Beloved actor Antonio Marsina has died at the age of 80, just months after his wife Lucia Bruni. The couple's sons Michele and Alessandro confirmed the sad news in an announcement made through a funeral home. Revealing his funeral would take place on Saturday March 7, they said: "He leaves a profound void in all who knew and loved him."
The Italian star was born in Nardò, and began his professional career as a model for photo novels, which allowed him to refine his presence before turning his attention to stage and screen. In the following years he starred in numerous films, including The Big Racket, Keoma, The Mountain of the Cannibal God, Rol, Without Scruples and A Woman to Discover. In 1977 he appeared in one of his most famous films Black Journal directed by Mauro Bolognini. Inspired by the story of Italian serial killer Leonarda Cianciulli it saw him star opposite Hollywood legends Shelly Winters and Max von Sydow.
He also found success on television at the turn of the century. In the early 2000s he played the role of Sebastiano Ghiglione in the series Vento di ponente , working alongside Serena Autieri and Anna Kanakis. In total he appeared in 30 episodes of the show between 2002 and 2004.
Tributes flooded in for the star as the news of his death became public.
"What a shame. A brilliant actor and a kind person. R.I.P. Antonio. May God bless him," one fan penned on Facebook.
"A great sorrow and a loss for our community, where Antonio and Lucia had chosen to return to live. May they rest in peace!" another added.
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A third chimed in: "Such sad news today, we lost our actor and friend, I’m so sorry Antonio Marsina."
A fourth penned: "Learning with great regret of the passing of Antonio Marsina. He made a lot of good movies that I loved and I would have loved to talk to him about them."
A fifth observed: "He lost his wife a couple of months ago. As they say, he had let himself go."
Meanwhile a sixth shared: "I remember him when we were young; we crossed paths several times but I never knew him. I'm very sorry."
