Massimo Lopez Explained

Massimo Lopez
Birth Date:11 January 1952
Birth Place:Ascoli Piceno, Italy
Years Active:1975–present
Height:1.8m (05.9feet)
Relatives:Giorgio Lopez (brother)

Massimo Lopez (born 11 January 1952) is an Italian actor, voice actor, comedian, impressionist and television presenter.[1]

Together with fellow actors Anna Marchesini and Tullio Solenghi, he has been a member of the comic group known as Il Trio (The Trio).[2]

Biography

Lopez was born to parents from Naples who were temporarily working in Ascoli Piceno.[3] He started acting on stage in 1975, was first cast as a voice actor in 1980, and founded Il Trio in 1982 with Tullio Solenghi and Anna Marchesini: the Trio debuted on Rai Radio 2 with the Hellzapoppin radio show.[4]

Following the great success of Hellzapoppin, the Trio participated in various television programs like Domenica in and the 1986 edition of Fantastico and took part to the Sanremo Music Festival editions of 1986, 1987 and 1989.[5]

In 1990, the Trio reached the peak of success with the parody of Alessandro Manzoni's The Betrothed, which was broadcast on Rai 1 in 5 episodes.[6] Together with Solenghi and Marchesini, Lopez brought on stage two theatrical shows: Allacciare le cinture di sicurezza (Fasten your seat belts) in 1987 and In principio era il trio (In the Beginning, there was the Trio) in 1990.

The Trio dissolved in 1994, due to the will of all three actors to work as soloists,[7] but reunited for one last time in 2008 to celebrate its 25th anniversary with the TV-program Non esiste più la mezza stagione.

In 1998, Lopez made an appearance as a guest star in the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful and in 2005 he hosted Striscia la notizia together with Solenghi.[8] From 2005 to 2011 Lopez acted and sang in the theatre one-man-show Ciao Frankie (Goodbye, Frankie), also performed at the Colony Theatre in Miami, directed by his brother Giorgio Lopez and dedicated to Frank Sinatra, featuring songs, gags and impressions.

As a voice actor, Lopez is known for dubbing voices, such as Robin Williams' in the live action adaption of Popeye, Mike Myers in the second installment of the Austin Powers movies, and Stephen Fry in The Hobbit. In his animated roles, he has been providing the current Italian voice of Homer Simpson in The Simpsons since the death of Tonino Accolla in 2013[9] and has performed the Italian voice of Grand Pabbie in Frozen, Ramon in Happy Feet, Mr. Peabody in Mr. Peabody & Sherman and Lionheart in Zootopia.

On 27 March 2017 Lopez suffered a heart attack while he was performing on stage; he quickly underwent an angioplasty and was transferred to a cardiological rehabilitation center, where he recovered completely and came back on stage two months later.[10]

Personal life

Lopez is the younger brother of the late actor, voice actor and theatre director Giorgio Lopez, who was the official Italian dubbing artist for Danny DeVito until his death in 2021. He is also the uncle of voice actors Gabriele and Andrea Lopez.

Filmography

Cinema

YearTitleRole(s)
1982Odd SquadPasquale Cutolo
1984Ladies & GentlemenFella
2022Buon lavoro[11]
2023La quattordicesima domenica del tempo ordinarioSamuele Nascetti

Television

YearTitleRole(s)Notes
1978The Venetian TwinsFlorindoSpecial
1981La donna serpenteTogrulSpecial
1984I veleni dei GonzagaCharles VTV film
1990The BetrothedDon Rodrigo / Fra CristoforoMiniseries, main role
1998Professione fantasmaInspector Max VenturaTV series, lead role
1998The Bold and the BeautifulSoap opera, guest star
2001Compagni di scuolaFelice SalinaTV series, lead role
2002Max & TuxMaxSitcom, lead role
2012Le mille e una notte - Aladino e SherazadeThe GenieMiniseries

Voice work

YearTitleRole(s)Notes
2001Aida of the TreesRamfisAnimated film
2012Lightning StrikeComedy
2021Sirio Comedy horror
AntonioPinocchio/NarratorShort film[12]

Dubbing

Films (Live action, Italian dub)

