Ignazio Colnaghi
Description
Ignazio Colnaghi was an Italian actor and voice actor, born in Milan on June 16, 1924. He began his artistic career in theater, performing at the Piccolo Teatro di Milano alongside renowned figures such as Dario Fo and Franco Parenti. He subsequently followed them into radio variety shows, though he soon chose to focus primarily on voice dubbing. His early work in the field included serving as a narrator for sports newsreels produced by La Settimana Incom, which were shown in cinemas before the main feature film.
Colnaghi is best remembered for providing the voice of Calimero, the endearing black chick character who first appeared in the 1960s in the popular Italian advertising slot Carosello for the Mira Lanza company. He voiced the character from the debut in 1963 and continued in the role across various series and revivals for decades, becoming indelibly linked with the character in the Italian public's imagination. He also voiced another well-known Italian television character, the caterpillar Giovannino, a friend of the puppet Topo Gigio.
In addition to his iconic work in animation, Colnaghi had a career dubbing live-action films. He lent his voice to prominent French actors such as Fernandel in his early films and Pierre Brasseur. Beyond voice work, he occasionally appeared on screen in a number of films for children, often directed by Angio Zane. His television acting credits include roles in the miniseries Il mulino del Po and Marco Visconti. He also contributed as a writer, co-writing the screenplay for the 1964 film Okay, Sheriff. Ignazio Colnaghi continued his profession until 2013, at which point he retired and was succeeded by Davide Garbolino as the voice of Calimero in a new animated series. He passed away in his hometown of Milan on November 25, 2017.
Colnaghi is best remembered for providing the voice of Calimero, the endearing black chick character who first appeared in the 1960s in the popular Italian advertising slot Carosello for the Mira Lanza company. He voiced the character from the debut in 1963 and continued in the role across various series and revivals for decades, becoming indelibly linked with the character in the Italian public's imagination. He also voiced another well-known Italian television character, the caterpillar Giovannino, a friend of the puppet Topo Gigio.
In addition to his iconic work in animation, Colnaghi had a career dubbing live-action films. He lent his voice to prominent French actors such as Fernandel in his early films and Pierre Brasseur. Beyond voice work, he occasionally appeared on screen in a number of films for children, often directed by Angio Zane. His television acting credits include roles in the miniseries Il mulino del Po and Marco Visconti. He also contributed as a writer, co-writing the screenplay for the 1964 film Okay, Sheriff. Ignazio Colnaghi continued his profession until 2013, at which point he retired and was succeeded by Davide Garbolino as the voice of Calimero in a new animated series. He passed away in his hometown of Milan on November 25, 2017.