Maurizio Merluzzo is an Italian voice actor and YouTuber, born in Prato on September 3, 1986. His career began with a foundational period of study in his hometown, including attendance at the Anna Magnani film school and later moving to Milan in 2007 to train at the Centro Teatro Attivo, where he specialized in dubbing under the guidance of Aldo Stella.

Merluzzo's professional voice acting career commenced in 2007, and he quickly established a presence in the world of Italian dubbing for animation. One of his earliest significant roles in anime was providing the voice for Sai in the Naruto: Shippuden series and its related films, starting in 2008. This role marked the beginning of a prolific career voicing characters in some of the most popular anime franchises. His filmography demonstrates a consistent and wide-ranging engagement with the genre, encompassing both protagonists and complex antagonists.

Over the years, Merluzzo has lent his voice to a vast array of characters across numerous series and films. In addition to the roles of Sai and Mirio Togata from My Hero Academia, his notable anime work includes Archer in the Fate/stay night series, Ling Yao in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and Renji Abarai in the Bleach films. He has also voiced significant antagonists such as Zamasu in Dragon Ball Super and Donquixote Doflamingo in One Piece. Other prominent roles include Galo Thymos in Promare, Tengen Uzui in Demon Slayer, and Ainz Ooal Gown in Overlord. His repertoire further extends to characters like Torgrim in Vinland Saga, Brannew in One Piece Stampede, Theo Magath in Attack on Titan The Final Season, Takuma Nagare in Getter Robo Arc, Ryan Goldsmith in Tiger & Bunny 2, Haberu Kikuchi in Godzilla Singular Point, Kenneth Sleg in Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway, Jin Ryu in BeyWarriors: BeyRaiderz and BeyWheelz, Chris Redfield in Resident Evil: Vendetta, Juza in Legends of the Dark King, Ken Kaido in Mazinkaiser SKL, Holland in Eureka Seven - good night, sleep tight, young lovers, Paul in Pocket Monsters: Diamond & Pearl, Nue in Karas, Jan Kugo in Science Fiction Saiyuki Starzinger, and Spectra Phantom in Bakugan: Mechtanium Surge. This extensive list underscores his position as a leading figure in Italian anime dubbing.

Beyond his work in anime, Merluzzo has a substantial career dubbing live-action films and television series. Notably, he is the Italian voice of actor Zachary Levi, including the title role in the Shazam! films. He also dubs Travis Fimmel as Ragnar Lothbrok in Vikings, David Castañeda as Diego Hargreeves in The Umbrella Academy, and provides the voice of Knuckles the Echidna in the Sonic the Hedgehog film series and related projects. In the realm of video games, his voice can be heard as characters like Baptiste in Overwatch and Jacob Frye in Assassin's Creed Syndicate.

In addition to his voice acting, Merluzzo is an active YouTuber, managing channels where he discusses his profession, shares insights into voice acting, and creates content on other interests such as cooking. This direct engagement with fans has contributed to his visibility and popularity within the Italian geek and pop culture community. Through his extensive and varied body of work, Maurizio Merluzzo has become a highly recognizable and respected voice in Italian entertainment, particularly celebrated for his contributions to bringing beloved anime characters to life for Italian audiences.