Dario De Grassi was an Italian actor and voice actor, born in Rome on August 3, 1939. He was active in the entertainment industry for several decades, building a career that spanned live-action film, television, and a substantial body of dubbing work for which he became widely known. He passed away in Rome on September 19, 2013, at the age of 74.

Before dedicating himself fully to acting, De Grassi had a varied early life that included a period in South America, where he worked in different professions and performed as a singer and guitarist. He began his on-screen acting career in the early 1960s, appearing in Italian film and television productions. His live-action roles include appearances in films such as "Il grande colpo dei 7 uomini d'oro" and various television miniseries, including "La donna di cuori" and "La donna di picche," where he played a police agent.

However, it was his work as a voice actor that left a significant mark on Italian popular culture, particularly among audiences of anime and animated series. His voice became familiar to generations of viewers through a vast array of characters. De Grassi was also known to use the pseudonym Dean De Grassi for some of his dubbing work.

Among his most prominent and beloved roles in animation is the character of Nonno Jehan, the kind grandfather who cares for the protagonist, in the series "My Patrasche" (also known as "Nello e Patrasche"). He took on this role for a redubbing of the series. Another notable performance was as the elderly Lorenzo, the guardian of the Altomare museum, in the fifth Pokémon film, "Pokémon Heroes - Latias & Latios". He also lent his voice to the character of Alan, an old man, in the animated film "Once Upon a Time" (also known as "Windaria").

De Grassi's voice can be heard in a wide range of other classic and popular anime series. He was the voice of General Iroh in "Avatar - La leggenda di Aang" (Avatar: The Last Airbender). He played Michael Hutton, the father of the protagonist, in "Holly e Benji - Due fuoriclasse" (Captain Tsubasa). Other significant roles include the Chief of Police in "Occhi di gatto" (Cat's Eye), Dr. Earl in "Daltanious," Richard Mardukas in "Full Metal Panic!", Lau Chan in "Virtua Fighter," and Black Darius in "Gaiking il robot guerriero". His work also extended to live-action dubbing, where he was the Italian voice for actors such as Lawrence Tierney in Quentin Tarantino's "Le iene" (Reservoir Dogs), Michael Gambon in "Terra di confine - Open Range," and Ben Gazzara in "Il prigioniero".

Throughout his career, Dario De Grassi collaborated with various dubbing studios and contributed his voice to a multitude of projects. He was recognized by fans and colleagues as a versatile and respected professional whose voice added depth and character to countless roles across film and television. His work remains a significant part of the history of Italian dubbing, particularly in the realm of animated series.