With two films up for the Golden Lion this year in Venice, Italian actor Toni Servillo confirms his role at the heart of Italian cinema, where his all-round talent has made him the darling of directors. This year, again directed by Mario Martone, he returns to Venice with "Qui rido io" (The King of Laughter), based on the life of Eduardo Scarpetta (1853-1925), a monument of Neapolitan and Italian theatre revered during his lifetime for his comic talents and whose plays are still performed today. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES