Mario Brega

Who was Mario Brega?

Mario Brega was an Italian actor. His heavy build meant that he regularly portrayed a thug in his films particularly earlier in his career in westerns. Later in his career however, he featured in numerous Italian comedy films. Brega stood at 6 feet 4 inches and well over 250 pounds at his heaviest but after the 1960s slimmed down significantly.

Brega was born in Rome. He was a butcher before he drifted into acting, where his heavy physique ensured him a plethora of character roles. Debuting with director Dino Risi, he then played some minor roles in Sergio Leone's spaghetti western movies: A Fistful of Dollars, as Chico; For a Few Dollars More, as Niño; The Good, the Bad and the Ugly as Corporal Wallace; and also as a gangster in Once Upon a Time in America. He appeared in many other spaghetti Westerns, including Death Rides a Horse, The Great Silence, and My Name is Nobody. He was also featured in many Federico Fellini films, and later in his career had comical roles with director Carlo Verdone.