Diego Abatantuono: «The secret of the extended family? smart people”

Balls, colored lights and various decorations illuminate a mountain chalet in the middle of August. It is the idea of ​​grandfather Lorenzo, alias Diego Abatantuonowho wants to recreate the Christmas magic in his hotel also in Mid-Augustto make the granddaughter happy Clear and try to save your family. «I have now become a professional grandfather even in real life», the actor tells us at the presentation of Suddenly Christmasfunny comedy coming soon from December 1st on Prime Video with – among others – Violante Placido and Lodo Guenzi. «It’s easier than being a parent, you’re more detached. But it’s uglier because you’re older.”

What memories do you have of your Christmas as a child?
«Many from when I lived at Giambellino, in Milan. Once, I was five years old, I woke up and my mom told me that Santa Claus had only brought me coal: I stayed there like that, then I went down the stairs and from above I saw in the room a wonderful model that my dad had made, who was a craftsman. There was the fort with the northerners, then the Indian camp: a very strong emotion, it has remained in my head».

A wife, three children, three grandchildren, an ex-wife together with a close friend of hers. Can you all get together for Christmas?
«Of course, it often happened that we spent the holidays together. More than thirty years have passed since I met my current wife (Giulia Begnotti, ed): closing with my ex (Rita Rabassini, ed) was a very painful moment. Because I was and still am very fond of her: we already shared a daughter, so I nurtured the hope that she would find a quality person ».

That is Gabriele Salvatores.
«Combination this thing was born with Gabriele. I worked with him, my ex took our daughter to the set: I remember that already when we were filming Mediterranean (1991), we were all there. So yeah, we’ve always had parties together.”

What is – if any – the secret to keeping an extended family together?
“You need smart people. But in general, if you want things to go well in your life, you have to surround yourself with intelligent people. The big gamble, even when you create a family, is getting close to people you don’t really know, the problems arise there: personally, the most prudent thing I did was to choose the people with whom to deal well”.

In the film there is also the theme of betrayal: have you ever felt betrayed?
«Not emotionally. From the point of view of friendships, unfortunately yes, great disappointments: more than betrayals, however, they were separations. I have friends with whom I have spent my whole life and who I no longer see, not even knowing the motivation: this hurts me a lot, because I believe that friendships are the most important thing ever, they have a determining weight in your way of life ».

To close, what does Diego Abatantuono ask Santa Claus?
«If it exists, I ask you to wake me up and find me forty: a perfect age, you are wiser than when you were twenty and you still have time to make some mistakes. Sure, I’ve had a wonderful life and I’m still fine, but unfortunately time passes and I don’t enjoy it as much as I did then. So yes, at Christmas I’d like to unwrap the gift and find myself who’m forty years old inside».

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