Poretti Giacomo

Born in 1956 in Milan, Giacomo Poretti began working in a factory in 1970. In 1976, he became actively involved in politics by joining Democrazia Proletaria. He found employment as a nurse, a profession that kept him busy for years but also allowed him to pursue his greatest passion: acting. In 1983, he graduated from the Teatro di Busto Arsizio school, debuting on stage in Alessandro Manzoni’s Il conte di Carmagnola as Francesco Sforza, followed by the role of Officer Sarelli in Luigi Pirandello’s Questa sera….

While serving as head nurse in the Neurology department of the Legnano hospital, in 1984 he formed the comedy duo Hansel e Strudel with actress Marina Massironi. In 1985, he moved to Sardinia to work as a village manager at Palmasera Villaggio in Cala Gonone, where he met Aldo Baglio and Giovanni Storti (then performing as the duo I Suggestionabili) and appeared in three episodes of Vittorio De Sisti’s TV series Professione vacanze (1986).

Becoming close friends with Giovanni Storti, Giacomo offered him the direction of the theater show Non parole, ma oggetti contundenti (1989). Giovanni convinced him to debut as a trio with Aldo Baglio under the name Galline Vecchie Fan Buon Brothers. After performances at Cafè Teatro in Verghera di Somarate, they expanded to larger theaters and simplified their name to Aldo, Giovanni & Giacomo, adding Marina Massironi to the group for shows such as Lampi d’estate, Ritorno al Gerundio, Aria di tempesta, I corti, and Il circo di Paolo Rossi.

They transitioned to television with sketches in Il TG delle Vacanze (hosted by Zuzzurro and Gaspare), Su la testa! (Paolo Rossi), and Cielito Lindo (Claudio Bisio), before gaining national fame through Mai dire Gol (1995–1997). Giacomo became known for iconic characters such as the vulture, Tafazzi, Mr. John Flanagan, the child Gigi, the Swiss Gervasoni, and the puppet Vomitino.

In 1997, after a successful TV career, they moved into cinema with the hit comedy Tre uomini e una gamba, which they wrote and directed, starring as three clerks on a road trip. Giacomo was nominated for Best New Director at the David di Donatello awards and won a Special Nastro d’Argento. They continued producing comedies while returning to theater with Tel chi el telùn (1999), later broadcast on Canale 5. In 2003, they collaborated again with Gialappa’s Band on Mai dire Domenica, followed by films like Il cosmo sul comò (2008, Marcello Cesena) and La banda dei babbi Natale (2010, Paolo Genovese). Giacomo’s comedic style is precise, witty, never vulgar, and perfectly timed.

Since 2009, he has written for the Jesuit magazine Popoli, and since 2011, he has contributed a weekly Sunday column to the newspaper La Stampa.