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Giorgio Faletti
writer · composer · musician
- November 25, 1950
- July 4, 2014
- 63 years
- lung cancer
About Giorgio Faletti
Giorgio Faletti, 63, Italian author, actor and singer, lung cancer.
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Full Biography
|Giorgio Faletti (Italian pronunciation: [ˈdʒordʒo faˈletti]; 25 November 1950 – 4 July 2014) was an Italian writer, musician, actor and comedian. Born in Asti, Piedmont, he lived on Elba Island. His books have been translated into 25 languages and published with great success in Europe, South America, China, Japan, Russia and the United States.
Biography
"In life there are things that you look for and others that come looking for you".
(Original: "Nella vita ci sono cose che ti cerchi e altre che ti vengono a cercare".)
Comedian
After graduating from law school, Faletti began his career as a comedian during the 1970s at the Milanese Club "Derby". During the same period he shared the stage with the local circle of actors: Diego Abatantuono, Teo Teocoli, Massimo Boldi, Paolo Rossi and Francesco Salvi. In 1983, he appeared on Antenna 3 Lombardia and alongside Raffaella Carrà in Pronto Raffaella. In 1985, he was cast as a comedian in Antonio Ricci's successful variety show Drive In. Other television successes followed, on variety shows such as Emilio, Fantastico and Stasera mi butto... e tre!.
Music
Approaching the world of music in the meantime, in 1988, he released the mini-album Colletti bianchi, the soundtrack of the TV series of the same name in which he was one of the main actors. In 1991 he released his second album, Disperato ma non serio, launched by the single Ulula, and he composed the song "Traditore", included in Mina's album Caterpillar. In 1992, he participated, for the first time, at the Sanremo Music Festival in tandem with Orietta Berti with the song "Rumba di Tango".
In 1994, Faletti got his main success as a singer-songwriter with the song "Signor Tenente", inspired by massacres of Capaci and Via D'Amelio, ranking second at the Sanremo Music Festival and also winning the Critics' Award. The subsequent album, Come un cartone animato, was a platinum album.
In 1995, at the Sanremo Festival, he sang "L'assurdo mestiere", a sort of prayer-thanks to the Lord, revealing a melancholic and reflective side. In the same festival, as part-author of the song sung by Gigliola Cinquetti, "Giovane vecchio cuore".
He has also written songs for Fiordaliso, as well as two songs from the album Camminando, Camminando (1996), and the whole album Il dito e la luna (1998), both by Angelo Branduardi. In 2000, he released Nonsense, his sixth and last album. In 2007, Faletti was back at the Sanremo Festival, as the author of the song "The Show Must Go On", sung by Milva, ranked tenth position. The song was part of the album Territorio nemico, entirely written (lyrics and music) by Faletti. In 2009, he composed the song "Gli anni che non hai", included in Marco Masini's album L'Italia... e altre storie.
Writer
Faletti was a motor-racing enthusiast. In the early 1990s he regularly wrote a column about Rally and Formula One for the Italian weekly magazine Autosprint.
Faletti's debut as an author was the 1994 humorous book Porco il mondo che ciò sotto i piedi!, published by Baldini & Castoldi, which recounts the exploits of his most famous character, Vito Catozzo, whom he had launched in Drive In.
In 2002, Faletti surprised critics and audiences with his first thriller novel, I Kill (Io uccido), which sold more than four million copies.
At the end of 2002, he suffered a minor stroke. In 2004, his second novel, The Killer In My Eyes (Niente di vero tranne gli occhi), sold three million and a half copies.
Jeffery Deaver said of Faletti: "In my neck of the woods, people like Faletti are called larger than life, living legends." In November 2005, Giorgio Faletti received from the President of the Italian Republic the De Sica Prize for Literature.
In 2006, Faletti released his novel "Outside of an Evident Destiny" Fuori da un evidente destino; the same year he starred in the film Notte prima degli esami being nominated for the David di Donatello Award for best supporting actor. He also appeared in the sequel, Notte prima degli esami – Oggi (2007). Also in 2007, he played the villain in Concrete Romance.
In 2008, Faletti published his first collection of short stories, entitled A few useless hiding places Pochi inutili nascondigli, followed by the novels I Am God (Io sono Dio, 2009), Appunti di un venditore di donne (2010), and Tre atti e due tempi (2011).
His commitment and his achievements in the field of literature led him to be appointed president of the Astense Library in September 2012.
He was a supporter of Juventus FC.
Death
Faletti died of lung cancer on 4 July 2014, aged 63.
He received the America Award in memory, from the Italy-USA Foundation in 2019.
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Articles & News
- "È morto Giorgio Faletti, scrittore, cantante e attore: un autentico campione di versatilità"repubblica.it
- "Faletti, "provinciale" cosmopolita sempre con quel mezzo sorriso"lastampa.it
- "Giorgio Faletti colpito da ictus, ricoverato in rianimazione"archiviostorico.corriere.it
Reported coverage of Giorgio Faletti; each link opens the original article on the publisher's own site.
