On the cover

By CiroAcampora

Francesco Castiglione, 38-year-old film, theater and television actor. A well-known face in Italian TV, Francesco has taken part in numerous successful series such as “Don Matteo”, “Un Passo dal Cielo” and “L’isola di Pietro”. In 2018 he spent most of the year in the United States where he attended acting coach Susan Batson’s workshops and perfected his English at Seton Hall University in New Jersey. He sat down of us at “I’m Italian” for an exclusive interview exposing his peculiarities as a man and actor.

Francesco, icey blue eyes yet skin bronze like the hot desert sand; which of these two contrasting features most resembles you on the inside and why?

We all know that the stereotype of the average Sicilian is that of a person with a dark complexion, with dark eyes and dark hair. Considering the fact that the South of Italy was a territory of Arab conquest, it goes without saying that this stereotype is not so far from reality, but between the eleventh and twelfth century during the conquest of Southern Italy and Sicily, the Normans populated and founded many centers of central and eastern Sicily. Obviously this genetic mixture has produced in Sicily and Southern Italy many individuals with blue eyes. Therefore aesthetically I am a little Norman and a little Arab, this mix makes me extrovert, carnal and affectionate because however in my veins flows Sicilian blood.

You were born in Germany, when you were 10 years old you returned to Sicily, at 19 you went to Rome to pursue a profession acting career. What did it mean for a young boy full of dreams and ambitions to move every time? How much did these shifts affect your personality and your acting career?

Although I am Sicilian inside, I define myself as a citizen of the world. Despite the attachment to my land I need to constantly dive into different cultures, new thoughts. That’s why I love traveling so much. Surely, spending the first 10 years of my life in Germany made a real difference. Though I realize only now, as an adult, how much that has opened my mind. I grew up surrounded by children from all over the world I went to school and played with them every day, making me realize from the very beginning that not only has racism no reason to exist, but it’s stupid and worthless. On the other hand, I unconsciously acquired the rigidity and determination at work that is quintessentially German. In order for an actor to be able to tell so many stories and through his characters live many different lives, he must have lived as many, I think my background is a solid starting point for that. The 9 years I lived in Sicily, my parents’ homeland and where we spent all our summers, were fundamental in order to bond even more with my roots. And then there’s Rome where I’ve been living for 19 years now, a wonderful city that made me realize my lifelong dream of becoming an actor. In Italy, Rome is the place to be to start this career. Rome has given me a lot, it has given me independence, it has shaped my character, it has made me suffer at the first doors slammed in my face, but when you have a great dream and you are willing to make great sacrifices you will certainly be rewarded. I believe that every place, in its own way, has been fundamental to my personal and professional growth. I carry it all inside of me, and it will be the same for all those places that I have yet to visit because they will surely enrich my life even more.

What’s the most beautiful experience America has given you and how have your studies in NY changed your experience on the set today in Italy.

If I think that only a few years ago NY was just a big dream and almost unattainable today it seems almost impossible to have lived there, even just for a short time. NY is like a blender full of so many ingredients and flavors, I had this feeling, it’s a city that enchants, recharges you with great energy and surprises you every day. I went there mainly for the language because my English was really basic and I needed to improve it, a lot. In fact, I attended a college in South Orange in New Jersey. Thanks to that experience, I can finally have a conversation in English and talk to you in English right now. It certainly gave me the awareness that in life nothing is impossible, you just have to want things badly! I also met a lot of great people I’m still in touch with basically every day and are always there for me if they have to. I also attended Susan Batson’s courses, a very famous American acting coach, where I had the opportunity to meet actors from different countries in the world, it was thrilling and stimulating to confront with foreign colleagues, speaking different languages and coming from such a diverse background. After this experience I gained more self-confidence, I face this job from a different point of view and certainly when I audition in English everything is easier for me now.

If faced with a crossroad and forced to choose only one artistic path as an actor, would you choose the stage or the camera and who would be alongside you?

This is a very difficult question that I have been asked several times, and believe me it is not at all easy to answer because the love for this profession was born on stage, and there I felt safe whenever I needed it, but over the years many things have changed, the theater has changed, society, the needs of people and the way they approach the theater, many small factors that have made me move away a little, but at the same time have made me approach another wonderful world that is the set, where I found “home”, so if I have to answer, I see myself more on that direction even if theater is there and there will always be. And if I had to choose a director to work with, I would choose Giuseppe Tornatore, while I would love to act with Meryl Streep and Al Pacino, not bad, what do you think?

