Background
He was born in Lecco, Lombardy into a humble family.
He was born in Lecco, Lombardy into a humble family.
He appeared as Guy Foucher in the French-language musical film The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) and as Doctorate"Agostino in the romantic-drama The English Patient (1996). After being a house painter, a mechanic and a workman, at a young age Castelnuovo moved to Milan where he started working as a sales agent and at the same time he enrolled the acting school of the Piccolo Teatro in Milan. In 1957, still very young, he debuted as a mime in the Radiotelevisione Italiana children"s television show Zurli il mago del giovedì.
When the American television show, Disneyland, traveled to Italy in 1962, he appeared alongside Annette Funicello in two episodes of the mini-movie, Escapade in Florence, singing, playing the guitar, and adding the Italian verses to the jovial tarantella "Dream Boy".
Castelnuovo"s international breakthrough role arrived with The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), directed by Jacques Demy and an entirely sung-through film, in which he played opposite Catherine Deneuve. After some box-office failures – Un mondo nuovo (1966), directed by Vittorio De Sica.
And his American film debut in the Western The Reward, directed by Serge Bourguignon – he gained fame as an actor in Italy, thanks to the role of Renzo in the Radiotelevisione Italiana television mini-series I promessi sposi (1967). He also starred alongside an international cast of Peter Graves, James Daly, and Bud Spencer in The Five Manitoba Army (1969), directed by Don Taylor, as a Mexican revolutionary.
And as Armand in Camille 2000 (1969), directed by Radley Metzger.
Since then, Castelnuovo has been featured primarily on television serials around Europe, where he has portrayed numerous parts. He appeared as the athletically-sound spokesman for the corn-oil company Cuore (Italian for "Heart") from 1977 to 1982. He has continued to be active on the Italian theatre stage as well.
In 2002, he starred in a production of the 1931 comedy play The Front Page (Italian title, Prima Pagina), written by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur.