Who is Adolfo Celi?
Adolfo Celi was a Sicilian born actor/writer/director very popular with European audiences, but largely unknown to the west apart from his portrayal of the villainous SPECTRE agent "Emilio Largo" in the spectacular James Bond film Thunderball (1965). However, due to his heavy accent, Celi's voice was dubbed by Robert Rietty. Two years later Celi popped up in the appalling James Bond spoof OK Connery (1967) starring Neil Connery.
Additional to his many film appearances in Italian productions, Celi spent many years on stage in South America to very positive reviews, and directed three films made in South America, Caiçara (1950), Tico-Tico no fuba (1952)_ and L'Alibi (1969)_.
He passed away on February 19th 1986 from a heart attack.
Trivia
- Despite speaking fluent English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and German in addition to his native Italian, his voice was dubbed by Robert Rietty in most of his movies throughout his career, even in his native Italy, to hide his distinctive Sicillian accent.
- Surname pronounced "chell-lee"(not "silly").