Joe Tracini

Joe Tracini

Joe Tracini (born Joe James Pasquale 19 July 1988) is an English actor and presenter. Best known for his role as Dennis Savage in the Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks.[1] His previous TV acting credits have included the BBC Three comedy series Coming of Age and the Boomerang children's sitcom My Spy Family. His theatre credits include Spamalot, starring in the role of Patsy during a touring version of the production in 2015

Early life

Joe Tracini was born in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, the son of comedian Joe Pasquale.[3] and his second wife, Debbie Pasquale. The family subsequently moved to Kent and Joe was brought up in Higham, near Rochester. He was educated at King's School, Rochester and the Rochester Independent College. Having finished school, Tracini joined the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London where he completed a National Diploma in Performing Arts in early 2007. As well as being an actor, Tracini also trained as a magician, having taken an interest in magic at the age of two. In 2003, he received the title of ‘British Junior Magical Champion’ which he won at the Blackpool Opera House in front of 3,000 international magicians. At the same time he also won the title of ‘Most Promising Comedy Act of 2003’, chosen and presented by Ken Dodd, as well as coming third in The Magic Circle's 'Young Magician Of The Year' competition.

Acting career

Theatre

Tracini's first theatre appearance came in a Christmas 2005 pantomime version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Cliffs Pavilion in Southend. The following year, having started his studies at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, he went on to perform in a number of their in-house productions including A Chorus Line and Sexual Perversity in Chicago, as well as a tour version of Richard III, in which he portrayed the title character. In 2007, he returned to the pantomime stage to take on the title role in Peter Pan at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley.[4] A year later he reprised the role, this time at the Beck Theatre in Hayes alongside Leslie Grantham in the role of Captain Hook.[5] By 2009, despite a heavy filming schedule with Coming of Age and My Spy Family, he once again returned to the stage to take on the role of Buttons in Cinderella at The Hawth in Crawley[6] where he received rave reviews from the local media.[7]

Having taken a year off in 2010, he returned to pantomime in 2011 playing the role of Wishee Washee in Aladdin alongside Larry Lamb at the Ashcroft Theatre in Croydon. The following year, Tracini returned to the role of Buttons, this time at the Barbican Centre in York alongside his close friend Dani Harmer and ex-EastEnders star Joe Swash. Due to his filming schedule for Hollyoaks, he again took a break from the pantomime stage in 2013, however having completed his work with the soap, he returned to the stage in November 2014, once again reprising the role of Buttons in Cinderella at Wolverhampton's Grand Theatre alongside Julian Clary and The X Factor (UK series 4) star Niki Evans.[8] In early April 2015, it was confirmed that Tracini would be taking over from Todd Carty in the role of Patsy in the UK tour of Spamalot. The musical's cast already included his father, Joe Pasquale, who had extended his run starring as King Arthur