Alain Resnais immediately thought of him as a possible X. in Last Year at Marienbad (1961) after seeing a photo of him in a stage production of "The Condemned of Altona". The director immediately showed it to writer Alain Robbe-Grillet along with those of many other actors and asked him who his ideal X. was. Robbe-Grillet immediately pointed Albertazzi. The director went to see the actor in a stage production of "The Idiot" and later offered him the role.
Joined the army of the Italian Social Republic of Salò and reached the rank of lieutenant. After the end of the war, he spent two years in prison for collaborating.
Married Pia de' Tolomei (who is 36 years his junior) after being together for more than 20 years. For both, it's the first marriage.
Has an entry in Jean Tulard's 'Dictionnaire du cinéma/Les acteurs', page 19.