Giuliano Gemma (Italian pronunciation: [ˈdʒɛmma]; 2 September 1938 – 1 October 2013) was an Italian actor. He was best known internationally as a leading man in Spaghetti Westerns, with his breakout role as the titular character in Duccio Tessari's duology A Pistol for Ringo and The Return of Ringo (both 1965). He was nominated for two Nastro d'Argento Awards over the course of his career, and won a Special David di Donatello for his performance in Valerio Zurlini's The Desert of the Tartars (1976).
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Early life
Gemma was born in Rome in 1938, the son of Domenico Gemma and Agher Chiarini, and spent his early childhood in Reggio Emilia. An athletic youth, he took up gymnastics, trapeze, and boxing as a teenager, and was friends with professional boxer Nino Benvenuti. He cited Burt Lancaster as an inspiration.
Career
Gemma's introduction to filmmaking came when his father started working as a production assistant at Cinecittà. He first worked as a stuntman, then was offered real acting parts by director Duccio Tessari, starting with the film Arrivano i titani (1962). He also made an appearance in Luchino Visconti's Il Gattopardo as Garibaldi's General. Gemma later went on to star in Spaghetti Westerns in films such as A Pistol for Ringo (Una pistola per Ringo), Blood for a Silver Dollar (Un dollaro bucato), Wanted and Day of Anger (I giorni dell'ira). He was sometimes credited with the anglicized stage name 'Montgomery Wood'. Gemma's career survived the demise of the genre, and he remained active on Italian television.
