Duilio Pizzocchi – The Comedian Who Gave a Voice to Everyday Italy
Some artists are born in the spotlight. Others emerge from the stage of a local bar, a town festival, or a crackling radio mic. Duilio Pizzocchi, born Maurizio Pagliari, belongs to the second kind: the kind who wins audiences over one laugh at a time.
📍 Humor Close to Home
Born in Bologna in 1957, Pizzocchi represents the very heart of Emilian humor: blunt, down-to-earth, and never dull. His characters — the clumsy painter Duilio, the bizarre fortune teller Zobeide, the sarcastic Granny Novella — are affectionate exaggerations of everyday Italians.
🧓 Wisdom from Grannies and Truckers
A classic Duilio sketch might start with, “You know what my aunt told me yesterday?” In those everyday situations lies his brilliance. His characters aren’t just gag machines — they are funhouse mirrors of reality. Who hasn’t met a Granny Novella at the doctor's office? Or a talkative trucker like Ermete Bottazzi?
🎙️ From Cabaret to Radio and Theater
Duilio’s career goes beyond television. He’s toured endlessly through theaters, fairs, and village halls. He’s a stage animal, a radio natural (Il Manicomico, Radio Italia Anni 60), and a regular in the Italian comedy scene.
He’s performed on Zelig, The Maurizio Costanzo Show, and created one of Italy’s most loved stage formats: the Costipanzo Show, a hilarious parody of pretentious talk shows with small-town sarcasm.
🎬 Not Just a Comedian
Over the years, Pizzocchi has also acted in films like Baciato dalla fortuna, Rapito, and Acqua e anice, showing a deeper, sometimes bittersweet side.
In 2020, he released the book Fuori scena, a mix of jokes and personal reflections — part diary, part comedy handbook.
🙌 The Legacy of a True Artist
In an era of fast digital comedy, Duilio remains a pillar of authentic humor. His laughter is never forced — it springs from the connection with his audience, from a language shared by those who’ve been on the road for decades.
He’s a comedian who doesn’t chase trends — he shaped his own, grounded in the quirks of provincial Italy.