RIP Renato Cortesi

 

Renato Cortesi: A Voice Across Generations

Il Mattino

October 5, 2026

Renato Cortesi, actor, voice actor, and dubbing director, among the protagonists in the history of Italian dubbing, died on Saturday, October 3 in Rome at the age of 87. Born in Bergamo on July 28, 1939, Cortesi spanned more than half a century of cinema, television, and theater, lending his voice to unforgettable performances and famous animated characters. The origins and artistic debut After studying at the Piccolo Teatro di Milano school, Cortesi began his theatrical activity at a very young age at the University Theater, performing in works by Thornton Wilder, Eugène Ionesco, and Sławomir Mrożek. In 1966 he moved to Rome, where he had the opportunity to collaborate with Renzo Ricci. At the same time, he began what would become a long career in dubbing. The legacy in dubbing Among the actors he voiced are Gérard Depardieu, André Dussollier, William Hurt in the films “Body Heat” and “Altered States,” Liam Neeson in “Under Suspicion,” Jeff Bridges in “Kiss Me Goodbye,” and Jean-Claude Dreyfus in “The Lady and the Duke.” He also dubbed Rutger Hauer, Brad Dourif, Dan Aykroyd, Geoffrey Rush, Burt Reynolds, Viggo Mortensen, Ben Kingsley, and Gene Hackman (the latter in the redubbing of “Superman”). One of his most famous works remains the voice of Jim Belushi in “Trading Places.” Also unforgettable is his dubbing of Brad Dourif, the original interpreter of Chucky, in “Child’s Play.” Animation, cinema, and television Cortesi’s work in animation was particularly extensive: Lafayette in “The Aristocats,” Goofy in the cartoons of the 1980s, Tigger in “Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day,” Tappo in “Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo,” and the First Ancestor in “Mulan.” He was also the first Italian voice of Principal Skinner in “The Simpsons.” Cortesi was among the main dubbers in Federico Fellini’s films: in the movie “Roma,” he voiced Peter Gonzales, the actor who played young Fellini. In front of the camera, Cortesi appeared in numerous films—often comedies—such as “Una cavalla tutta nuda,” “Il figlioccio del padrino,” “Nipoti miei diletti,” “L’infermiera nella corsia dei militari,” “Vai avanti tu che mi vien da ridere,” “La cena per farli conoscere,” “Sapore di te,” and “Te lo dico pianissimo.” He also took part in many TV shows: from “Pronto emergenza,” “Il bello delle donne,” “Il papa buono,” “Provaci ancora prof!,” “Don Matteo,” “Preferisco il paradiso,” “Cenerentola,” “R.I.S. Roma 3 – Delitti imperfetti,” up to “Vita da Carlo” and “L’Ora – Inchiostro contro piombo.” A passion for theater and the family legacy Theater was also a constant in one of the richest professional paths in the industry. Cortesi leaves behind his son Marco, a dubbing director, and was cousin to the voice actress Isa Bellini.

CORTESI, Renato

Born: 7/28/1939, Bergamo, Lombardy, Italy

Died: 10/3/2026, Rome, Lazio, Italy

 

Renato Cortesi’s westerns – voice actor:

Zorro (TV) - 1957-1958 [Italian voice of Don Diamond]

‘Doc’ – 1971 [Italian voice of Denver John Collins]

Young Guns II – 1990 [Italian voice of Viggo Mortensen]

Yellowstone (TV) 2018-2022 [Italian voice of Buck Taylor]