Dario Fo

Playwright, Actor, Director, Composer

Italian Leggiuno, Kingdom of Italy

Quick Info

ProfessionPlaywright, Actor, Director, Composer
NationalityItalian
Date of Birth24/03/1926
Age90 years (died on 13, Oct, 2016)
BirthplaceLeggiuno, Kingdom of Italy
Date of Death13/10/2016

Latest News about Dario Fo

24/03/2026

Dario Fo was celebrated on what would have been his 100th birthday. His plays, such as 'Accidental Death of an Anarchist' and 'Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay!', are still recognized for their ability to blend comedy with serious political and social commentary, continuing to resonate with audiences globally.

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Bio/Wiki

Full nameDario Luigi Angelo Fo
Known forHis solo performance in 1973 Comic Mystery 'Mistero Buffo,' which was based on medieval mystery plays

Physical Stats & More

Height5' 10" (178 cm)
Eye ColorBlue
Hair ColorGrey

Educational Qualification(s)

College/University
  • Academy of Brera, Milan, Italy
  • Polytechnic University, Milan, Italy
Educational QualificationA degree in Architectural Studies at the Polytechnic University, Milan, Italy

Personal Life

ReligionAtheist
Hobbies
  • Painting
  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Listening to music

Relationships & More

Marital StatusWidower
Marriage Date24/06/1954
Marriage PlaceSaint Ambrose Basilica, Milan

Family

FatherFelice Fo (socialist, station master, actor in an amateur theatre company)
MotherPina Rota Fo (writer)
Siblings
BrotherFulvio Fo (a theatre administrator)
SisterBianca Fo Garambois (a writer)
SpouseFranca Rame (Italian theater actress, playwright)
Children
SonJacopo Fo (Italian writer, actor, director)

Career

Debut
FilmPapaveri e papere, a film by Marcello Marchesi (1952)
PlayPoer Nano (1951-52)
Awards
  • Sonning Prize from Copenhagen University (1981)
  • Premio Eduardo Award (1985)
  • Obie Award in New York (1986)
  • Agro Dolce Prize (1987)
  • Nobel Prize in Literature (1997)
GenreDrama
Subjects
  • Abortion
  • Assassinations
  • Conspicuous Consumption
  • Corruption
  • Drug Addiction
  • European History
  • Mechanisation
  • Organised Crime
  • Power
  • Racism
  • Roman Catholic Theology
  • Sexism
  • War
Notable works
  • The Virtuous Burglar
  • Archangels Don't Play Pinball
  • Mistero Buffo
  • Accidental Death of an Anarchist
  • Can't Pay? Won't Pay!
  • Trumpets and Raspberries
  • Elizabeth: Almost by Chance a Woman
  • The Pope and the Witch

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Dario Fo was the eldest of three siblings.
2. His mother, Pina Rota Fo, wrote about her life in a book titled ‘Land of Frogs.'
3. He moved frequently across the Swiss border during childhood due to his father's job in the railway authorities.
4. In childhood, he learned stories from his maternal grandfather, fishermen, and glassblowers in Lombardy.
5. Dario Fo lived in Porto Valtravaglia during his early years, known for having the highest number of insane people.
6. He relocated to Milan in 1940 to study at the Brera Academy but left during World War II.
7. During the war, he joined Mussolini's Fascist Army to aid his father in smuggling allied soldiers, refugees, and Jewish scientists in disguise.
8. Afterward, he escaped, roamed before joining the Resistance movement.
9. Following World War II, Dario Fo returned to Milan for architecture studies at the Brera Academy, then explored painting and acting in small theatres.
10. While studying architecture, he shared imaginative stories with friends, reminiscent of his childhood by the lakeside.
11. He abandoned his thesis on Roman Architecture post-World War II.
12. In 1950, he began collaborating with Franco Parenti and radio actors for a comedy show.
13. Working in films taught Dario Fo about storytelling, which he applied in his theatre plays.
Information on this page is collected from public sources and may not be 100% accurate. Report an error
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