Skip to content
MovieCove
Paolo Bonacelli

Paolo Bonacelli

Actor · Died October 8, 2025, aged 88 · Rome, Italy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Paolo Bonacelli (February 28, 1939 - October 8 2025) was an Italian actor. He is best known for his performance as The Duke de Blangis in Pasolini's notorious Salò (1975). He can also be seen in Midnight Express (1978) and Caligula (1979), in which he plays the role of Cassius Chaerea. He also co-starred with Roberto Benigni in the films Johnny Stecchino and Night on Earth, both from 1991. Description above from the Wikipedia article Paolo Bonacelli, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 28, 1937
Died
October 8, 2025 (aged 88)
From
Rome, Italy
Works as
Actor
Titles
24 on MovieCove · 90 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 27% in 30 days

What are Paolo Bonacelli's films like?

Across their 22 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Power and Morality.

Genres

Comedy6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 87th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Biography4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 73rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Crime4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 41st percentile
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Power
30%
Morality
23%
Bonds
14%
Society
11%
Survival
8%
Ideas
8%
Self
7%
Corruption4 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass5 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 22 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 5 · Serious 4 · Dark 13

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 7 · Stylized 13 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 4 · Charged 8 · Intense 10

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 9 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 4

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 15 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 6

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 10 · Even-paced 11 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 8 · Engaged 10 · Full focus 4

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 5 · Affecting 7 · Heavy 10

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 15 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 3

Roles they play

7 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 4 of 7 analyzed roles.

Shadow
4 of 7
Mentor
2 of 7
Threshold guardian
1 of 7
Show the 7 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
14
Melancholic
9
Dread
6
Warm
6
Joyful
4
Other
17

How their films linger

Thought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 5 with a twist

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic5
  • Ambiguous3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Paolo Bonacelli's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 7 of their 24 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (3).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Paolo Bonacelli's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

90 credits, 24 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • In the Hand of Dante(2025)

    as Priest Of Alcamo

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Nato il sei ottobre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Actor

  • Comandante(2023)

    as Betti

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Noi ce la siamo cavata (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    as Sé stesso

  • Divine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Actor

  • To the Unknown God (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Actor

  • Forse è solo mal di mare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    as Calogero (Voice)

  • Magical Nights(2018)

    as Ennio 'The Great'

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Ploy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    as Vescovo

  • Furore il vento della speranza (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Show 8 episodes · as Niccolò Carbone

  • The American(2010)

    as Father Benedetto

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Mission: Impossible III(2006)

    as Monsignore

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • 13 at a Table (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Nonno Giulio

  • A.A.A. Achille (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Dott. Aglieri

  • The Accidental Detective (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Direttore Della Galleria Palatina

  • Gli astronomi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Peters

  • Dirty Linen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Amedeo

  • Alice on the Run (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 3 episodes · as Luigi Mancini

  • Bakunin's Son (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Giudice

  • The Stendhal Syndrome(1996)

    as Dr. Cavanna

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Christmas Vacation '95 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Paolo "Paolone"

  • Once a Year, Every Year (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Romano

  • The Teddy Bear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Novacek

  • Charlemagne, le prince à cheval (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 3 episodes · as Vitale

  • Abraham (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Melchisedek

  • Abraham (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 2 episodes · as Melchisedek

  • Flusso di coscienza - Razzismo 1993 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Actor

  • Mille bolle blu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Mario

  • Ciao, Professore!(1992)

    as Ludovico Mazzullo

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Il segno del comando (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Bonsanti

  • Night on Earth(1991)

    as Priest

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Johnny Stecchino(1991)

    as D'Agata

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Touch and Die (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Morelli

  • Only One Survived (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Andrade

  • Flight from Paradise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Eliah

  • I promessi sposi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 5 episodes · as padre di Gertrude

  • La moglie ingenua e il marito malato (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Carl Rune

  • Francesco(1989)

    as Francesco's Father

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • A Double Victory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Guido Sormani

  • Lenin: The Train(1988)

    as Zinoviev

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Lenin... The Train (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 2 episodes · as Grigori Jewsejewitsch Zinoviev

