Mario Brega

Mario Brega (25 March 1923 – 23 July 1994) was a prominent Italian character actor renowned for his heavy build, which often found him roles as a thug, particularly in his early career in westerns. This fact is underscored by his height which stood at 6 feet 4 inches and a weight well over 250 pounds at his peak. However, after the 1960s, he slimmed down significantly, which shifted his career trajectory significantly. Brega was not always an actor; on the contrary, he started as a butcher in his native Rome, before he drifted into acting with his heavy physique making him stand out in character roles. His debut with director Dino Risi marked the beginning of an illustrious acting career. He then played minor roles in Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Western movies such as A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. He also partook in Spaghetti Westerns like Death Rides a Horse, The Great Silence, and My Name is Nobody. Towards the end of his career, he worked with director Carlo Verdone in comedies such as Un sacco bello and Talcum Powder.