Giancarlo "Gian" Sammarco is a former child actor best known for playing the title role in the television dramatisations of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13� and its sequel, The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole. He is the son of Jacqueline and Pietro Salvatore Sammarco, Gian Sammarco is one of a large family of Italian descent. He attended Kingsthorpe Upper School in that town where he gained seven O-levels and five CSEs. The artistic director of the Royal Theatre in Northampton, Michael Napier Brown, selected Sammarco from 200 boys who auditioned to appear in his first theatre production, The Innocents. He was among 100 boys auditioned by Thames Television for the role of Adrian Mole, having been suggested by Michael Napier Brown. Brown also recommended another of his discoveries, Lindsey Stagg, also from Northampton, who won the role of Pandora Braithwaite. In 1987 he toured the UK in the play Widow's Weeds by Anthony Shaffer.