Actor. The son of renowned theatre critic Antonio Cervi, he was one of the most popular actors in Italy, first on stage (for example, as Falstaff and Cyrano de Bergerac), then on screen and finally on television. Making his stage debut in 1924, he entered films in 1932. Robust and commanding, Cervi was for more than 30 years an important figure of the italian and international film industy, playing a great number of leads and character roles in a variety of genres. Extremly popular he was in the role of Giuseppe Bottazzi, called Peppone, the communist mayor of a small village in “Le petit monde de Don Camillo” (1952) and its four sequels. From 1964 till the early 70`s he played Inspector Maigret in a series of TV – movies based on the novels of Georges Simenon. Among his other roles are “Frontiere” (1934), “Fabiola” (1949), “O.K. Nerone” (1951), “Stazione Termini” (1953), “The Naked Maja” (1958), “Herrin der Welt” (1959), “Becket” (1964) and “Fratello ladro” (1972). The father of film producer and director Tonino Cervi (1929-2002), he died of a pulmonary stroke. (bio by: Fritz Tauber)