Books & Media
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giorgio_Faletti
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- September 30, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Giorgio Faletti's archived record and the sources above.
1.In which city was Giorgio Faletti born?
- A.Milan
- B.Asticorrect
- C.Turin
- D.Rome
Giorgio Faletti was born in Asti, Piedmont, on 25 November 1950.
Source: biography introduction
2.What academic degree did Giorgio Faletti earn before becoming a comedian?
- A.Medicine
- B.Engineering
- C.Lawcorrect
- D.Literature
After graduating from law school, Giorgio Faletti began his career as a comedian.
Source: comedian section
3.Which television variety show featured Giorgio Faletti in 1985?
- A.Fantastico
- B.Emilio
- C.Stasera mi butto
- D.Drive Incorrect
In 1985, Giorgio Faletti was cast as a comedian in Antonio Ricci's successful variety show Drive In.
Source: comedian section
4.In 1994, which song helped Giorgio Faletti achieve major success as a singer-songwriter?
- A.L'assurdo mestiere
- B.Ulula
- C.Signor Tenentecorrect
- D.Rumba di Tango
In 1994, Giorgio Faletti got his main success as a singer-songwriter with the song Signor Tenente.
Source: music section
5.What was the subject of the column Giorgio Faletti regularly wrote for the magazine Autosprint?
- A.Politics
- B.Culinary arts
- C.Film criticism
- D.Rally and Formula Onecorrect
In the early 1990s, Giorgio Faletti regularly wrote a column about Rally and Formula One for the Italian weekly magazine Autosprint.
Source: writer section
6.Which thriller novel released by Giorgio Faletti in 2002 sold more than four million copies?
- A.Outside of an Evident Destiny
- B.The Killer In My Eyes
- C.I Am God
- D.I Killcorrect
In 2002, Giorgio Faletti published his first thriller novel, I Kill (Io uccido), which sold more than four million copies.
Source: writer section
7.Who famously called Giorgio Faletti a living legend?
- A.Jeffery Deavercorrect
- B.Angelo Branduardi
- C.Mina
- D.Antonio Ricci
Jeffery Deaver described Giorgio Faletti as larger than life and a living legend.
Source: writer section
8.What award did Giorgio Faletti receive from the President of the Italian Republic in 2005?
- A.America Award
- B.Sanremo Critics' Award
- C.De Sica Prize for Literaturecorrect
- D.David di Donatello
In November 2005, Giorgio Faletti received from the President of the Italian Republic the De Sica Prize for Literature.
Source: writer section
9.For which film was Giorgio Faletti nominated for a David di Donatello Award for best supporting actor?
- A.Notte prima degli esami – Oggi
- B.Concrete Romance
- C.Notte prima degli esamicorrect
- D.Colletti bianchi
In 2006, Giorgio Faletti starred in the film Notte prima degli esami, earning a nomination for the David di Donatello Award.
Source: writer section
10.In what year was Giorgio Faletti appointed president of the Astense Library?
- A.2012correct
- B.2010
- C.2008
- D.2014
Giorgio Faletti's literary achievements led him to be appointed president of the Astense Library in September 2012.
Source: writer section
11.What was the cause of death for Giorgio Faletti?
- A.Accident
- B.Lung cancercorrect
- C.Heart attack
- D.Stroke
Giorgio Faletti died of lung cancer on 4 July 2014, at the age of 63.
Source: death section
12.Which soccer team did Giorgio Faletti support?
- A.Juventus FCcorrect
- B.Inter Milan
- C.AS Roma
- D.AC Milan
Giorgio Faletti was a known supporter of Juventus FC.
Source: writer section
13.Which specific event inspired Giorgio Faletti's song Signor Tenente?
- A.The Sanremo Festival
- B.The death of a colleague
- C.The massacres of Capaci and Via D'Ameliocorrect
- D.His move to Elba Island
The song Signor Tenente was inspired by the massacres of Capaci and Via D'Amelio.
Source: music section
14.In which language was Giorgio Faletti's debut book written and published?
- A.Spanish
- B.Italiancorrect
- C.English
- D.French
The debut humorous book Porco il mondo che ciò sotto i piedi! was published by Baldini & Castoldi in Italian.
Source: writer section
15.Giorgio Faletti collaborated on an album with which famous Italian singer in 1991?
- A.Minacorrect
- B.Gigliola Cinquetti
- C.Raffaella Carrà
- D.Orietta Berti
In 1991, Giorgio Faletti composed the song Traditore, which was included on Mina's album Caterpillar.
Source: music section
16.Which organization granted Giorgio Faletti the America Award in 2019?
- A.The Sanremo Music Festival
- B.The Italian Ministry of Culture
- C.The Italy-USA Foundationcorrect
- D.The Astense Library
Giorgio Faletti received the America Award in memory from the Italy-USA Foundation in 2019.
Source: death section
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