Bepp Grillo's Biography,

text from Internazionale.it

Beppe Grillo, Italy's most popular comedian, was born in Genoa in 1948. He discovered his talent in the nightclubs of his city but found true success in Milan when he went for an audition with the Italian Television RAI (in front of Pippo Baudo) and improvised a monologue. This led to his first participations in television programmes ("Secondo Voi" 1977-78 and "Luna Park" 1979), becoming famous for his satirical monologues and for departing from what were the "professional" norms of television at the time with his off-the-cuff speeches.

In 1979, he participated in the first series of a successful programme which was to be repeated in the following years: "Fantastico". Then "Te la do' io l'America" (1981) and "Te lo do' io il Brasile" (1984) directed by Enzo Trapani, where Grillo took the cameras outside the television studios: a sort of traveller's diary by an Italian who caught the ironical side of the most amusing habits and customs of the USA and Brazil.

Later, he appeared in some of the most popular national programmes (Fantastico, Domenica In, Festival of Sanremo), concentrating his performances into a few minutes and reaching very high popularity ratings; his last monologue at the Festival of Sanremo was seen by an audience of 22 million. His performances became more and more biting and caustic, and his satire went from facing moral questions to more controversial social and political issues, sending shivers down the spines of various television directors who, despite the "risk", continued to invite him to their programmes.

In 1986, he made some television adverts for a famous brand of yoghourt, overturning the classic precepts of advertising and winning the most prestigious prizes in the sector (Golden Lion at Cannes, A.N.I.P.A. prize, Art Director's Club, Spot Italia Pubblicita' e successo, Telegatto).

In addition to his television commitments and numerous live shows, where his great talent as a communicator is most evident, he also started dedicating himself to the cinema, making the following successful films: "Cercasi Gesù" (1982) directed by Luigi Comencini (winning the David di Donatello), "Scemo di Guerra" (1985) directed by Dino Risi (taking part in the Festival of Cannes) and "Topo Galileo" (1988) directed by Laudadio (representing Italy at the Festival of Rio de Janeiro) with script and subject-matter written together with the writer Stefano Benni.

After winning six Telegatti (the most important TV awards in Italy) in 1990 Beppe Grillo "escaped" from television and sought a way out in the theatre, leaving variety, television news and quizzes, auctions and debates behind him. The show he brought to the stage was called "Buone Notizie", a true theatrical event both from the point of view of the critics and for the number of spectators.

In November 1991, three years after Beppe Grillo's last appearance in television, Abacus published an opinion poll on the popularity of show business personalities: Grillo was voted by far the most popular comedian despite his absence from national and private television channels.

In 1992, he went back on stage with a Recital which showed that a new evolution was underway: the targets of his satire had changed. No longer politics but consumer economy was now under fire, together with commercial propaganda and irresponsible behaviour towards people, health and the environment. A new type of satire was born: the ecological-economical satire.

In 1994, Beppe Grillo returned to television with two recitals from the Vittorie Theatre. The main theme of these recitals was a criticism of the economy, commercial propaganda and speculation on the 144 telephone number. It broke all records for audience of a variety programme, in fact the two shows were seen by an audience of 15 million people each evening.

He wrote several articles for daily newspapers, amongst which one on the economy ("Grillonomics") in Corriere della sera, to which the Nobel prize winner Modigliani replied, and one in La Repubblica on the prevention of cancer to which the cancer scientist and future Health Minister Umberto Veronesi answered.

1995-96 - His tour in 1995 "ENERGY AND INFORMATION" called at more than 60 Italian cities, putting together more than 400,000 spectators. The show criticized the concentration of power in the information and energy sectors. Amongst the alternatives he proposed were: popular electrical micro-generation as in Schönau , energy efficiency and energy from renewable sources. On the stage with Grillo throughout the tour was the Swiss solar energy pioneer Markus Friedli with his hydrogen van.

Grillo inhaled the water steam, applying eucalyptus balm to the exhaust pipe. Various mayors, including that of Milan, were brought on stage by Grillo and were obliged to undergo the beneficial inhalations. "ENERGY AND INFORMATION" was recorded in Bellinzona and broadcast by the TSI, Swiss Television in the Ticino Canton and by the WDR in Germany. RAI television cancelled the transmission, which had been programmed for 10 January 1996, on the last day. On 15 January 1995, the WDR in Cologne broadcast a programme about Beppe Grillo called "KOMIK KONTRA KONSUM" by Bernd Pfletschinger. The documentary has never been shown in Italy.

1997 - On tour with the show "CERVELLO". He participated with a short performance in the inauguration of EWS (Elektrizitätswerken Schönau), the company which was born as the result of the popular privatization of the electrical network of Schönau, in the black forest. The objectives of EWS are the renouncement of nuclear energy, energy efficiency, co-generation, renewable energy and widespread micro-generation.

1998 - On tour with the show " APOCALISSE MORBIDA" and, after five years away from Italian television, he started working with Telepiù which began transmitting his shows in decrypted mode and his first "SPEECH TO HUMANITY" was transmitted by Telepiù on New Year's Eve. He made a documentary "UN GRILLO PER LA TESTA - Lo zaino ecologico e il punto di non ritorno" (A GRASSHOPPER IN THE HEAD - The ecological backpack and the no return point" for TSI, Swiss Television which won the "Gran Paradiso Prize" at the Canavese International Ecofilm Festival. The documentary alternates comic scenes by Beppe Grillo with interviews with qualified experts who describe the concept of "ecological backpack" and "sustainable development". The programme has not been broadcast in Italy and was published in VHS by EMI, Editrice Missionaria Italiana .

1999 - His second "SPEECH TO HUMANITY" was transmitted by Telepiù on New Year's Eve. He made another documentary for TSI Swiss Television called "UN FUTURO SOSTENIBILE - Con meno, di più e meglio, una speranza per il nuovo millennio" ("A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE - With less, more and better, a hope for the next millennium"), winner of the 1999 "Sustainable Development" ENEA prize.

The documentary was based on the "Greening the North - A Post-Industrial Blueprint for Ecology and Equity" ( www.wupperinst.org/Sites/Books/greening-north.html ) study by the Wuppertal Institut and gave numerous examples of reforms for sustainable economy and ways of living. The programme has not been transmitted in Italy and was published in VHS by EMI, Editrice Missionaria Italiana .

2000 - On tour with the show "TIME OUT". On Telepiù with "TIME OUT" and his third "SPEECH TO HUMANITY".

2001 - On tour with the show "LA GRANDE TRASFORMAZIONE" ("THE GREAT TRANSFORMATION"), based on the growing domination of the economy on the society, and, on New Year's Eve, Telepiù broadcast his fourth "SPEECH TO HUMANITY".

2002-2003 - On tour with the show "VA TUTTO BENE".

2003-2004 - On tour with the show "BLACKOUT - FACCIAMO LUCE" (BLACKOUT - LET'S THE LIGHT BE"). Starting from the national blackout, which took place on 28 September, he illustrated the decline of Italy with episodes of daily life and with 20 social and economic indicators . He started collaborating regularly with the "Internazionale" magazine, becoming one of their signatories ( www.internazionale.it/firme ), proposing texts taken from his shows.

Consistent with his proposal to double the price of petrol and halve car consumption, since 2004 he has driven a hybrid car, the Toyota Prius which he presented in his documentary "A sustainable future" (consumption 4-5 litres gasoline per 100 km).

2005 - On 26 January, his new tour "beppegrillo.it" started in Italy, to be held on 60 dates and only in indoor stadiums. In Januar Beppe Grillo started his homepages: