice to offer people emotions that I couldn’t evoke before.”

What’s the one thing you’ve done best so far?
“The character of a mother. The one who tells her son, ‘I made you, I can destroy you.’”

Who makes you laugh today?
“Checco Zalone, although he’ll need to find new avenues soon, or he risks making the same film over and over. I’m sure he’ll manage it, just like Verdone, Aldo, Giovanni and Giacomo, and many other superstars.”

What’s your biggest regret?
“Not having children. My wife has two, who are like my own, and I also have a granddaughter who calls me grandpa. Unfortunately, when I was young, my partner and I decided to have an abortion when she became pregnant. I can’t forgive myself. I even wrote a book about it: Avrei voluto [I Would Have Wanted].”

What would people be surprised to learn about you?
“That I’m a simple and good person. A normal guy who likes to sit on the couch at home, in front of the TV, with his wife and puppies around.”

Do you believe in God?
“Of course. I’m the son of a sacristan. I even do things that I’m almost ashamed to talk about.”

Really?
“I keep the nativity scene up all year round, and I’ve placed a bust of Padre Pio on top. Before going to bed every night, I pray in front of it and thank God for the day I’ve had. Then I go to the garden where eight of my dogs are buried and greet them one by one.”

When the time comes, in a hundred years, what will become of you?
“I don’t know what will happen. I hope someone remembers me, that maybe they’ll smile when they do, and that no one will curse me. During the Grandparents’ Day celebration, my granddaughter asked me what love is. I told her, ‘It’s that smile you’ll have when you think of me, when you’re grown up and I’m no longer here.’ I couldn’t ask for a better ending. Let’s hope for the best.”