Jackie Basehart

John Anthony Carmine Michael "Jackie" Basehart (11 October 1951 – 16 May 2015) was an American-Italian actor.

Life and career

Born in Santa Monica, California, Basehart was the son of actor Richard Basehart and actress Valentina Cortese,^[1][2] who had met while making a film together.

For a few years, between the mid-1970s and the early 1980s, he was among the most requested young actors in Italian cinema, appearing in all sorts of films, even though mainly in supporting roles. At that time he was hailed for "genius and recklessness" because of his excesses, which had ample space in the Italian gossip columns.^[2]

Last years and death

Struck by a rare disease, which progressively involved difficulty in swallowing, obesity, several hospitalizations and operations, and gradual paralysis, he died at his home in Milan on 16 May 2015, at age 63, predeceasing his mother.^[3]

Selected filmography

• The Black Corsair (1976)
• Mimì Bluette... fiore del mio giardino (1977)
• The Inglorious Bastards (1978)
• Odd Squad (1981)
• Viuuulentemente mia (1982)
• Sesso e volentieri (1982)
• Festival (1996)
• The Return of Sandokan (1996)
• Tea with Mussolini (1999)

References

1. Januaria Piromallo (20 May 2015). "Jackie Basehart, addio al figlio di Valentina Cortese. Il dolore muto di una madre". Il Fatto Quotidiano. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
2. Enrico Lancia, Fabio Melelli. Attori stranieri del nostro cinema. Gremese Editore, 2006. ISBN 978-8-88440-425-1.
3. "Addio a Jackie Basehart attore figlio d’arte". Corriere della Sera. 19 May 2015. p. 17.

External links

• Jackie Basehart at the Internet Movie Database