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1[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/linoventura.jpg]]
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3Angiolino Giuseppe Pasquale Ventura, better known as Lino Ventura (14 July 1919 – 22 October 1987) was an UsefulNotes/{{Ital|y}}ian actor and wrestler who settled and made his fame in UsefulNotes/{{France}}.
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5He was born in Parma, and his is parents moved to France when he was 8. He was conscripted in the Italian army during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII but deserted. He started a career in Greco-Roman wrestling, then made himself a name in French professional wrestling. One day, a friend of his told him that director Jacques Becker was looking for a "strong guy" henchman type for his gangster movie, ''Film/TouchezPasAuGrisbi'' in 1954, which ended up being his first movie role.
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7Ventura's movie career rapidly took off, and he went from similar henchman supporting roles to starring roles in gangster films, dramas and comedies alike, to great success in TheFifties, TheSixties and up to the late [[TheSeventies '70s]]. He was the father of four, including an intellectually disabled daughter. He created Perce-Neige, a charity foundation to support the care for intellectually disabled people, in 1966 due to the latter.
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9He ranks #23 at [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Greatest_Frenchman The Greatest Frenchman]] despite never wanting to apply for French citizenship (he went on to say he wanted to "stay true to his Italian roots"), which speaks volumes on how popular and beloved he was in the country. He was even born on France's national day.
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11!!Filmography on TV Tropes:
12* ''Film/TouchezPasAuGrisbi'' (1954)
13* ''Film/ElevatorToTheGallows'' (1958)
14* ''Film/UnTaxiPourTobrouk'' (1961)
15* ''Film/TrilogieDesMalfaisants'':
16** ''Film/LesTontonsFlingueurs'' (1963)
17** ''Film/LesBarbouzes'' (1964)
18** ''Film/NeNousFachonsPas'' (1966)
19* ''Film/ArmyOfShadows'' (1969)
20* ''Film/LastKnownAddress'' (1970)
21* ''Film/RumRunners'' (1971)
22* ''Film/TheValachiPapers'' (1972)
23* ''Film/LAventureCEstLAventure'' (1972)
24* ''Film/LeSilencieux'' (1973)
25* ''Film/IllustriousCorpses'' (1976)
26* ''Film/TheMedusaTouch'' (1978)
27* ''Film/GardeAVue'' (1981)
28* ''Film/EspionLeveToi'' (1982)
29* ''Film/{{Les Miserables|1982}}'' (1982)
30
31!!Tropes in his works:
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33* TheComicallySerious: His trademark style in comedies, especially in the films from the ''Film/TrilogieDesMalfaisants'', with dialogues written by Creator/MichelAudiard.
34* ComicBookFantasyCasting: Creator/AlbertUderzo gave his face to Roman centurion Platypus in the ''ComicBook/{{Asterix}}'' comic book ''[[Recap/AsterixAndTheRomanAgent The Roman Agent]]''.
35* GoodOldFisticuffs: He put his wrestling talents to good use in his fight scenes. The Michel Audiard-written movies in particular have him [[PlayedForLaughs comedically]] clobber people who get in his way.
36* RetiredBadass: Often played tough-as-nails former gangsters who find themselves forced to go back in action.
37* ThoseTwoActors: He's played alongside Creator/BernardBlier in several films, the most well known being ''Film/LesTontonsFlingueurs'', ''Film/LesBarbouzes'' and ''Greed in the Sun''. They also played in two other, lesser known pictures, a 1956 adaptation of ''Literature/CrimeAndPunishment'' (when Ventura's name wasn't big yet) and 1962's ''Les Petits Matins''.
38* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Creator/StevenSpielberg offered him the role of Claude Lacombe in ''Film/CloseEncountersOfTheThirdKind'', and he declined (and so did Creator/JeanLouisTrintignant). The role went to Creator/FrancoisTruffaut instead.

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