Piazza, Fernando

[PeplumParadise]

Fernando Piazza in Le prigioniere dell'isola del diavolo (1962)

Fernando was a light-skinned black actor of Italian/Ethopian decent, who was active in Italian films and fotoromanzi throughout the sixties. He retired from acting in the 70's, moving into actor management and production. According to Ted Rusoff he died around 2008 or 2009.

Fernando had substantial roles in Le prigioniere dell'isola del Diavolo (1961) and Boom (1968), but most of his other roles were small uncredited parts.
Filmography

1960

1. Noi duri .... Nightclub customer (uncredited)
   
   1961
2. Gordon il pirata nero .... Slave (uncredited)
3. Nefertite, regina del Nilo .... Slave in the temple (uncredited)
   
   1962
4. L'arciere delle mille e una notte .... Guard (uncredited)
5. Le prigioniere dell'isola del diavolo .... Michael (credited?)
6. Le sette folgori di Assur .... Slave destroying the statue of Assur (uncredited)
7. Ponzio Pilato .... Slave carrying Claudia's carriage (uncredited)
8. Totò contro Maciste .... Kimen (uncredited)
9. Un branco di vigliacchi .... American soldier (uncredited)
10. Una regina per Cesare .... Manicurist (uncredited)
    
    1963
11. I dieci gladiatori .... Slave in Palace (uncredited)
    
    1964
12. Ercole contro i figli del sole .... Native councillor (uncredited)
13. I due pericoli pubblici .... Doorman at Moroccan embassy (uncredited)
14. Il figlio di Cleopatra .... Slave in Petronio's palace (uncredited)
15. Il Leone di Tebe .... Egyptian slave (uncredited)
16. Maciste nelle miniere di Re Salomone .... Prisoner / Native (uncredited)
17. Sandokan contro il leopardo di Sarawak .... Charles Druk's henchman (uncredited)
18. Tarzak contro gli uomini leopardo .... Member of hunting party (uncredited)
    
    1965
19. Agente 077 dall'oriente con furore .... Resting musician (uncredited)
20. Oggi, domani, dopodomani .... Assistant to Ali Ben Ali (uncredited)
    
    1966
21. Agente 3S3 massacro al sole .... Soldier (uncredited - uncertain identification)
22. Come imparai ad amare le donne .... Party guest (uncredited)
23. Le fate - segment "Fata Elena" .... Man at the airport (uncredited)
24. Non faccio la guerra, faccio l'amore .... Party guest on yacht (uncredited)
    
    1967
25. Come rubare la corona d'Inghilterra .... Guest at the embassy party (uncredited)
26. Segretissimo .... Hotel employee making the bed (uncredited)
    
    1968
27. Boom .... Etti (credited)
28. Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell .... Bank customer (uncredited)
29. Gungala, la pantera nuda .... Sir Helmer's butler (credited)
30. Samoa, regina della giungla .... Man in background during pre-credit bar fight (uncredited)
31. Satanik .... Man at the casino (uncredited)
32. The Shoes of the Fisherman .... Party guest (uncredited)
    
    1969
33. Tarzana, sesso selvaggio .... Bearer (uncredited)
    
    1971
34. Stanza 17-17 palazzo delle tasse ufficio imposte .... African tribal warrior (uncredited)
    
    1972
35. Jesse & Lester - Due fratelli in un posto chiamato Trinità .... Does not appear (credited as Producer)
    
    1973
36. Super Fly T.N.T. .... Poker player (credited)
    
    1976
37. Mark colpisce ancora .... Sheik's bodyguard (uncredited)

Fotoromanzi

1. Le avventure di Jacques Douglas N. 50: "Le figlie del demonio" (November 1969) - credited
2. Super Lesbo N. 2: "Saffo o morte" (December 1971)
3. Nuovo Super Lesbo N. 2: "Corpi perversi" (July 1972)

[PeplumParadise]

Here are some further images of Fernando in Le prigioniere dell'isola del diavolo. This was by far his biggest role, and is notable for an interracial romance between Fernando and Margaret Rose Kiel, which must have been quite daring in 1962. I am not certain whether Fernando was credited in the Italian credits for this film, online sources indicate that he was, but every print that I have found has had the same French credits which only list 6 actors.

[PeplumParadise]

Gordon il pirata nero (1961) as Slave

[PeplumParadise]

Totò contro Maciste (1962) as Kimen

[PeplumParadise]

Una regina per Cesare (1962) as Manicurist

[PeplumParadise]

I dieci gladiatori (1963) as Slave in Palace

[PeplumParadise]

Maciste nelle miniere di Re Salomone (1964) dual roles as Prisoner and as Native

[PeplumParadise]

Sandokan contro il Leopardo di Sarawak (1964) as Charles Druk's henchman

[PeplumParadise]

Impossible to be certain without a sharper image, but I'm pretty sure this is Fernando on the left, in Agente 3S3 massacro al sole (1966) as Soldier

[Johan Melle]

Fernando Piazza later abandoned his acting career and began to work as a casting agent. In the yearly Annuario degli attori books, the agencies or agents representing the different actors are listed and by browsing through the Annuario degli attori 1984-85, I can say that Fernando specialized in respenting foreign actors and English-speaking voice dubbers.

Here are a few of the notable actors he represented during 1984-85