Biographie
For fans of French art cinema, Giorgio Albertazzi suddenly appeared and captivated audiences in Alain Resnais and Alain Robbe-Grillet's enigmatic film Last Year at Marienbad (1961). Elegant and alluring, with a mesmerizing Italian accent, he attempted to convince a refined, seductive woman—voiced in a lilting tone—that he had been her lover the previous year at the same luxurious hotel. The woman, the brilliant Delphine Seyrig, seemed not to remember him. Mirroring the film’s mysterious nature, it seemed that Albertazzi, despite his haunting presence in this haunting film, would fade into obscurity immediately after its release. Was he a one-film wonder? Certainly not. He continued to act in his native Italy, though mostly in modest, unpretentious productions, none matching the stature of Last Year at Marienbad. Cinema evidently served as a means for Albertazzi to sustain himself financially, nothing more. His work in Italian television was more substantial, encompassing roles as actor, screenwriter, and director. His most notable small-screen role may be the poignant portrayal of Prince Myshkin in Giacomo Vaccari’s acclaimed mini-series L’idiota (1959), an adaptation of Dostoevsky’s novel. He also portrayed Dante Alighieri and Don Giovanni in two compelling TV films or series directed by Vittorio Cottafavi. Wearing multiple hats—as actor (playing both Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde), writer (adapting Robert Louis Stevenson), and director—he achieved success with Jekyll (1969). Nevertheless, Albertazzi’s primary passion and enduring commitment remained the stage. An actor since 1949 and active for decades, he made his debut in Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida under Luchino Visconti’s direction. Over the years, he has performed in numerous plays by Luigi Pirandello, George Bernard Shaw, Lillian Hellman, Gabriele D’Annunzio, and others. Moreover, this esteemed figure of Italian theatre has run a drama school since the mid-1990s and has directed the Teatro di Roma since 2003. In sum, Giorgio Albertazzi did not emerge from nowhere when Alain Resnais, a director known for his admiration of actors, cast him as the mysterious stranger X in Last Year at Marienbad. Nor did he vanish into obscurity afterward. Just ask Italian theatre enthusiasts if they have forgotten him—and you will find the answer!
