Italian motion picture actor of the Silent Era, Pagano, initially led a life as a stevedore, working at the port of Genoa, where he was discovered and selected to play the role of Maciste, a muscular slave, in the silent movie classic Cabiria in 1914, marking the beginning of his illustrious cinema career.
As the originator of this iconic role, Pagano went on to portray Maciste for the next 14 years in a series of sequels, solidifying his status as an international star, and by the 1920s, he had become one of the most well-paid actors in Italy, commanding a staggering annual salary of up to 600,000 lire.
Eventually, Pagano retired from the film industry in 1929, opting instead to settle down and raise a family in his hometown of Genoa, where he resided until his passing at the age of 68.
