D'Ambrosi was born in
San Giuliano Milanese in
Lombardy,
Italy. While still living in Italy, he became interested in
theater and in
mental illness. He interned for three months at the Paolo Pini
psychiatric hospital in
Milan, where he was able to study the patient's behaviors. This experience began to inspire his idea of
pathological theatre, or Teatro Patologico. He then moved to
New York City and met
Ellen Stewart, founder of
La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in the
East Village of Manhattan. She encouraged him to perform a
monologue titled
Tutti non ci sono at the theatre in 1980. D'Ambrosi was involved in other productions at La MaMa throughout the 1980s. After the February production of
Tutti non ci sono, D'Ambrosi's play
Statues of Wax ("Statue di Cera" or "Estatuas de Cera") was performed by Il Gruppo Dada Internazionale in May 1980. In 1981, Ozzie Rodriguez directed a production of D'Ambrosi's
Days of Antonio. He performed in
Tutti non ci sono again at La MaMa in 1983. He then performed
La Trota, which dealt with themes of mental illness, in 1986. He performed in his play
Enemy of Mine with
Stefano Abbati in 1988. In 1989, he performed
Tutti non ci sono in English (as "All Are Not Here") and in Italian. Decades later, in 2004, D'Ambrosi performed
Nemico Mio at La MaMa. He also directed Italian theatre festivals at La MaMa in the late 1980s, and again in 1995. The "L'Altra Italia" festival in 1988 featured work and performances by Mario Prosperi, Paolo Frassanito, Antonello Neri, Ro' Rocchi,
Nicola Pistoia, and Lorenzo Alessandri. The 1989 festival featured work and performances by Diviana Ingravallo, Marcello Sambati, and Marcello Bartoli, in addition to D'Ambrosi. In 1995, "L'Altra Italia III" featured work and performances by Paolo Porto,
Carla Cassola, Max Scaglione, and
Marina Suma. D'Ambrosi continued acting and also started working as a director. He directed his first film,
Il Ronzio delle Mosche ("The Buzzing of Flies"), in 2003. Between 2008 and 2010, he starred in the
television series Romanzo criminale ("Crime Novel - the Series") in the role of assistant
commissioner Scialoja. His character was investigating the
Banda della Magliana. In 2004, he appeared in
Mel Gibson's
The Passion of the Christ. == Partial filmography ==