Massimo Pisu
Max Pisu
About Massimo Pisu
Max Pisu, born Massimo Pisu on January 23, 1965 in Legnano, north of Milan, is an Italian stand-up comedian, cabaret performer and actor of Sardinian heritage. Active on stage since 1991, he is famous across Italy as Tarcisio, an awkward boy from the parish oratory whose nasal voice and clumsy timing made him one of the most beloved characters of Zelig on Canale 5.
Pisu started performing as a teenager in oratory shows in his native Legnano and turned professional in 1991, debuting in the Milanese club La corte dei miracoli thanks to comedy producer Gianni Cajafa. In 1998 he brought the character Tarcisio to Zelig and stayed on the show through 2003, returning for Zelig Circus on Italia 1 with Claudio Bisio and Michelle Hunziker and again in 2026 for the thirty year anniversary edition. He made his film debut as Tarcisio in Claudio Malaponti's La grande prugna in 1999 and had a memorable cameo as a bored train attendant in Aldo, Giovanni e Giacomo's Chiedimi se sono felici. On Rai 2 he co-hosted BravoGrazie with Valeria Marini in 2003 and over the years has appeared in Un disco per l'estate, Fabbrica del sorriso, Notte mediterranea, Due sul divano and the Zelig Off comeback season in 2011. His style is character cabaret in the Milanese tradition: gentle, observational and built on physicality, dialect and a single instantly recognisable comic persona.
Max Pisu tours Italian theatres, summer festivals and clubs with his cabaret format CabaretShow and updated Tarcisio material, with confirmed dates across Lombardy, Le Marche and the Adriatic coast in the 2024-2026 seasons. His Zelig sketches stream on Mediaset Infinity, his official Facebook page MAX PISU lists new dates, and he posts behind-the-scenes content on Instagram @ilmaxpisu.
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Frequently asked questions
Who is Max Pisu?
Max Pisu, born Massimo Pisu in 1965 in Legnano near Milan, is an Italian cabaret comedian best known as Tarcisio, the bumbling oratory boy who became one of the most popular characters on Canale 5's Zelig between 1998 and 2003.
What is Max Pisu's most famous role?
His signature creation is Tarcisio, debuted on Zelig in 1998 and brought back on Zelig Circus in 2003, Zelig Off in 2011 and the Zelig 30 anniversary edition in 2026. The character also led to his 1999 film debut in La grande prugna.
What style of comedy does Max Pisu do?
He performs Italian character cabaret built around a single instantly recognisable persona, mixing physical comedy, an awkward nasal voice and gentle observational humour about parish life, family, fatherhood and the small embarrassments of everyday Milan.
Where is Max Pisu from?
He was born Massimo Pisu in Legnano in the province of Milan on January 23, 1965 and is of Sardinian heritage on his father's side. He started in oratory comedy as a teenager and turned professional in Milan in 1991.
Comedians similar to Massimo Pisu
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