Antonio Ballerio
Description
Antonio Ballerio was an Italian actor, voice actor, and director, born in Milan on February 14, 1941. His career spanned theatre, film, television, and dubbing, with a significant body of work in both Italy and Swiss-Italian radio and theatre.
Ballerio's artistic foundation was built on a diverse education. He graduated in scenography from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milan in 1966 and later pursued acting at the Accademia d'Arte Drammatica in Rome. Throughout the 1970s and beyond, he established himself as a prominent stage actor, performing in numerous classic and contemporary plays under the direction of renowned Italian theatre figures such as Virginio Puecher, Giancarlo Sbragia, Luigi Squarzina, Franco Parenti, and Andrée Ruth Shammah. From 1984, he expanded his career to Switzerland, collaborating extensively with theatre companies in Ticino. A significant milestone was in 1994 when he co-founded the Luganoteatro company in Lugano, where he also served as artistic director.
In addition to his stage work, Ballerio was active in film and television. He appeared in numerous Italian productions, often typecast in roles such as a snobbish Milanese rich man or a character entangled in shady dealings. His filmography includes comedies directed by Carlo Vanzina, such as Via Montenapoleone (1986), Piedipiatti (1991), and Io no spik inglish (1995), as well as more dramatic works like Paolo Sorrentino's Le conseguenze dell'amore (2004). He was also a regular presence on radio, working as an actor, director, and speaker for the Radiotelevisione svizzera (RSI).
As a voice actor, Ballerio contributed to various dubbing projects for film, television, and video games. His dubbing credits include work on the soap opera Sentieri and the video game Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within. However, he is perhaps most widely recognized by animation fans for his voice work in the beloved anime series Saint Seiya, known in Italy as I Cavalieri dello zodiaco. Ballerio was the first Italian voice of the Gold Saint Capricorn (Shura), a role he performed in the original classic series. He notably reprised this role for the OAV series that adapted the Hades arc, providing the voice for Capricorn in The Hades Chapter - Sanctuary, The Hades Chapter - Inferno, and The Hades Chapter - Elysion.
Ballerio's artistic foundation was built on a diverse education. He graduated in scenography from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milan in 1966 and later pursued acting at the Accademia d'Arte Drammatica in Rome. Throughout the 1970s and beyond, he established himself as a prominent stage actor, performing in numerous classic and contemporary plays under the direction of renowned Italian theatre figures such as Virginio Puecher, Giancarlo Sbragia, Luigi Squarzina, Franco Parenti, and Andrée Ruth Shammah. From 1984, he expanded his career to Switzerland, collaborating extensively with theatre companies in Ticino. A significant milestone was in 1994 when he co-founded the Luganoteatro company in Lugano, where he also served as artistic director.
In addition to his stage work, Ballerio was active in film and television. He appeared in numerous Italian productions, often typecast in roles such as a snobbish Milanese rich man or a character entangled in shady dealings. His filmography includes comedies directed by Carlo Vanzina, such as Via Montenapoleone (1986), Piedipiatti (1991), and Io no spik inglish (1995), as well as more dramatic works like Paolo Sorrentino's Le conseguenze dell'amore (2004). He was also a regular presence on radio, working as an actor, director, and speaker for the Radiotelevisione svizzera (RSI).
As a voice actor, Ballerio contributed to various dubbing projects for film, television, and video games. His dubbing credits include work on the soap opera Sentieri and the video game Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within. However, he is perhaps most widely recognized by animation fans for his voice work in the beloved anime series Saint Seiya, known in Italy as I Cavalieri dello zodiaco. Ballerio was the first Italian voice of the Gold Saint Capricorn (Shura), a role he performed in the original classic series. He notably reprised this role for the OAV series that adapted the Hades arc, providing the voice for Capricorn in The Hades Chapter - Sanctuary, The Hades Chapter - Inferno, and The Hades Chapter - Elysion.
All Characters
- ItalianAnime overview: Saint Seiya: The Hades Chapter - Inferno
- ItalianAnime overview: Saint Seiya: The Hades Chapter - Sanctuary
- ItalianAnime overview: Saint Seiya: The Hades Chapter - Elysion