Dario Penne was an esteemed Italian actor and voice actor, born in Trieste on February 17, 1938. He passed away in Rome on February 15, 2023, just two days before his 85th birthday. Penne enjoyed a long and prolific career that spanned theatre, television, and cinema before he became prominently known for his extensive voice dubbing work. He was celebrated as the official Italian voice for several major Hollywood actors, including Anthony Hopkins, Michael Caine, Christopher Lloyd, and Tommy Lee Jones. His portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in the Italian versions of The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, and Red Dragon is considered one of his most iconic roles.

In the realm of animation and anime dubbing, Penne contributed his distinctive voice to a wide array of characters. He is perhaps best known among animation fans for voicing the robot Bender in the Italian-language adaptation of the animated series Futurama. His work extended significantly into Japanese anime, where he lent his voice to numerous roles for the Italian market.

As specified, Penne voiced the character of the Police Chief, or Capo della polizia di Tokyo, in the 1998 TV special Lupin III: Crisis in Tokyo. He provided this voice for the SEFIT CDC dubbing version of the special. In the 2000 anime series Reign: The Conqueror, an adaptation of the life of Alexander the Great, Penne voiced the philosopher Aristotle, a role for which he is credited in the series and in the subsequent compilation film Alexander: The Movie. For the Italian-dubbed editions of the Mobile Suit Gundam film trilogy, Penne provided the voice for General Revil, a high-ranking officer in the Earth Federation Forces.

Beyond these examples, Penne's anime filmography is extensive and varied. He voiced Dr. Eggman in Sonic X, Walter C. Dornez in Hellsing, and Jung Zorndyke in Blue Submarine No. 6. He also took on roles in major titles such as Attack on Titan as Darris Zacklay, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie as Bob, and The Vision of Escaflowne as Dornkirk. He also voiced the narrator in new dubs of classic series like Future Boy Conan and Humanoid Monster Bem. Throughout his career, Dario Penne was recognized for his profound contribution to the art of dubbing, receiving accolades like the Claudio G. Fava career award at the Voci nell'ombra festival in 2019, and was remembered by colleagues as "the most actor-like among voice actors".