The Resume

(July 2, 1867-November 26, 1936)
Born in Rome, Italy
Stage actor, impressionist and quick-change artist
Routines included a series of rapid-fire impersonations; performing all the parts, from soprano to baritone, in a condensed opera; or a courtroom scene in which he would be the judge, jury, lawyers and defendant
Starred in over a dozen silent short films

Why he might be annoying:

He dropped of school at 14.
His first foray into show biz was an unsuccessful magic act
Bankruptcy forced him to come out of retirement for a tour of South America (1925).
His gravestone bears the epitaph 'His last transformation.'
He is the namesake for Fregoli delusion, in which a person believes that different people are a single person in diguises.

Why he might not be annoying:

He began his quick change career while serving with the Italian army in Abyssinia, when a theatrical troupe hired to entertain his unit failed to show and he filled in single handedly.
He was so quick at changing costumes and characters that the London press speculated that his act was actually done by identical twins.
Although he lost 800 costumes and 1200 wigs in a theater fire, he was able to resume his act seven days later (1900).
During World War I, he performed at several Red Cross benefits and entertained Italian troops at the front lines.
One critic wrote, 'Italy has four glories of which it can justly be proud: the singer Caruso, the poet D'Annunzio, the inventor Marconi, and the quick-change artist Fregoli.'

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• A Disease Was Named After Me
• Bankruptcy
• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 48]
• Film Pioneers [Silent Era]
• I Am Vaudeville [A-L]
• I Did Not Graduate High School [F-I]
• I Died in 1936 (Ranked: 69)
• I Retired, Just Kidding
• Impersonators
• Look at Me, My Picture Is Art
• Magicians
• Profiles 34501-34750 (Ranked: 34578)

Year In Review:

In 2022, Out of 6 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 9 Votes: 55.56% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 16 Votes: 56.25% Annoying
In 2013, Out of 11 Votes: 36.36% Annoying