Goodbye to Antonello Fassari: The Fame with Avanzi and I Cesaroni
Rome, April 5, 2025 – Italian cinema and television mourn the loss of Antonello Fassari, the beloved actor who died today at 72 after a prolonged battle with illness. Known for his iconic roles in the satirical TV show Avanzi and the hit series I Cesaroni, Fassari’s death marks the end of a five-decade career that blended comedy, drama, and a distinct Roman flair. His passing, confirmed by posts on his Facebook page from friends and colleagues, has sparked an outpouring of grief from fans and peers alike, with Claudio Amendola calling him “my brother forever” in a tearful ANSA tribute.
A Star Born in Rome
Born October 4, 1952, in Rome to lawyer Osvaldo Fassari and Adriana Gambardella, Fassari found his calling early. A 1975 graduate of the prestigious Silvio D’Amico National Academy of Dramatic Arts, he honed his craft under luminaries like Luca Ronconi, debuting in theater with works like Partita a scacchi. His early career spanned stage, radio, and TV, but it was the 1991-1993 RAI 3 show Avanzi that catapulted him to fame. As “Compagno Antonio”—a Marxist relic in an eskimo jacket and Tolfa bag waking from a 20-year coma—he delivered biting satire with Corrado Guzzanti and Serena Dandini, cementing his comedic legacy. “I Pooh…” his character’s pained cry, became a cult catchphrase.
The Heart of I Cesaroni
Fassari’s star soared higher from 2006 to 2014 as Cesare Cesaroni, the gruff yet tender-hearted innkeeper in Canale 5’s I Cesaroni. Alongside Claudio Amendola (Giulio) and Max Tortora, he anchored the Garbatella-set family saga, winning over generations with lines like “Che amarezza” (“What a bitterness”), a philosophical quip he claimed as his own. “The Spanish format was perfect—real issues, real heart,” he told Il Messaggero in 2024, reflecting on the role that defined him. The series, slated for a seventh season this year, was set to dedicate its return to him amid his known health struggles.
A Versatile Legacy
Beyond TV, Fassari’s filmography dazzled. He played Ciro Buffoni in Michele Placido’s 2005 crime epic Romanzo Criminale, Rocco Mangia in Marco Tullio Giordana’s Pasolini, un delitto italiano (1995), and a key role in Stefano Sollima’s 2015 Suburra. His directorial debut, Il segreto del giaguaro (2000), flopped, but his acting never faltered—spanning comedies like Selvaggi (1995) to dramas with Ettore Scola. A rap pioneer, he penned “Romadinotte” in 1984, one of Italy’s first hip-hop tracks, showcasing his eclectic flair.
A Fighter to the End
Fassari’s final years were shadowed by health woes—angina, anxiety, and depression following his 2005 divorce from Maria Fano, with whom he had a daughter, Flaminia. “Something was gnawing at me from inside,” he confessed on La volta buona in 2024, per Il Messaggero. Amendola, speaking to ANSA today, said, “We knew this new season was for him because of that bastard illness, but we weren’t ready. He’s up there grumbling, I bet.” Posts on X reflect the shock: “From Avanzi to Cesaroni, Fassari was our Roman soul—RIP,” one fan wrote.
A Nation Says Addio
As Nigeria’s naira crashes and Trump’s tariffs roil markets, Italy pauses for a quieter loss. Fassari’s death leaves a void in a cultural tapestry he helped weave—his humor, his heart, his Romanità forever etched in Avanzi’s satire and Cesaroni’s warmth. “A piece of my life is gone,” Amendola added. For a nation, a brother; for fans, a legend—goodbye, Antonello.
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