He is one of the new faces of the Italian small screen. His participation, in the role of Carabiniere Barba, in the fiction "Don Matteo" catapulted Francesco Castiglione into the hearts of fans of the priest-detective series, played by Terence Hill. The sympathy of Barba in the fantastic adventure "Don Matteo" has been present for several seasons. "L'isola di Pietro", the series "A step from heaven", the film "The Precursor", which sees him as a protagonist, broadcast on the Rai flagship network, are just some of the many successful works of the actor Italian.
Protagonist in the film "The precursor" broadcast on Rai Uno
His multifaceted talent allows Francesco to move with extreme refinement from the small screen to the theater. “Francesco de Paula”, “A hat full of rain”, “Remember me behind a leaf”, are only a very small part of his forays into the theaters of our beautiful country. Born in Germany, of Sicilian parents, he moved to the island at the age of 10, before moving to the capital, to pursue his dream. Francesco is the symbol of our compatriots who fought stubbornly to reach a goal. We reached Francesco Castiglione, through a very pleasant live Skype for this hilarious interview, exclusively for us at italiani.it
Hi Francesco, welcome to italiani.it, what sacrifices does being an actor involve?
I state that being an actor is a great fortune. There is a long way to go to make it a real job. Spectators, as it should be, only see the final result, but behind it there is an uphill road, traveled outside the one that the many expats who follow you will know very well, and that is the comfort zone. People like me who come from a small country had to leave everything immediately to go where there are castings, productions, contacts and agencies, a world that requires time and energy to be discovered and understood. The biggest sacrifice, however, is the constant awareness of never arriving, of running and always being tested, with a new audition to face every day. Then for us actors who work with feelings, being thrown into this whirlwind of ups and downs and continuous emotions can be beautiful, challenging at times, even if it is part of the game and I must say that we like it a little and it makes us feel alive. .
On the other hand, as I always say, the actor is an athlete of the soul, and athletes can never afford to stop. It takes character, especially to face the most difficult moments, which will surely be compensated by moments of extreme joy. I have been sacrificing for 18 years, but despite the ups and downs I feel that following the heart is always the right choice.
Your path involves different countries, Francesco, does your heart beat Italian?
I was born and raised in Germany up to the age of 10. Dad emigrated in the 60s in search of fortune. There I started, like many children, with school plays, but I still didn't have a clear path. I was a child who spoke German, Italian and Sicilian without really understanding why. Then I moved to Sicily, where there are my inextricable roots, my teenage whirlwinds and where, like a sponge, I absorbed all the passion of southern Italy. When I was 19 then I moved to Rome, where I grew up and became an adult and where I really gained awareness of myself.
Then there was an experience in the United States, where I learned by comparing myself with foreign colleagues. I attended the courses of Susan Batson, a great acting coach. Throughout this journey, being Italian has been a bit of the red thread that has held everything together, my identity and my relationship with others, given our strong and passionate culture, I would say a good starting point to make room in world.
How's our Beard?
Good Beard is fine (smiles ed). Currently in service and continues to do his job with diligence, care and precision. In this period he is working a lot, but you will soon see him again (reflects ed).
You have been catapulted as a protagonist on RaiUno with the precursor, who do you want to dedicate this milestone to?
This is a very dear project to me, many years have passed from the moment it was proposed to me. One of those projects which sometimes it is difficult to see the realization. Instead, almost overnight, it aired on Rai 1 and we presented it to the Pope himself, together with the new Vativision platform. To say that it was an immense satisfaction is almost an understatement. Speaking of sacrifices, I can think of the wounds under my feet to shoot barefoot scenes in the desert, and the cortisone vials to keep shooting despite the fever and sore throat. Every single cut and blow to the vocal cords, however, have been well rewarded to reach a milestone that is very important to me, and which I dedicate to my dad who unfortunately has never seen me become an actor.
What does Italy mean for you?
Italy is beauty, art, culture, smile and colors. We have a heritage that perhaps too often we take for granted, a cuisine that makes me hungry just at the thought, not to mention fashion, the sea and many other things that make it one of the most beautiful countries in the world. When I lived in New York, for fun I did a survey, I asked my friends in which country in the world they would like to live, of course Italy won, and I, so far from home and a little nostalgic for my land, couldn't than to feel lucky and proud.
Francesco, your funniest take?
I could tell many funny takes. Some have become even more so over time, by dint of telling them like when in throwing myself into the void I did not hit the mattress in "One step from heaven 5". If it weren't for the stunt men I would have rolled on the ground. Or when in "Don Matteo" I had to say the Russian name of a victim to the captain and every take I invented a different name because it just didn't enter my head.
Another very funny one was during the shooting of a video clip, my friend / colleague Valeria Zazzaretta and I were in a wood (he smiles). In the scene we were two lovers who met for the first time in a river, at the first take we burst out laughing and it was hard to keep serious, I think we will have done at least a dozen.
