Lino Guanciale: «Me sex symbol?»

This article is published in the Vanity Fair issue on newsstands until November 29, 2022

All actors experience a moment in their lives when they stop being invisible and become real. In the case of Pillow linen that moment corresponds to a fiction, The veiled lady, which, in addition to having gathered record audiences in reruns on Rai 1 last summer, also gave the protagonist the status of sex symbol. “During the making I was convinced that they had taken the wrong one, but I’m glad that people appreciated it,” says Guanciale, in these days busy on the set of a new Sky series waiting for an intense 2023, which will see him first return to January on Rai 2 in the third season of Red door and then in February on Rai 1 in the second part of Commissioner Ricciardi. Meanwhile, the actor does not stand still for a moment, dividing himself between the set, the theater, and the family. His son Peter, had by his wife Antonella Liuzzi, he recently turned one, and it couldn’t make him happier.

On Instagram he wrote that his life will never be as it once was after the birth of Pietro. What did he mean?
“Everything has changed since Pietro arrived. You know there’s one human being who will always take priority, and that’s beautiful. It’s a revolution that we enjoy to the fullest.”

How do you live being away from him?
«It is inevitable to suffer, but it is right that it is so. When you’re away from home you understand that distance will make you lose something, but it will also give you an incentive to be there whenever you can. It’s too nice to follow the small changes: technology helps, but touching it and smelling its perfume is something else».

How does it relate to change?
«It scares me, but life and work have taught me to accept it. You have to ride them, the changes. Trying to give them a direction, because the risk they bring with them is a beautiful thing. The instinct for self-preservation is the child of fear, but in my small way I try to be courageous and go beyond».

Courage to look forward?
“Especially back. I think of a beautiful painting by Klee, theAngelus Novus, in which the Angel of History flies backwards keeping his eyes fixed on what he leaves behind. If you look at where you come from, you proceed better and with more awareness towards what awaits you”.

What do you feel when you look behind you?
“Gratitude. I have no great regrets: looking back makes me think of childhood and adolescence, two seasons to which I would have liked to give more breathing space».

Because?
«I have a strong bond that binds me to Abruzzo, and I think it would have been nice to stay there a little longer. University and academy took me away from friends and home, but it’s only right that it happened because you can’t have everything in life. It’s one of the most precious things to pass on to your children.”

Avezzano, your city, has it ever been close to you?
“Inevitably yes. As a boy I was fine with it, but I felt my life would be elsewhere. I think that if I had stayed between the rugby field and the friends of the scouts, sooner or later I probably would have gotten bored. I left before that happened.”

It is curious that there was rugby in Avezzano.
«It is an educational, fair, team sport. They suggested it to me at school because I was sturdy, and I’ve been fond of it ever since. If one day my son wants to try it, I certainly won’t oppose it. Although, out of respect for his grandfather, who was a notable amateur footballer, it is only right that he also touches the round ball. Sport is fundamental, like music».

Speaking of music: this year he sang on the Sanremo stage. Is she a world she likes?
“It was fun. In the theatre, in my shows and in my direction, I always use live music on stage because I think it is a language that goes straight to people’s hearts».

Let’s go back to childhood: what did you want to be when you grew up?
«The gas station attendant, because I saw their wallet full of money and I went crazy for the smell of petrol. But also the director: I still remember when my mother took me to the cinema to see The voice of the moon by Fellini, one of his favorite authors. In high school, on the other hand, I wanted to be a journalist».

Have you ever dabbled?
«At school I won a competition that allowed me to be a reporter for CinemaAvvenire at the Venice Film Festival. It was 1998, and I remember two exciting moments: when, in the bathroom of the Excelsior, Ettore Scola revealed himself on a Vespa scooter next to mine, and when I intercepted John Malkovich in his bathrobe and slippers».

Ever thought he’d cross over to the other side of the fence?
«I felt the attraction for that world, but I saw it far from me. That year I started acting and I think that experience started to germinate inside me and then led me to try».

Is it true that you were a school representative in high school?
«The political passion has remained with me, I think it is important to have a vision on things. Today I see many disoriented young people, without a clear compass. I hope there are more and more enlightened professors who make them understand the importance of doing their part”.

She took that path forward with university, enrolling in Literature.
«I never gave my thesis, having attended lessons together at the Academy and then immediately started working. My father and my wife remind me whenever they can: it’s one of the new year’s resolutions.

Year in which you will be very busy: can the exhibition be a double-edged sword for you?
«Yes. Especially on television, since, whether you want or not, you enter the intimacy of people’s homes. Being in over can be counterproductive, a bit like an overdose. Over-consumption leads to a harmful habit of which one must be careful».

In 2023 we will see her with two fictions, both related to ghosts. A coincidence?
“I hadn’t thought of that, but it’s true. I am fond of both Red door that al Commissioner Ricciardi: two projects that I care a lot about, since they allowed me to deal with two very different roles from the light ones of the early years. It would have been convenient to opt for more conservative choices, but looking for different opportunities has given me a great opportunity for growth».

To the delight of the female audience… His wife Is Antonella Liuzzi jealous?
“He’s having fun. He also makes fun of me a little, as it should be».

How?
«He makes jokes to me: it’s nice to be able to play with the roles that the world gives you».

How do you find yourself in this role of the handsome guy?
“I’ve always shifted my attention to something else. I’m not saying that it’s not important to like people, but I hope that those who follow me also appreciate more of me ».

Were you courted as a boy?
“Very much, but I didn’t notice it. If I was a teenager again, I’d keep my eyes open. I learned courtship late.’

When?
«Thanks to the theatre, to the texts related to love and feelings».

How do you experience the passing of time?
«When I see some white hair I stop to think, but it’s normal for it to happen. I can’t do some things I used to do in my 20s, but I can tell you that I’m now the version of me I like best. I hope, at this point, to carry on with my work to have a splendid scenic old age».

Speaking of growing up, when did you first feel like an adult?
«At the end of the rehearsals at the theatre, when I wondered if I was on the right path: there I began to feel like an adult, because I understood that I would have to take responsibility. I felt like an adult, however, even when I got married and when Pietro was born».

In an interview you spoke about the desire to adopt a child: do you still think so?
«We would like to, but there are so many things to evaluate before committing to something so beautiful. There are so many children who need a family and I think that everyone, including individuals and couples of any kind and nature, should think about it. I hope things go well.”

For the photos: Grooming: Adriano Cocciarelli@Harumi_Roma. Assistant: Chiara Filippi. Location: Hotel Locarno, Rome.

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