[WATCH] Narcy the comedian… and his other side

Veteran actor Narcy Calamatta is known as a comedian but behind the scenes he is revered in theatre circles for being a tough director.

 “Narcy the comedian is the other Narcy, because I am disciplined and people used to be afraid of me because I always expected actors to be thorough in their interpretations,” Calamatta told Xtra Sajf host Saviour Balzan.

Calamatta immortalised the character Wenzu, in the Maltese series Wenzu u Rożi, which is how many still remember him. But that comedian is just one side of Narcy, who went on to play other roles in television productions and films.

Narcy Calamatta in the 2018 film Baħar Żmien by Maltese-Australian filmmaker Peter Sant (Photo: Michael Galea)

Reminiscing about his life in theatre, television and acting, Calamatta said he would like to be remembered as “a teacher”, always willing to impart his knowledge to the young.

In the late 1970s as managing director of the Mediterranean Film Studios, Calamatta was instrumental in bringing over director Robert Altman to film his movie, Popeye in Malta. A lasting legacy of that film is Popeye Village, the set itself which was built at Anchor Bay, which remains until today a tourist attraction.

Calamatta was also responsible for the creation of what he described as the “biggest underwater filming tank in the world” at the Rinella film centre.

“It’s not what you take from the roles you occupy, but what you leave behind as a legacy,” he said, echoing the famous words of US president John F. Kennedy.

Calamatta, who had been a Labour Party election candidate on several occasions, said despite his foray into politics he was his own man.

“I had no political ties, ever… whatever I did was because I believed in it,” he said.

He recalled one of the mass meetings before the 1981 general election when he was asked to provide some stand-up comedy to the crowds by the Labour Party.

“The Nationalists had brought over a foreign singer but Mintoff was adamant that we should use local talent. There were a few Maltese singers but I was also asked to prepare some skits, which I did. At one point, I imitated archbishop Michael Gonzi and the crowd went wild. Mintoff loved it not just for the reaction but also because the entertainment came for free since I was not paid,” Calamatta recounted.