Is there a character that you played that has remained in your heart afterwards?

Certainly when the work is more difficult and challenging, it is when I feel more rewarded. For one of my shows, I staged a monologue lasting one hour where I played a character who was 30 years older than me. This was a big test, to build a real character with a life experience totally different from mine. I must say that it gave me great satisfaction, every night I threw liters of sweat that was reciprocated with esteem and affection from many people.

As for the other character, the effort was similar if not more, I shot a docu-film on the life of John the Baptist, cousin of Jesus, and his precursor, the title of the film is precisely “The Forerunner”. Playing a character so strong, combative and sensitive at the same time in conditions that are not at all comfortable, such as walking barefoot on the stones, in the middle of the mud, in the freezing water of the Potenza river for 10 hours with a rather extreme makeup (long hair and beard to be worn all day) and with 35 degrees in the shade, made me love this job even more because when you suffer and you get good results through your emotions, it is always worth it.

Your ongoing experience with “Don Matteo” has given you much popularity. How do you deal with this responsibility when you meet someone or when people recognize you on the street?

Surely Don Matteo is the series that made me known to the big audience, I was lucky to join a family that was already well established but that welcomed me with open arms. It is an honor for me to be a part of it and then through my character Gianni Barba I have tried to convey a sense of passion, loyalty, rigor and sense of duty to best represent the Carabinieri.

When people stop me in the street for a photo or a chat and thank me, I’m grateful to life because knowing that thanks to my work I can transmit a bit of serenity or give a smile makes me happy.

Would a movie about your life be about a boy who painstakingly got what he wanted or about a man who is still searching for inner peace and happiness?

I believe that we should be proud of ourselves no matter what if we put love, passion and dedication into the things we do. The meaning of life, in my opinion, revolves around the achievements, the goals, whether small or large, because they are the ones that stimulate us to live a full life, so I certainly did not get everything I wanted and maybe I will never get it because maybe after the next conquest I will already have another goal to chase. Happiness is within us, we just need to know how to welcome it, I think I have found a serenity with myself, with ups and downs of course, but the base is solid.

Cary Grant once said: “I’ve often been accused by critics of being myself on-screen. But being oneself is more difficult than you’d suppose.”. What do you think about this statement?

I agree with Cary Grant, it’s easier to take refuge in characters that are far from us, it’s like putting on a mask and then returning to your own reality but bringing the truth to the table. Being completely yourself can be really difficult and risky.

You’ve done film, TV and theater. Is there something in the entertainment world that you are passionate about and would like to try that would surprise us?

3 years ago in my small Sicilian town I was asked to present “Ludofestival”, a small singing contest. I didn’t want to accept in the first place because presenting is not my job, but I said yes, and took it as a challenge, and I must say that, unexpectedly, I had a great time and I discovered to be up to the task. Last year, I also presented the “Spello Film Festival” in Umbria and even there

I had an excellent feedback. Who knows, maybe in my future there will be space for this too. Maybe there’s a showman hidden in me!

How do you imagine your future in 10 years, where will you be and above all... with whom?

In 10 years? It makes me anxious just to think about it, ha! The great (but also sometimes worrying) thing about working as an actor is that it’s such an unpredictable job, there are times when you think you might be able to enjoy your home and friends for a while and then the next day you’re already on your way to a new destination, a place you might never have imagined visiting until the day before. I certainly hope I can continue to do this job without losing the enthusiasm and passion I have for it. I hope to be able to say in 10 years time that I shot the greatest movie ever and I hope to be able to say that I visited as many beautiful places in the world as I possibly could. In 10 years I could be in Rome, London, New York or Sicily, wherever I am, I hope to have the people I love most in this life beside me.

Thank you!

“MarcelloMastroianniisamagnificent actor.Butheisaboveallamanof enchantinggoodness,offrightening generosity.Tooloyaltothe environmentinwhichhelives.Helacks thearmor,somebadfishthatIknow arereadytoswallowitinabite.“

Federico Fellini