Mario Brega

Mario Brega (25 March 1923 – 23 July 1994) was an Italian character actor. His heavy build meant that he regularly portrayed a thug in his films, particularly earlier in his career in westerns. Later in his career, however, he featured in numerous Italian comedy films. Brega stood at 6 ft and well over 250 lb at his heaviest but after the 1960s slimmed down significantly.

Biography
Brega was born in Rome. He was a butcher before he drifted into acting, where his heavy physique ensured him a plethora of character roles. Debuting with director Dino Risi, he then played some minor roles in Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Western movies: A Fistful of Dollars, as Chico; For a Few Dollars More, as Niño; The Good, the Bad and the Ugly as Corporal Wallace; and also as a gangster in Once Upon a Time in America. He appeared in many other Spaghetti Westerns, including Death Rides a Horse, The Great Silence, and My Name is Nobody. Later in his career he had comical roles with director Carlo Verdone, such as in Un sacco bello and Talcum Powder.

He died of heart attack in Rome in 1994.

Filmography

 * La mascotte dei diavoli blu (1947)
 * L'uomo di paglia (1958) – Man who blocks Andrea davanti versus the driver (uncredited)
 * Il mondo dei miracoli (1959) – Man with a black eye (uncredited)
 * Gli scontenti (1961)
 * Giorno per giorno disperatamente (1961)
 * I motorizzati (1962) – Edoardo
 * La marcia su Roma of Dino Risi (1962) – Mitraglia
 * La parmigiana (1963) – Brega – policeman (uncredited)
 * Uno strano tipo (1963)
 * Le ore dell'amore (1963)
 * Il Fornaretto di Venezia (1963)
 * I mostri (episodio La nobile arte) (1963) – Rocchetti (segment "La nobile Arte")
 * Se permettete parliamo di donne (1964)
 * Due mafiosi nel Far West (1964) – Uomo con Rio
 * A Fistful of Dollars (1964, by Sergio Leone) – Chico
 * Diciottenni al sole (1964)
 * Buffalo Bill, l'eroe del far west (1964) – Big Sam Donaldson
 * I complessi (1965) – (segment "Il complesso della schiava nubiana")
 * For a Few Dollars More (1965, by Sergio Leone) – Nino (Indio's Gang)
 * Un angelo per Satana (1966) – Carlo Lionesi
 * El precio de un hombre (1966) – Miguel
 * The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966, by Sergio Leone) – Corporal Wallace
 * Omicidio per appuntamento (1967) – Mario Galante
 * No Diamonds for Ursula (1967) – Sansone
 * Da uomo a uomo by Giulio Petroni (1967) – Walcott's Henchman in Waistcoat
 * Hallelujah for Django (1967) – Andreas / Yanaro
 * A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die (1968) – Krant
 * Il suo nome gridava vendetta (1968) – Dirty
 * The Girl Who Couldn't Say No (1968) – Cripple
 * Il Grande Silenzio by Sergio Corbucci (1968) – Martin
 * A Noose for Django (1969) – Brandon's Partner
 * Death Knocks Twice (1969) – Riccardo Beni
 * La taglia è tua... l'uomo l'ammazzo io di Edoardo Mulargia (1969) – Tim
 * Il divorzio (1970) – Newsvendor
 * New York-Parigi per una condanna a morte (1970)
 * Cose di Cosa Nostra (1971) – Bellacque
 * Se t'incontro t'ammazzo (1971) – Grendel
 * Return of Sabata (1971) – Cameo (uncredited)
 * In Prison Awaiting Trial (1971) – Detenuto amico di Scalia (uncredited)
 * A Girl in Australia (1971) – Cameriere italiano a Brisbane (uncredited)
 * Decameron No. 2 - Le altre novelle del Boccaccio di Mino Guerrini (1972) – Ferondo
 * Sotto a chi Tocca! (1972) – Fregonese
 * Le mille e una notte e un’altra ancora… (1973) – Vizier
 * I racconti di Canterbury N. 2 (1973)
 * Even Angels Eat Beans (1973) – Angelo's Weapon Master (uncredited)
 * Da Scaramouche or se vuoi l'assoluzione baciar devi sto... cordone! (1973)
 * My Name Is Nobody (1973) – Pedro
 * Basta con la guerra, facciamo l'amore (1974) – Garozzi
 * Anche gli angeli tirano di destro (1974) – Barman
 * I sette del gruppo selvaggio by Gianni Crea (1975) – Tornado
 * Simone e Matteo, un gioco da ragazzi di Giuliano Carnimeo (1975) – Gang Member
 * Due cuori, una cappella (1975) – Il macellaio
 * Quant'è bella la Bernarda, tutta nera, tutta calda by Lucio Dandolo (1975) – Mirafiore (segment "Il Cavalier Mirafiore")
 * Genio, due compari, un pollo, Un (1975) – Officer at Fort
 * Il conto è chiuso (1976) – Bobo Belmondo
 * La banda del trucido (1977) – Questore Alberti
 * Il gatto (1977) – Killer
 * Agonas horis telos (1978)
 * Il giocattolo (1979) – Un rapinatore
 * Un sacco bello di Carlo Verdone (1980) – Mario
 * Bianco, rosso e Verdone by Carlo Verdone (1981) – The 'Prince'
 * Una vacanza del cactus (1981) – Zio Michele, zio di Augusto
 * Pierino la Peste alla riscossa (1982) – Giulio, padre di Pierino
 * Borotalco by Carlo Verdone (1982) – Augusto
 * Pè sempe (1982) – Don Enrico
 * Occhio, malocchio, prezzemolo e finocchio (episodio Il mago) (1983) – Alberigo
 * Vacanze di Natale (1983) – Arturo Marchetti
 * Amarsi un po' (1984) – Augusto Coccia
 * Sogni e bisogni (1984) – Er Policlinico
 * Once Upon a Time in America by Sergio Leone (1984) – Mandy
 * Troppo forte di Carlo Verdone (1986) – Sergio
 * Asilo di polizia (1986) – Don Lombardi
 * Montecarlo Gran Casinò (1987) – Luciano
 * Crack (1991) – (final film role)