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Gigi Ballista

Gigi Ballista

Actor · Died August 2, 1980, aged 61 · Florence, Tuscany, Italy

Gigi Ballista (1 December 1918 – 2 August 1980) was an Italian film and television actor. He appeared in 60 films between 1961 and 1980. Born in Florence, Ballista graduated in Law, then he started working as a PR consultant in the field of advertising and industrial documentaries. He debuted as an actor at a mature age in the early 1960s with some minor roles, but his breakout came in 1966 with a role of weight in Pietro Germi's The Birds, the Bees and the Italians. Following the critical and commercial success of the film, Ballista decided to pursue a professional career as an actor, and he became, mainly thanks to his characteristic hoarse and dysphonic voice, one of the most recognizable character actors in Italian cinema and television. Description above from the Wikipedia article Gigi Ballista, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 1, 1918
Died
August 2, 1980 (aged 61)
From
Florence, Tuscany, Italy
Works as
Actor
Titles
14 on MovieCove · 57 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Up 40% in 30 days

What are Gigi Ballista's films like?

Across their 5 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Power and Morality.

Themes

share of theme weight
Power
37%
Morality
36%
Bonds
26%
Deception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 5 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Wry: How sincerely it treats its story and characters, from ironic to earnest. Browse their wry movies.
Tone · Sincerity
ironicearnest

A split, not a type: Ironic 0 · Wry 1 · Earnest 2

Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 5 · Serious 0 · Dark 0

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 3 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 4 · Intense 0

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 1 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 1

Funny: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their funny movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 5

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 4 · Engaged 0 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 4 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Absurd
2
Joyful
2
Romantic
2
Thrilling
1
Manic
1
Other
3

How their films linger

Fun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet2
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Gigi Ballista's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 4 of their 14 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Gigi Ballista's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

57 credits, 14 with a MovieCove page.

  • L'assistente sociale tutto pepe... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Bishop

  • I Hate Blondes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Psychiatrist

  • Liquirizia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Bartolozzi

  • Midnight Express(1978)

    as Chief Judge

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Il furto della gioconda (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 3 episodes · as Poupardin

  • The Schoolmate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Girardi

  • Mala, Love and Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Carlo Alberto Giorgi

  • Un amore targato Forlì (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Actor

  • Horse Fever (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Count Dallara

  • Under the Sheets(1976)

    as Professor Ciotti

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Salon Kitty(1976)

    as Nazi General

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Confessions of a Lady Cop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Questore Moretti

  • La madama (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as The Venetian

  • The Sunday Woman(1975)

    as Vollero

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Family Vice(1975)

    as Conte Giosuè

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • The Noon Vigilante (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as direttore Filiberto Rossetti

  • Cassiodorus Is the Hardest Praetorian (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Cornelius da Mediolanum

  • Il fratello (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Actor

  • Policewoman(1974)

    as avvocato

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Poker in Bed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as comm. Gervasio Caminata

  • Italian Sex (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as padre di Carletto

  • Stavisky(1974)

    as Gaston Henriet

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Permettete signora che ami vostra figlia? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Gino's Friend

  • Fischia Il Sesso (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Mr. Lewis

  • Unbelievable Adventures of Italians in Russia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as doctor

  • Anima mia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Filippo Tornabuoni

  • The Lady Has Been Raped (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Carini

  • Blume in Love(1973)

    as Older Man

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Giovannona Long-Thigh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Commendatore La Noce

  • Increase and Multiply (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Dottore

  • Blessed Are the Rich (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Commendatore

  • Black Turin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Marinotti

  • 1001 Nights of Pleasure (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Genie in Lamp

  • Snow Job(1972)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Trastevere (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Count

  • Roma bene (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Vitozzi

  • Do Not Commit Adultery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Padre Spiridione

  • No One Will Notice You're Naked (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Silvio Borelon

  • Lady Caliph (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Il principe industriale

  • Kill the Fatted Calf and Roast It (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Il medico

  • Jet Set Swingers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Borgognini

  • The Secret of Santa Vittoria(1969)

    as Padre Polenta

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Making of a Lady(1968)

    as Cardinal Ruffo

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Straziami ma di baci saziami(1968)

    as Engineer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Galileo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as commissario domenicano

  • Sunstroke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as Conte Malvezzi

  • Il Circolo Pickwick (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 6 episodes · as Nathaniel Winkle

  • The Dress Rehearsal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Actor

  • The Seventh Floor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as medico

  • The Man Who Betrayed the Mafia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Aldo

  • The Climax (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Don Michele

  • Pleasant Nights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    as Luca di Montemerlo

  • Come imparai ad amare le donne(1966)

    as sir Archibald

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • The Queens(1966)

    as The Priest ("Fata Marta")

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • The Birds, the Bees and the Italians (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    as Giacinto Castellan

  • Il morbidone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Actor

  • The Maniacs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Count at the Party (segment "l'hobby") (uncredited)

Career shape

Star power in the 93rd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 57 titles from 1964 to 1981; peak year 1975.

Highest rated

Straziami ma di baci saziami (1968)

Midcredits 75th

Most popular right now

The Family Vice (1975)

Film career

19641981

Peak 1975 · at the high point of their film career. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1966Screen debut· The Birds, the Bees and the Italians
  • 1978Career best· Midnight Express

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting57 of 57: 57 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score44th

By decade

1960s15 · acting1970s40 · acting1980s2 · acting

Billing

usually 7th · top billed in 0% of 14 roles
6676

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Gigi Ballista's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 44th percentile, the median of all 14; across their 5 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 53rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

53rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Approval · how many liked their films

45thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Reach · how many have seen their films

42ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Midcredits score across 14 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 14 titles are Mixed.

  • Crowd Pleaser6
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · actor

The Family Vice (1975)

60th percentile spread · 32% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Midnight Express (1978)

Midcredits 91st · 80% liked

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Gigi Ballista work with?

People who share at least 2 of Gigi Ballista's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Marino Onorati shares the most, 2.

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers