Antonio Rosato (December 26, 1954 â€" January 10, 2017) was an
Italian-Canadian actor and comedian, who appeared in television and
films. He was best known as a cast member on both SCTV and Saturday
Night Live, and for voicing Luigi in The Adventures of Super Mario
Bros. 3 and Super Mario World.Rosato was born in Naples, Italy, and
came to Canada at age 4. He was raised in Halifax, Ottawa, and
Toronto. He graduated from Oakwood Collegiate Institute. He planned to
study chiropractic medicine, but dropped out of the University of
Toronto after he began doing improv comedy at The Second City.Rosato
first gained attention when he and Robin Duke joined the cast of the
first incarnation of SCTV in its final season during the fall of 1980.
His most well-known character on the program was the notoriously drunk
TV chef Marcello Sebastiani. Rosato then moved with Duke to the cast
of Saturday Night Live for the 1981â€"82 season. Following Jean
Doumanian's tenure during the sixth season and Dick Ebersol trying to
retool the show (and relying on Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo to spice
up the sketches), Rosato only appeared on the show for one year before
leaving due to differences with Ebersol and an expired contract.Rosato
is one of three SCTV cast members (along with Duke and Martin Short)
to appear on Saturday Night Live. Celebrities impersonated by Rosato
on SCTV include: Lou Costello (whom he also impersonated when he was a
cast member on Saturday Night Live), William Conrad, Danny Thomas,
Woodstock co-organizer Chip Monck, SNL cast member John Belushi, Tony
Orlando and Ella Fitzgerald. His characters on SNL, despite his short
tenure, were memorable as well, and included Ed Asner (in character as
Lou Grant), Captain Kangaroo, and U.S. Attorney General Ed Meese.
Italian-Canadian actor and comedian, who appeared in television and
films. He was best known as a cast member on both SCTV and Saturday
Night Live, and for voicing Luigi in The Adventures of Super Mario
Bros. 3 and Super Mario World.Rosato was born in Naples, Italy, and
came to Canada at age 4. He was raised in Halifax, Ottawa, and
Toronto. He graduated from Oakwood Collegiate Institute. He planned to
study chiropractic medicine, but dropped out of the University of
Toronto after he began doing improv comedy at The Second City.Rosato
first gained attention when he and Robin Duke joined the cast of the
first incarnation of SCTV in its final season during the fall of 1980.
His most well-known character on the program was the notoriously drunk
TV chef Marcello Sebastiani. Rosato then moved with Duke to the cast
of Saturday Night Live for the 1981â€"82 season. Following Jean
Doumanian's tenure during the sixth season and Dick Ebersol trying to
retool the show (and relying on Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo to spice
up the sketches), Rosato only appeared on the show for one year before
leaving due to differences with Ebersol and an expired contract.Rosato
is one of three SCTV cast members (along with Duke and Martin Short)
to appear on Saturday Night Live. Celebrities impersonated by Rosato
on SCTV include: Lou Costello (whom he also impersonated when he was a
cast member on Saturday Night Live), William Conrad, Danny Thomas,
Woodstock co-organizer Chip Monck, SNL cast member John Belushi, Tony
Orlando and Ella Fitzgerald. His characters on SNL, despite his short
tenure, were memorable as well, and included Ed Asner (in character as
Lou Grant), Captain Kangaroo, and U.S. Attorney General Ed Meese.
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