Totò was born Antonio Clemente in a poor district of Naples, the illegitimate son of Anna Clemente from Sicily and Marquis Giuseppe De Curtis from Naples. Nicknamed “il principe della risata’ ("the prince of laughter"), he was an Italian comedian, film and theatre actor, writer, singer and songwriter, and widely considered one of the greatest Italian artists of the 20th century. While he first gained his popularity as a comic actor, his dramatic roles, poetry, and songs are all of cultural import; his style and a number of his recurring jokes and gestures have become universally known memes in Italy. As a comic actor, Totò is classified as an heir of the Commedia dell'Arte tradition, and has been compared to such figures as Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. At the age of 15, he was already acting as a comedian in small theatres, under pseudonym "Clerment". His early repertoire mostly consisted in imitations of Gustavo De Marco's characters. He served in the army during World War I and then went back to acting to develop the trademarks of his style. In 1937, he appeared in his first movie "Fermo con le mani", and later starred in other 96 films, many of which are still frequently broadcast on Italian television.In his vast cinematographic career, Totò had the opportunity to act side by side with virtually all major Italian actors of the time. Totò's unmistakable figure, with his peculiarly irregular face (due to an accident in his teen years), and his unique trademark ability to disarticulate his body like a marionette, soon became very popular and his comic gags became part of the Italian culture. Totò died at the age of 69 in Rome, after a series of heart attacks. Due to overwhelming popular request there were three funeral services: the first in Rome, and the second and third in Naples. Totò's birth home has been recently opened to the public as a museum.
Movie | Fermo con le mani | Totò di Torretota | 2025 |
Movie | Ennio | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 2022-02-17 |
Movie | We Are Cinema | Self (archive footage) | 2021-12-16 |
Movie | Siamo tutti Alberto Sordi? | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 2020-04-12 |
Movie | Naples '44 | Self (archive footage) | 2016-12-15 |
Movie | Toto - Live at Montreux 1991 | 2016-09-16 | |
Movie | Toto - Baloise Sessions | 2015-11-12 | |
Movie | Toto: 35th Anniversary Tour - Live In Poland | 2014-04-28 | |
Movie | Toto: Falling in Between Live | 2007-03-26 | |
Movie | Toto - Past to Present 1977-1990: The Videos | 2004-09-29 | |
Movie | How We Got the Italian Movie Business Into Trouble: The True Story of Franco and Ciccio | Self (archive footage) | 2004-09-24 |
Movie | Toto: 25th Anniversary - Live in Amsterdam | 2003-09-23 | |
Movie | Toto Kingdom of Desire LIVE | 1992-11-02 | |
Movie | Toto - Greatest Hits Live... And More | 1991-01-01 | |
Movie | Un sorriso, uno schiaffo, un bacio in bocca | (archive footage) | 1975-07-14 |
Movie | Impossible Dream | 1973-08-09 | |
Movie | Caprice Italian Style | Anziano Signore / Iago | 1968-04-13 |
Movie | What Are the Clouds? | Iago | 1968-04-12 |
Movie | Tutto Totò - Il tuttofare | 1967-06-28 | |
Movie | Tutto Totò - La scommessa | Oberdan Lo Cascio | 1967-01-31 |
Movie | Tutto Totò - Don Giovannino | Barnaba Parmiggiani aka 'Babà' | 1967-01-01 |
Movie | The Witches | Ciancicato Miao (segment "La Terra vista dalla Luna") | 1967-02-22 |
