‘I was born to be a paparazzo’: Rino Barillari on royalty, the dolce vita era and his run-in with Depardieu

Rino Barillari, at home. He has photographed popes, presidents and prime ministers. Photograph: Victor Sokolowicz/The Guardian

Not for nothing is Rino Barillari known as “the king of paparazzi”. Over a career spanning more than six decades, he has masqueraded as priests, gardeners and bricklayers in his quest to capture up-close photos of the rich and famous, from Princess Margaret and Jackie Kennedy to the Beatles, Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner and Frank Sinatra.

But until Tuesday, it had been a long time since Barillari was involved in a contretemps with a celebrity.