Born to Italian parents in Casablanca, where they were living because his father was the Italian consul. Villa completed his studies at the
Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome and he eventually made his way up to acting. He made his film debut in the 1936 film
The Great Appeal directed by
Mario Camerini. Villa acted in two other films throughout the course of the late 1930s which includes
Luciano Serra, Pilot directed by
Goffredo Alessandrini and
The Fornaretto of Venice directed by
Duilio Coletti. Villa‘s likeness on the big screen was once compared to that of international actors such as
Robert Montgomery and
Robert Young. By the 1940s, Villa intensified his acting career and worked frequently with directors like
Luigi Zampa,
Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia,
Sergio Tofano and more. Villa worked on stage frequently during the 1950s and moved on to television in the 1960s. He also worked as a voice dubbing artist, dubbing foreign films for release in Italy, most notably
Robert Shaw’s voice. Villa’s voice was dubbed in some of his films by
Carlo Romano and
Mario Pisu. He then retired from cinema and television altogether with his wife during the 1970s.
Personal life Villa was married to actress and director Adriana Parrella (who he met during a radio session in 1949) from 1952 until his death in 2002. Villa had a passion for collecting
seashells during his spare time. ==Death==