Antonio Cantafora (2 February 1944 – 20 April 2024), also known professionally as Michael Coby, was an Italian film and television actor.

Life and career

Born in Crotone, Cantafora studied acting with Alessandro Fersen, then he made his film debut in 1967. Thanks to a vague resemblance to the actor Terence Hill, in the seventies he starred with Paul L. Smith in a brief series of successful action-comedy films that reprise the Bud Spencer-Terence Hill style. Later Cantafora continued his career mainly as character actor, working with prominent directors such as Federico Fellini, Jerzy Skolimowski, Bruno Barreto, Alberto Lattuada, Mauro Bolognini. Cantafora died of a heart attack in Rome on 20 April 2024, at the age of 80.

Partial filmography

• The Dirty Outlaws (1967) - (uncredited)
• Lo stato d'assedio (1969) - Umberto
• Ombre roventi (1970)
• And God Said to Cain (1970) - Dick Acombar
• Shoot Joe, and Shoot Again (1971) - Jack's Man
• Black Killer (1971) - Ramon O'Hara
• Baron Blood (1972) - Peter Kleist
• Decameron proibitissimo (Boccaccio mio statte zitto) (1972) - Fra' Domenico
• Novelle galeotte d'amore (1972)
• Bounty Hunter in Trinity (1972) - Pizarro
• Metti lo diavolo tuo ne lo mio inferno (1973) - Ricciardetto
• L'affaire Crazy Capo (1973) - Antonio Marchesi
• Supermen Against the Orient (1973) - Max
• ...e continuavano a mettere lo diavolo ne lo inferno (1973) - Ricciardo
• Carambola! (1974) - Toby
• La badessa di Castro (1974) - Giulio Branciforti
• Carambola's Philosophy: In the Right Pocket (1975) - Coby
• Convoy Buddies (1975) - Toby
• We Are No Angels (1975) - Angel
• The Diamond Peddlers (1976) - Matteo / Butch
• La casa (1976) - Philip
• Carioca tigre (1976) - Carlo Parodi
• Sahara Cross (1977)
• Enfantasme (1978) - Flavio, le hippy
• Midnight Blue (1979) - Pier Luigi
• Supersonic Man (1979) - Paul
• The Bitch (1979) - Nico Cantafora
• The Cricket (1980) - Alberto 'Cipria' Antonelli
• Gabriela (1983) - Tonico Bastos
• Scream for Help (1984) - Man At Motel
• Demons 2 (1986) - Ingrid's Father
• Puro cashmere (1986) - Jody
• Intervista (1987) - Spouse
• Il coraggio di parlare (1987) - Caporale
• Der Commander (1988) - Nick De Carlo
• Donna d'ombra (1988) - Vincenzo
• Torrents of Spring (1989) - Richter
• Vacanze di Natale '90 (1990) - Pippo
• Il ritorno del grande amico (1990)
• In camera mia (1992) - Mannari
• Giovanni Falcone (1993) - Totuccio Inzerillo
• Power and Lovers (1994) - Toto
• A spasso nel tempo (1996) - Casanova
• Marquise (1997)
• Il decisionista (1997)
• Hammamet Village (1997)
• Buck and the Magic Bracelet (1998) - Sergeant O'Connor
• The Card Player (2004) - Vice Squad Chief Marini
• I Viceré (2007)
• Uno di famiglia (2018) - Cicciuzzo