Movie | Tutto Totò - Premio Nobel | il professor Serafino Bolletta | 1967-01-01 |
Movie | The Earth As Seen from the Moon | Ciancicato Miao | 1967-02-22 |
Movie | Tutto Totò - Totò a Napoli | Totò, la guida non autorizzata | 1967-06-12 |
Movie | Tutto Totò - Il grande maestro | Mardoccheo Stonatelli | 1967-04-10 |
Movie | Tutto Totò - Totò Ciak | Totò l'agente segreto | 1967-06-07 |
Movie | Il latitante | Gennaro La Pezza | 1967-05-04 |
Movie | Tutto Totò - Totò Ye Ye | musicista capellone | 1967-05-31 |
Movie | The Hawks and the Sparrows | Totò Innocenti / Frate Cicillo | 1966-05-04 |
Movie | The Treasure of San Gennaro | Don Vincenzo | 1966-11-25 |
Movie | Totò d'Arabia | Totò | 1965-02-18 |
Movie | Latin Lovers | Rag. Antonio Gargiulo (ep. Amore e morte) | 1965-08-11 |
Movie | The Mandrake | il frate | 1965-11-18 |
Movie | Rita the American Girl | Serafino Benvenuti | 1965-12-02 |
Movie | Risate all'italiana | 1964-07-15 | |
Movie | Totò contro il Pirata Nero | Josè | 1964-03-27 |
Movie | What Ever Happened to Baby Toto? | Totò Baby / il Padre | 1964-08-21 |
Movie | Beautiful Families | Filiberto Comanducci | 1964-12-26 |
Movie | Totò vs the Four | commissario Antonio Saracino | 1963-03-07 |
Movie | The Shortest Day | frate bersagliere | 1963-02-14 |
Movie | Two Colonels | Colonnello Di Maggio | 1963-01-05 |
Movie | The Monk of Monza | Pasquale Cicciacalda / Don Manuel | 1963-03-29 |
Movie | Totò Sexy | Nini Cantachiaro | 1963-09-05 |
Movie | The Commandant | Col. Antonio Cavalli | 1963-12-23 |
Movie | Gli onorevoli | Antonio La Trippa | 1963-10-10 |
Movie | Toto and Cleopatra | Marc'Antonio / Totonno | 1963-09-05 |
Movie | Le motorizzate | Urbano Cacace (segment "Il Vigile Ignoto") | 1963-08-15 |
Movie | Totò contro Maciste | Totokamen | 1962-02-28 |
Movie | Totò diabolicus | Galeazzo / Carlo / Scipione / Antonio / Laudomia / Pasquale | 1962-04-07 |
Movie | Lo smemorato di Collegno | lo smemorato | 1962-09-07 |
Movie | Totò e Peppino divisi a Berlino | Antonio La Puzza / Amministratore di Canarinis | 1962-09-08 |
Movie | Puro Labis Puro Kulang | 1962-07-18 | |
Movie | Toto at Night | Nini | 1962-10-25 |
Movie | Totò, Peppino and... the Sweet Life | Antonio Barbacane | 1961-03-23 |
Movie | Sua Eccellenza si fermò a mangiare | Dott. Biagio Tanzarella | 1961-03-30 |
Movie | The Two Marshals | Antonio Capurro | 1961-12-22 |
Movie | Totòtruffa '62 | Antonio LoRuffo | 1961-08-12 |
Movie | Noi duri | L'Algerino | 1960-02-24 |
Movie | Signori si nasce | Ottone Degli Ulivi, detto Zazà | 1960-04-28 |
Movie | The Passionate Thief | Umberto 'Infortunio' Pennazzuto | 1960-10-12 |
Movie | Toto, Fabrizi and the Young People Today | Cavalier Antonio Cocozza | 1960-08-18 |
Movie | He Who Hesitates Is Lost | Antonio Guardalavecchia | 1960-12-15 |
Movie | Letto a tre piazze | Antonio Di Cosimo | 1960-09-09 |
Movie | Toto in Madrid | Totò Scorceletti | 1959-02-06 |
Movie | The Overtaxed | Torquato Pezzella | 1959-04-10 |
Movie | La cambiale | Cesare Posalaquaglia | 1959-11-19 |
Movie | The Thieves | Commissario Di Savio | 1959-06-27 |
Movie | You're on Your Own | Il nonno illuminato | 1959-09-04 |
Movie | Big Deal on Madonna Street | Dante Cruciani | 1958-07-26 |
Movie | Toto and Marcellino | Il Professore | 1958-04-22 |
Movie | Totò, Peppino e le fanatiche | Antonio Vignarello | 1958-08-22 |
Movie | Legs of Gold | Barone Luigi Fontana | 1958-08-27 |
