Lino Banfi

"I entered the seminary at the age of eleven, in 1947 after the war, because they saw at home that I wanted to study. At that time, in peasant families, when a son wanted to study, his parents would say that this boy must become a priest or a solicitor. At the seminary, we performed sacred plays, and since I played dramatic roles, the rector got angry because people laughed when I said my lines. So I realised that my vocation was not to be a priest, but to make people laugh."

"Tenacity, tenacity to the max, especially in these times of crisis. Put on blinders like I did and say, “What the heck”: I'll suffer, I'll do a lot of things, but one day I'll get to do what I want. And if you want it, you'll do it."

"(About Lilli Carati) We called her the “velvet doll” because she was petite, not very tall and very beautiful. She had a well-proportioned body and was very sensual. [...] When we acted together, she was very young, while I was in my thirties or forties. She wasn't just beautiful, she was one of the few talented actresses of the time. Many of the girls who played those roles were foreigners, they were talented, but they had to struggle with the language. Each had a different kind of sensuality. She spoke well, she was very smart. I think she was also cultured, because she expressed herself correctly and demonstrated a certain level of education."