He has been directed by Federico Fellini ("La voce della luna", 1990, with Roberto Benigni), Lina Wertmüller ("Io speriamo che me la cavo", 1992), by Ermanno Olmi ("The Secret of the Old Woods", 1993), by Mario Monicelli ("Cari fottutissimi amici", 1994), and by Gabriele Salvatores ("Denti", 2000). Villaggio continued writing while acting in films. He moved to the Mondadori publishing house in 1994. He published "Fantozzi saluta e se ne va" (1994–1995; "Fantozzi Says Goodbye and Leaves"), "Vita morte e miracoli di un pezzo di merda" ("Life, Death and Miracles of a Piece of Shit", 2002), "7 grammi in 70 anni" ("7 Grammes in 70 Years", 2003) and his latest, "Sono incazzato come una belva" ("I'm Fucking Mad as a Beast") in 2004. He also acted in stage plays, playing Arpagone in "L'Avare" of Molière in 1996. In 1996 he also led the satirical news bulletin "Striscia la notizia" (broadcast on Canale 5), together with Massimo Boldi. More recently, he participated in the television fiction "Carabinieri", in which he played the role of a tramp who often helped the police to solve crimes. Villaggio was also a lyricist. With fellow Genoan Fabrizio De André, he wrote two songs, "Carlo Martello torna dalla battaglia di Poitiers" ("Charles Martel returning from the Battle of Poitiers") and "Il fannullone" ("The Loafer"). Villaggio died on 3 July 2017 from complications of diabetes in Rome at the age of 84.