Farewell to Mauro Di Francesco, Italian comedy actor of the 1980s
The Milanese actor, star of cult films of the 1980s alongside Diego Abatantuono and Massimo Boldi, has died at the age of 74
Mauro Di Francesco, known as Maurino, an actor and cabaret actor who was a symbol of the Italian comedy of the 1980s, died last night at the age of 74 in hospital in Rome, where he had been hospitalised for a month due to health complications. A decade ago he had undergone a liver transplant that had saved his life, but recently his condition had worsened again. He starred in several films directed by Carlo Vanzina, such as 'I fichissimi', 'Il ras del quartiere' and 'Eccezzziunale veramente - Capitolo secondo... me'.
È apparso in “Sapore di mare 2 - Un anno dopo”; “Yesterday - Vacanze al mare” e “Ferragosto Ok”. Nato a Milano il 17 maggio 1951, figlio di una sarta teatrale e di un direttore di palcoscenico, Di Francesco iniziò a recitare in giovanissima età. A soli cinque anni debuttò con il Mago Zurlì, seguendo poi una carriera da bambino attore in spot pubblicitari e spettacoli teatrali. A 15 anni entrò nella compagnia di Giorgio Strehler, dove lavorò accanto a nomi come Valentina Cortese, mentre a 17 anni recitò nello sceneggiato televisivo della Rai “La freccia nera”. Gli anni Settanta furono segnati dall’esperienza nel cabaret: insieme a Livia Cerini e poi nel Gruppo Repellente, ideato da Enzo Jannacci e Beppe Viola, Di Francesco lavorò con colleghi destinati a diventare stelle della commedia italiana, come Diego Abatantuono, Massimo Boldi e Giorgio Faletti.
This experience was decisive for his transition to the big screen, especially in the 1980s, when he conquered audiences with cult films such as 'Sapore di mare 2 - Un anno dopo', 'Yesterday - Vacanze al mare', 'Ferragosto Ok', up to the two 'Abbronzatissimi'. His character, often the awkward young Milanese man trying to conquer girls, was played with a mix of irony, genuineness and melancholy that made him immediately recognisable and loved. Many also remember him for his roles alongside Diego Abatantuono in films such as 'Attila flagello di Dio' by Castellano and Pipolo. On the set of 'Sapore di mare 2' he met the French actress Pascale Reynaud, with whom he had a son, Daniel.
Later, in 1997, he married Antonella Palma di Fratianni. In recent years, he had slowed down his artistic activity a great deal, devoting himself to his private life and to Tuscany, without losing his likability and ready wit that had made him famous. His last film was in 2019 with 'Odissea nell'ospizio', for his friend Jerry Calà.
