Ugo Fantozzi

Ugo Fantozzi (pronounced [ˈuːɡo fanˈtɔttsi]) is a fictional character, appearing in Italian literature and film, created by Paolo Villaggio. The character, initially part of Villaggio's television monologues, later became the protagonist of a series of short stories published at first in newspapers, later in collections, which in turn inspired a successful film series starring Villaggio himself as the main character.

Of the many films telling of Fantozzi's misadventures, the most notable and famous were Fantozzi (1975) and Il secondo tragico Fantozzi (1976), both directed by Luciano Salce, but many others were produced. The other films were Fantozzi contro tutti (1980) directed by Neri Parenti, Fantozzi subisce ancora (1983) by Neri Parenti, Superfantozzi (1986) by Neri Parenti, Fantozzi va in pensione (1988) by Neri Parenti, Fantozzi alla riscossa (1990) by Neri Parenti, Fantozzi in paradiso (1993) by Neri Parenti, Fantozzi – Il ritorno (1996) by Neri Parenti and Fantozzi 2000 – La clonazione (1999) by Domenico Saverni.

Although Villaggio's movies tend to bridge comedy with a more elevated social satire, this character had a great impact on Italian society, to such a degree that the adjective fantozziano entered the lexicon. Ugo Fantozzi represents the archetype of the average Italian of the 1970s, middle-class with a simple lifestyle with the anxieties common to an entire class of workers, being re-evaluated by critics. For the 40 years since the character's debut in the cinema, in 2015, the first two films were restored and re-proposed in theaters.