Antonio Ornano

Antonio Ornano is an Italian stand-up comedian and actor born September 9, 1972 in La Spezia and based in Genoa. A staple of the Italian cabaret circuit since the early 2000s, he is best known for his recurring characters on the prime-time shows Zelig and Colorado and for sold-out stand-up theater tours across Italy.

Ornano trained at the Zelig workshop in Genoa, where he developed his most famous character, Professor Ornano, a deadpan naturalist lecturing on absurd ferocious beasts. He became a regular on Mediaset's Zelig and then on Colorado, hosted by Paolo Ruffini, Federica Nargi and Fabio Guabelli in the 2017 to 2018 season. He has built a parallel career as a touring stand-up comic with theater shows including Non c'e' mai pace tra gli ulivi, L'Ornano furioso, Ornyfans, Maschio caucasico irrisolto and Stand Up Rock, a storytelling show dedicated to rock music. In 2026 he is on tour with the new show (In)Grato, which dismantles the dominant narrative of obligatory gratitude. His comedy mixes ligurian sarcasm, middle-aged self-analysis and topical observation, delivered as a long-form monologue.

Antonio Ornano is currently touring Italian theaters in 2026 with the stand-up show (In)Grato and continues to perform Ornyfans and Stand Up Rock. His shows are programmed by Please, Stand Up! and listed on TicketOne, and full clips of his Zelig and Colorado sketches are available on his official YouTube channel and on Instagram @antonioornano.