  • Topo Galileo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Professor Zitti

  • Rimini Rimini(1987)

    as l'ingegnere

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Love Sins (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Ercole Leoni

  • L'ultima mazurka (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Lanza

  • Camorra (A Story of Streets, Women and Crime)(1985)

    as Tango

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Mother Ebe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Don Paolo Monti

  • Nothing Left to Do but Cry(1984)

    as Leonardo da Vinci

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Naked Sun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Actor

  • Henry IV (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Belcredi

  • The Commissioner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Commissionario

  • The Knight, Death and the Devil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Nicholas

  • Words and Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Marcucci

  • I Remember Nelson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 4 episodes · as King Ferdinando

  • Delitti, amore e gelosia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Commissario Dell'Amore

  • The Mystery of Oberwald (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Count of Foehn

  • Calderon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Actor

  • The Persian Lamb Coat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Ferdinando

  • Le Guignolo(1980)

    as Kamal

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Good News (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Gualtiero Milano

  • Caligula(1979)

    as Chaerea

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Christ Stopped at Eboli(1979)

    as Don Luigi Magalone

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Midnight Express(1978)

    as Rifki

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Madame Bovary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 6 episodes · as Charles Bovary

  • Nest of Vipers(1978)

    as Paolo Mazzarini

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • This Is the Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Actor

  • Origins of the Mafia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 1 episode · as Vincenzo Biscetta

  • Evil Thoughts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Antonio Marani

  • The Inheritance(1976)

    as Paolo Furlin

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • La banca di Monate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Dottor Defendente Massera

  • Illustrious Corpses(1976)

    as Dr. Maxia

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom(1975)

    as The Duke

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Beyond Fear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Francesco Grimaldi

  • Gli strumenti del potere. 1925/1926 la dittatura fascista (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Actor

  • Year One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Giorgio Amendola

  • The Murri Affair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Francesco Bonmartini

  • Milarepa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Prof. Bennet

  • Giordano Bruno(1973)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Io e lui (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Vladimiro

  • Il cancelliere Krehler (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Max

  • Maddalena (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Actor

  • A Prostitute Serving the Public and in Compliance with the Laws of the State (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Actor

  • Tears of Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Cormick

  • Seven Times Seven(1969)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Devil in Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    as Inn's customer

  • Pleasant Nights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    as Messenger

  • SuperSeven Calling Cairo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Capitano Hume

  • One Million Dollars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Zenone

  • I grandi camaleonti (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 13 episodes · as Babeuf

  • Corpse for the Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Gedeon

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 90 titles from 1964 to 2026; peak year 1992.

Biggest box office

The American (2010)

$68M worldwide

Highest rated

Christ Stopped at Eboli (1979)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

In the Hand of Dante (2025)

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19642026

Peak 1992 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 1 MovieCove title. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1973Screen debut· Giordano Bruno
  • 1976First top-billed film· Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom
  • 1976Breakout· Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting90 of 90: 90 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score68th

By decade

1960s7 · acting1970s24 · acting1980s24 · acting1990s19 · acting2000s5 · acting2010s6 · acting2020s5 · acting

Billing

usually 7th · top billed in 4% of 24 roles
738393

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Paolo Bonacelli's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 68th percentile, the median of all 24; across their 22 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 58th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 22

Approval · how many liked their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 22

Reach · how many have seen their films

78thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 22

Midcredits score across 24 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 24 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser11
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · actor

In the Hand of Dante (2025)

80th percentile spread · 44% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Christ Stopped at Eboli (1979)

Midcredits 97th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the acting 77/100 in their films, across 17 reviewed titles; fans 84, detractors 42. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Paolo Bonacelli's work okay for kids?

Across up to 8 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity, alcohol & drugs and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore6 titles37–88 · median 86 · severeheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity8 titles46–86 · median 61 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles37–83 · median 81 · severeheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs6 titles37–67 · median 47 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense5 titles30–90 · median 80 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Paolo Bonacelli work with?

People who share at least 2 of Paolo Bonacelli's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Nino Baragli shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers