Claudio Sorrentino was an influential Italian actor and voice actor, born in Rome on 18 July 1945, who built a prolific career spanning seven decades before his death on 16 February 2021. He began his artistic journey at the age of five, performing on stage and making his film debut as a child actor, which naturally evolved into a career in dubbing. While he was renowned as the official Italian voice of Hollywood stars like John Travolta and Mel Gibson, his work in the world of animation and anime constituted a significant part of his legacy.

In the realm of anime, Sorrentino is best remembered for voicing iconic protagonists of the era. He was the Italian voice of Ryo Kabuto, known as Koji Kabuto, the pilot of the titular mecha in the seminal series Mazinger Z. He reprised this role for the film UFO Robot Grendizer against the Great Mazinger. Another notable anime role early in his career was providing the voice for the protagonist Xu Xian in the 1970 Italian television broadcast of The White Snake Enchantress (Hakujaden), a historic film produced by Toei Animation in 1958. His voice work also extended to other animated features, including the role of Dodger in the Italian dub of Disney's Oliver & Company and Cippi in The Fox and the Hound.

Beyond these specific credits, Sorrentino was a familiar voice in Italian popular culture through his work in western animation and television. He was the voice of Gargamel in the Smurfs series and served as the official Italian voice of Mickey Mouse for a period between 1978 and 1981. His career was not limited to voice acting; he was also an active television presenter, notably hosting youth programs such as Tandem on Rai 2 during the 1970s and 1980s. Claudio Sorrentino's enduring contribution to the craft was recognized through various awards and his role as president of the ADIR, the association of Italian voice actors.