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The distinguished career of Italian actor Franco Volpi spanned over 60 years. Primarily performing on stage and television, Volpi also made the occasional film. He got his start working in the Renzo Ricci and Laura Adani theater companies in the 1930s following graduation from the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Milan. After the end of WW II, he worked closely with the prominent Andreina Paganani and Ruggero Ruggeri troupes where he earned much acclaim, particularly for his interpretations of the plays of George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde. During the '50s and '60s, Volpi turned to television dramas and it was in this domain that he gained the most fame. In film, he was acclaimed for his portrayal of the villainous Minister in the tremendously popular suspense comedy Johnny Stecchino(1992). Volpi died of cancer at age 75.