Movie | Totò nella Luna | Pasquale Belafronte | 1958-11-28 |
Movie | Toto in Paris | Marchese Gastone de Chemantel / Chateau-Boiron / il vagabondo Totò | 1958-10-23 |
Movie | The Law Is the Law | Giuseppe La Paglia | 1958-09-17 |
Movie | Totò, Vittorio and the Doctor | Michele Spillone detto Mike | 1957-12-23 |
Movie | Toto, Peppino, and the Hussy | Antonio Caponi | 1956-08-23 |
Movie | The Band of Honest Men | Antonio Buonocore | 1956-04-12 |
Movie | Totò, Peppino e i fuorilegge | Antonio | 1956-12-21 |
Movie | Totò Double or Nothing? | Duca Gagliardo della Forcoletta | 1956-05-03 |
Movie | Toto and Carolina | Antonio Caccavallo | 1955-03-02 |
Movie | Totò all'inferno | Antonio Marchi | 1955-03-16 |
Movie | Variety carousel | 1955-02-08 | |
Movie | Roman Tales | Professor Semprini | 1955-12-21 |
Movie | Are We Men or Corporals? | Totò Esposito | 1955-08-26 |
Movie | Il coraggio | Gennaro Vaccariello | 1955-12-24 |
Movie | Destinazione Piovarolo | Antonio La Quaglia | 1955-12-16 |
Movie | Where Is Freedom? | Salvatore Lojacono | 1954-03-05 |
Movie | Of Life and Love | Rosario Chiarchiaro | 1954-02-03 |
Movie | The Anatomy of Love | Dionillo | 1954-03-16 |
Movie | I tre ladri | Tapioca | 1954-09-27 |
Movie | Totò cerca pace | Gennaro Piselli | 1954-12-17 |
Movie | Poverty and Nobility | Don Felice Sciosciammocca | 1954-04-17 |
Movie | The Gold of Naples | Don Saverio Petrillo (segment "Il guappo") | 1954-12-03 |
Movie | Il medico dei pazzi | Felice Sciosciammocca | 1954-10-19 |
Movie | Man, Beast and Virtue | Prof. Paolino | 1953-05-09 |
Movie | Neapolitan Turk | Felice Sciosciammocca | 1953-09-16 |
Movie | Funniest Show on Earth | Tottons | 1953-11-12 |
Movie | Toto and the Women | Antonio Scaparro | 1952-12-20 |
Movie | Totó in color | Antonio Scannagatti | 1952-04-08 |
Movie | Toto and the Kings of Rome | Ercole Pappalardo | 1952-10-15 |
Movie | Toto the Third Man | Piero / Paolo / Totò | 1951-09-23 |
Movie | Sette ore di guai | Totò De Pasquale | 1951-10-17 |
Movie | Cops and Robbers | Ferdinando Esposito | 1951-11-29 |
Movie | Side Street Story | Pasquale Miele | 1950-09-21 |
Movie | Totò cerca moglie | Totò | 1950-03-15 |
Movie | Figaro qua... Figaro là | Figaro | 1950-10-12 |
Movie | Toto the Sheik | Antonio Sapone | 1950-11-30 |
Movie | 47 Talking Corpses | Il barone Antonio Peletti | 1950-12-22 |
Movie | Tototarzan | Antonio Della Buffas | 1950-10-31 |
Movie | Le sei mogli di Barbablù | Totò Esposito | 1950-11-10 |
Movie | The Firemen of Viggiù | Totò | 1949-04-16 |
Movie | Yvonne of the Night | Nino, il fantasista | 1949-11-24 |
Movie | The Emperor of Capri | Antonio De Fazio | 1949-12-16 |
Movie | Totò cerca casa | Beniamino Lomacchio | 1949-12-09 |
Movie | Totò le Mokò | Antonio Lumaconi / Totò le Moko | 1949-12-20 |
Movie | Fifa e arena | Nicolino Capece | 1948-11-23 |
Movie | Toto Tours Italy | Prof. Totò Casamandrei | 1948-12-30 |
Movie | Slave Girl | Gobbone il cammello (narratore) | 1947-07-17 |
Movie | I due orfanelli | Gasparre | 1947-11-26 |
Movie | The Rape of the Sabine | Aristide Tromboni | 1945-11-21 |
Movie | Totò nella fossa dei leoni | Totò | 1943-05-31 |
Movie | L'allegro fantasma | Nicolino & Gelsomino & Antonino | 1941-03-16 |
Movie | San Giovanni decollato | Mastro Agostino Miciacio | 1940-12-12 |
Movie | Animal Crackers | Barone Tolomeo dei Tolomei | 1939-04-01 |
Movie | Hands Off Me! | Conte Toto di Torretota | 1937-03-06 |