YearTitleRole(s)Original actorRef
1980PopeyePopeyeRobin Williams[13]
1981Game of Death IILee Chen-chiangBruce Lee
1982Night ShiftChuck LumleyHenry Winkler
Andrew CameronRobert Walker
1988The CannibalsViscount d'AveledaLuís Miguel Cintra
1997BanzaiMr. ParkerJohn Armstead
1999Austin PowersMike Myers[14]
Dr. Evil
Fat Bastard
2009A Single ManGeorge FalconerColin Firth
2012Houba! On the Trail of the MarsupilamiGeneral PocheroLambert Wilson
2013HummingbirdDamon CaulfieldDanny Webb
Master of Lake-townStephen Fry[15]
The CongressReeve BobsDon McManus
The InternshipNot Professor XJarion Monroe
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and DisappearedAllan KarlssonRobert Gustafsson
12 Years a SlaveMr. ParkerRob Steinberg
2014Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesSplinterTony Shalhoub
Master of Lake-townStephen Fry[16]
A Most Wanted ManTommy BrueWillem Dafoe
22 Jump StreetThe GhostPeter Stormare
2015A Man Called OveOve LindahlRolf Lassgård
Filip Berg
The Big ShortLawrence FieldsTracy Letts
The WalkPapa RudyBen Kingsley
TrumboSam WoodJohn Getz
The Bullet FarmerRichard Carter
2016London Has FallenAamir BarkawiAlon Abutbul[17]
Love & FriendshipMr. JohnsonStephen Fry
Pride and Prejudice and ZombiesMr. BennetCharles Dance
Live by NightRitz InvestorChristian Clemenson
SplinterTony Shalhoub
Toni ErdmannGeraldThomas Loibl
31Death-HeadTorsten Voges
Alice Through the Looking GlassZanik HightoppRhys Ifans[18]
2017OverdriveJacomo MorierSimon Abkarian
The Children ActMark BernerAnthony Calf
The Leisure SeekerWill SpencerChristian McKay
The Disaster ArtistMethod acting teacherBob Odenkirk
Gangster LandAbe BernsteinHal Alpert
2018Mamma Mia! Here We Go AgainFernando CienfuegosAndy García[19]
The MuleLatón
2020Jeronicus JangleForest Whitaker
2021The Night HouseMelVondie Curtis-Hall
2023The PalaceArthur William Dallas IIIJohn Cleese
2024Jackie SullivanBrendan Gleeson

Television (Animation, Italian dub)

YearTitleRole(s)NotesRef
1980–1982The Tom and Jerry Comedy ShowDroopyMain cast
Fisherman SanpeiGyoshin AyukawaMain cast
1981Supercar GattigerJoe KabukiMain cast
1981–1982Dogtanian and the Three MuskehoundsAramisMain cast
2004–presentPeppa PigDr. BearRecurring role
2004–2009Miss Spider's Sunny Patch FriendsSpiderus ReevesMain cast
2012FuturamaLando Tucker Sr.Episode: "Mobius Dick"[20]
BenEpisode: "The Bots and the Bees"
Larvae LevinEpisode: "The Thief of Baghead"
Ab-botEpisode: "A Clockwork Origin"
2012–presentThe SimpsonsA9000 Robots1 episode[21]
Homer SimpsonMain cast (season 24–present)
Grampa Simpson (young)
Various characters
2013–2014Strange Hill HighMr. AbercrombieMain cast
2013–2016Doc McStuffinsChillyMain cast (season 2-4)[22]
2014Family GuyHomer SimpsonEpisode: "The Simpsons Guy"
BoJack HorsemanQuentin Tarantulino2 episodes
2015–2020New Looney TunesCecil TurtleRecurring role
2016–2018Skylanders AcademyMaster EonMain cast
2022Little DemonSatanLead role
2023Digman!Quail EeganMain cast

Television (Live action, Italian dub)

YearTitleRole(s)NotesOriginal actorRef
1980-1981Happy DaysMyron "Count" MalachiGuest role (season 4)Michael Pataki[23]
Jacques Du Bois1 episode (season 6)Patrick Gorman
Sergeant RyanRecurring roleRay Girardin
2012–2018The Big Bang TheoryStephen Hawking7 episodesStephen Hawking
2015DeadwoodCy TolliverMain castPowers Boothe
Once Upon a TimeGrand Pabbie Episode: "A Tale of Two Sisters"John Rhys-Davies
2015–2016DaredevilBen UrichMain cast (season 1)Vondie Curtis-Hall[24]
Ray Schoonover / Blacksmith2 episodes (season 2)Clancy Brown
2015–2019Jane the VirginLatin Lover NarratorMain castAnthony Mendez[25]
2016Game of ThronesIzembaro3 episodes (season 6)Richard E. Grant

