Victor Spinetti was born Vittorio Giorgio Andre Spinetti on the 2nd of September, 1929 in the coal-mining village of Cwm, in the historic county of Monmouth, to Welsh parents, and of Italian descent.
Victor
was educated in Monmouth School and the Royal Welsh College of Music
& Drama. His acting career spanned from the late 1950s to early
2000s, during which he appeared in 30 films, including the first three
Beatles’ films, ‘A Hard Day’s Night,’ ‘Help!’ and ‘A Magical Mystery
Tour, as well as ‘The Krays,’ ‘Return of the Pink Panther’ and ‘Under
Milk Wood.’
His acting on theatre won him a Tony for his role
in ‘Oh! What a Lovely War’ and he also directed theatre productions
such as ‘The Biography Girl,’ ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ and ‘Hair.’
Victor was also an author and a poet, having written a memoir, poetry and prose in various publications.
In
college, Victor met Graham Curnow, an actor from Pontypridd who
appeared in ‘Horrors of the Black Museum,’ who also was gay. They were
partner for 44 years, until Graham’s death in 1997. In 2006, Victor said of Graham,
who he’d lived with in Brighton, “He was home to me.”
Victor went on: "We were together for 44 years, but we never showed any emotion when we were in public - it wasn’t the done thing and we would have been classed as criminals for loving each other.
"Even when he was ill and I was watching him dying, I wanted to reach out and touch his hand. But I think he would have pulled it away. You had to be careful about expressing this love, the love that ‘dare not speak its name’.
"And that is why, today, my heart sings for young men holding hands.
He was my life’s companion.”
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