Giancarlo Previati

Character actor Giancarlo Previati spent years doing stage work in Europe before making his film debut at the age of 36, playing a policeman in the Venice-set thriller "The Comfort of Strangers." Directed by Paul Schrader from Harold Pinter's adaptation of Ian McEwan's acclaimed novel and starring Christopher Walken and Natasha Richardson, it was an impressively high-profile debut for Previati. And yet the actor returned to the world of live theater for over a decade following that single film performance, with only a pair of guest appearances on television to his credit for the rest of the 1990s, on the drama series "Donna" and the situation comedy "Linda e il brigadiere." Previati returned to film with a supporting role in the comedy "Ravanello pallido" in 2001; the following year, he appeared in the thriller "Gioco con la morte." Also in 2001, he began his television career in earnest with a supporting role in the soap opera "Cento vetrine," set in a Turin shopping mall. He followed that with another recurring role in the period romantic drama "Orgoglio." While continuing his television career with guest spots on series and roles in TV movies, Previati maintained a parallel career in film, appearing in films as varied as the comedy "La piccola A" and the big budget, Venice-set international thriller "The Tourist."