Introduction
Benito Stefanelli (September 2, 1928 – December 1999) was an Italian film actor, stuntman and weapons master who made over 60 appearances in film between 1955 and 1991.
Stefanelli is best known in world cinema for his roles as henchmen in several of Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Western films, portraying gang members in the trilogy of films A Fistful of Dollars (1964), For a Few Dollars More, (1965) and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966).
In his career, Stefanelli appeared in countless other western films and he worked simultaneously as a stunt coordinator (particularly during the 1960s and early 1970s) on the films that he performed in including those of Sergio Leone. A fluent English speaker, he also reportedly served as Clint Eastwood's interpreter on the set of A Fistful of Dollars.
Selected filmography
- The Avenger (1962)
- Castle of Blood (1964)
- A Fistful of Dollars (1964)
- For a Few Dollars More (1965)
- Blood for a Silver Dollar (1965)
- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) - Member of Angel Eyes' Gang
- Wanted (1967)
- Day of Anger (1967)
- Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
- Trinity Is Still My Name (1971)
- A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die (1972) - Samuel Pickett un ex condannato
- My Name Is Nobody (1973)
- White Fang to the Rescue (1974)
- A Genius, Two Partners and a Dupe (1975)
- The Pumaman (1980) - Rankin, Kobras' Lieutenant
- Cobra Verde (1987)