Italian motion picture actor of the Silent Era, Pagano, embarked on a life of manual labor as a stevedore, toiling away at the bustling port of Genoa, where his rugged physique and imposing stature caught the attention of filmmakers, ultimately leading to his discovery and selection for the iconic role of Maciste, a muscular slave, in the groundbreaking silent movie classic Cabiria, which premiered in 1914, marking the inception of his illustrious and storied cinema career.
Italian actor Pagano, the trailblazing figure who first brought the character of Maciste to life, went on to reprise this role for a remarkable 14 consecutive years, thereby cementing his reputation as a global superstar, and by the 1920s, he had risen to become one of the highest-paid performers in Italy, boasting an annual income of a staggering 600,000 lire.
After a long and illustrious career in the film industry, Giovanni Pagano made the decision to hang up his director's hat and retire in the year 1929, choosing instead to prioritize his personal life and start a family in his beloved hometown of Genoa, where he resided for many years, finally passing away at the ripe age of 68.
