Remo Girone dead: Hollywood legend and Equalizer star dies after devastating cancer news

Italian actor Remo Girone has died at the age of 76 after he was diagnosed with bladder cancer, according to reports. The Hollywood favourite was best known for starring as a mob boss on the classic mafia TV series La Piovra and playing Enzo Ferrari in the huge blockbuster Ford v Ferrari. The newspaper La Repubblica, as per The Hollywood Reporter, reported that he died on Friday (October 3) at his home in Monte Carlo.

The established actor's first film credit came in the 1974 movie The Antichrist before he went on to star in a string of Italian productions, including Father of the Godfathers, Malamore, Breath of Life, and Don't Stop Me Now. Elsewhere, he also appeared as Italian Mafia boss Maso Pescatore in the 2016 American action-drama Live by Night, where he shared the screen with Ben Affleck.

Two years later, he played Cesare Greco in an episode of Killing Eve. In 2019, he starred as the founder of the Italian luxury sports car company Ferrari in Ford v Ferrari, which starred Matt Damon and Christian Bale. His last on-screen credit came alongside Denzel Washington in 2023's The Equalizer 3.

The actor's best-known role was in the drama La Piovra, which he joined in its third series back in 1987. He played the role of the corrupt banker Gaetano 'Tano' Cariddi, who was reported to have been inspired by real-life mafioso Michele 'The Shark' Sindona. The actor was a regular on the show until 1995 but eventually had to take a six-year break due to cancer treatments.

Last year, he spoke about how the diagnosis had nearly brought his time on the show to an unexpected end as he underwent surgery and chemotherapy. He told Corriere della Sera at the time: "The show's producers wanted to terminate my contract, replacing me with another similar character.

"I went to complain, accompanied by my lawyer, but then my wife had a brilliant idea. Since we were filming season nine, she suggested to the director that I end it early - with a beautiful scene and bring me back for season ten, after I had finished my treatments. And so it happened, the tumour was cured and Tano Cariddi returned."

Born in Eritrea in East Africa to Italian parents in 1948, Girone studied acting at the Silvio d'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Arts in Rome. His career spanned more than five decades, with his projects frequently sendign the star between Italy and Hollywood.

In 2021, he received lifetime achievement awards from the Venice International Film Festival and Flaiano Film Festival. He is survived by his wife, actress Victoria Zinny, after they tied the knot in 1982, as well as his stepchildren, Veronica and Karl.