Alfio Caltabiano

July 17, 1932 — Pistoia, Tuscany, Italy

Alfio Caltabiano was an Italian actor, screenwriter, and film director, also known by pseudonyms such as Al Northon, Alf Randal, and Alf Thunder. He began his career leveraging his imposing physique, notably portraying Jesus Christ in the 1959 film Ben-Hur, where he is seen carrying the cross during the Via Crucis scene. Caltabiano appeared in numerous films, primarily Spaghetti Westerns, and made his directorial debut with Ballad of a Gunman (1967). He directed and wrote several films, including Comandamenti per un gangster (1968) and Tutti figli di Mammasantissima (1973). Caltabiano was also a stuntman and fight choreographer, contributing to the action sequences in his films. His career concluded in 1977 after completing the film California.