Films (Animation, Italian dub)

YearTitleRole(s)Ref
1999A Monkey's TaleSebastian
2006Happy FeetRamon
2009A Town Called PanicHorse
2011Happy Feet TwoRamon
2013TurboBobby
Justin and the Knights of ValourBlucher
FrozenGrand Pabbie[26]
Cowardly Lion
2014The BoxtrollsArchiebald Snatcher
Mr. Peabody & ShermanMr. Peabody
Edward the Horse
Rio 2Eduardo[27]
2015Strange MagicStuff
2016ZootopiaMayor Leodore Lionheart[28]
Ratchet & ClankCaptain Qwark
2017Papa Smurf
2019Frozen IIGrand Pabbie[29]
2021The Good, the Bart, and the LokiHomer Simpson
Plusaversary
VivoAndrés
Erwin Armstrong

Video games (Italian dub)

Television

With the Trio

As soloist

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Massimo Lopez's dubbing contributions. Antoniogenna.net . December 16, 2018.
  2. Web site: Massimo Lopez . MYmovies . 13 April 2020.
  3. News: Lualdi . Annalisa . MASSIMO LOPEZ L´emigrante di ritorno che sognava il Vomero . 5 October 2019 . . 8 May 2005.
  4. Web site: Lopez, Marchesini e Solenghi: Il ritorno. Corriere della Sera. January 26, 2008. December 11, 2018.
  5. Web site: Tullio Solenghi: "Quella volta che col Trio facemmo arrabbiare l'Iran...". Avvenire. October 29, 2017. December 11, 2018.
  6. Web site: I promessi sposi del Trio ci insegnano che la comicità dà profondità alla nostra vita. HuffPost. August 1, 2016. December 11, 2018.
  7. Web site: Tullio Solenghi/ "Bevi qualcosa Pedro!", la biografia: da Paolo Villaggio al ricordo di Anna Marchesini. ilsussidiario.net. October 26, 2017. December 11, 2018.
  8. Web site: Solenghi e Lopez per due settimane al bancone di 'Striscia la notizia'. Messaggero Veneto – Giornale del Friuli. May 1, 2005. December 11, 2018.
  9. Web site: Massimo Lopez racconta: "Così darò voce a Homer Simpson". Corriere della Sera. November 22, 2013. December 11, 2018.
  10. Web site: Infarto in scena per Massimo Lopez. Operato d'urgenza, ora sta meglio. Corriere della Sera. March 25, 2017. December 11, 2018.
  11. Web site: “Buon lavoro”, il film girato a Sassari arriva al cinema. Pietro Serra. it. 29 April 2022.
  12. Web site: Antonio (2021), di Emiliano De Martino. it.
  13. Web site: Popeye Italian voice cast. Antoniogenna.net . 2020-04-13. it.
  14. Web site: Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me Italian voice cast. Antoniogenna.net . 2020-04-13. it.
  15. Web site: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Italian voice cast. Antoniogenna.net . 2020-04-13.
  16. Web site: The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Italian voice cast. Antoniogenna.net . 2020-04-13. it.
  17. Web site: London Has Fallen Italian voice cast. Antoniogenna.net . 2020-04-13. it.
  18. Web site: Alice Through the Looking Glass Italian voice cast. Antoniogenna.net . 2020-04-13. it.
  19. Web site: Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again Italian voice cast. Antoniogenna.net . 2020-04-13. it.
  20. Web site: Futurama. Il mondo dei doppiatori, antoniogenna.net. it.
  21. Web site: The Simpsons Italian voice cast. Antoniogenna.net . 2020-04-13. it.
  22. Web site: Doc McStuffins Italian voice cast. Antoniogenna.net . 2020-04-13. it.
  23. Web site: Happy Days. Il mondo dei doppiatori, antoniogenna.net. it.
  24. Web site: Daredevil Italian voice cast. Antoniogenna.net . 2020-04-13. it.
  25. Web site: Jane the Virgin Italian voice cast . Antoniogenna.net. 2021-09-26. it.
  26. Web site: Frozen Italian voice cast. Antoniogenna.net . 2020-04-13. it.
  27. Web site: Rio 2 Italian voice cast. Antoniogenna.net . 2020-04-13. it.
  28. Web site: Zootopia Italian voice cast. Antoniogenna.net . 2020-04-13. it.
  29. Web site: Frozen II Italian voice cast. Antoniogenna.net . 2020-04-13. it.