From the Brooklyn office, Pia Mechler is all a smile. It is also seen via Zoom that, even on the other side of the ocean, the 39-year-old actress of German descent has left at least half of her heart in the Old Continent. Currently starring alongside Alessandro Borghi and Patrick Dempsey in Devils 2, the financial thriller broadcast on Sky and available on NOW, the artist is also writing a script for a co-production in Germany. “Cinema remains my first love – she says – both in front of and behind the camera”. She is a screenwriter, writer and also director, she has participated in international projects since the beginning, continuing for the British and American markets.
How did he get the role in Devils?
«I sent a video with my audition and after a few weeks they caught me, even if to be honest I don’t understand much about finance. At the beginning all the actors in the cast had some problems with terminology, it took a while to understand the type of work of the protagonists ».
How did you do it?
“I did a training with a female trader of high finance, who also prepared me for the psychology of this field and made me understand how to navigate these murky waters, but above all she explained to me what are the motivations that animate professionals already so rich. She is a very feminine girl but she tried to bring out a little masculinity to be considered “one of the boys”. I understand her”.
In what sense?
“That’s the way it is for Eleanor too, she certainly doesn’t leverage flirting to be taken seriously, quite the contrary. She wants to be in charge of the traders but then in the end the choice falls on someone else, moreover a woman. Which I like: I’m glad that in the second season of Devils there are many strong women who show their potential. This struggle for power is intriguing ».
Are women finally making their way to Hollywood? Where are we with parity?
“With #metoo we see progress, there is more diversity not only of gender but also of races and now we have a better idea of the meaning of equality. An environment is being created where there is room and space for everyone. Seeing yourself represented on the screen has a normalizing effect on life and it seems to me that Devils 2 is helping to do so. “
What is your relationship with Italy?
«I love your country. Filming for the first season of Diavoli took place entirely in Rome, due to the restrictions of Covid-19, which created a strong bond in the cast and also gave us the opportunity to visit the city naturally, without tourists. I learned a few words here and there (from “see you later” to “bye bye”) and some recipes. If I had more time I would make pasta from scratch ».
What has changed with the second season?
«I took my husband and our son with me, I hired an Italian nanny and so it was a family adventure. I like our wandering and nomadic life: offering it to a child is a privilege because it opens up horizons ».
What do you think of Italian directors?
«You can’t do this job without thinking of Federico Fellini, who remains one of my favorites. I like that Paolo Sorrentino and Luca Guadagnino bring a fresh perspective to the international audiovisual panorama ».
Who are the real devils today?
“Some politicians play without real convictions, they aim for populism, not to mention the war in Ukraine. And it happens not only in public life, but also in private life, if we consider those who take advantage of their position or envision a manipulated vision of reality, such as social media, a rather widespread gray area “.
What are you afraid of today?
«Climate change scares everyone, especially those with children. The instability of Europe also frightens me. I wonder where democracy ends up. In Diavoli we also talk about this, interspersing archive videos with fiction. I am stimulated by the fact that we show the vulnerability of freedom: it is a choice and they can take it away from us, which terrifies me tremendously. In Europe, for example, we were used to peace and we each focused on our little garden, our private life. The situation gave us a wake up call and a shock ».
She is an actress, writer, screenwriter and director. Do you also have other artistic inclinations?
«I like to dance and I would like to improve my singing. It sounds funny to say because at 20 I was in a band, but I never had an ear for music. It all started out on an amateur level, but then they signed us up to Universal and we made an album. Who doesn’t dream of becoming a rock star? During a break from the set of Devils while we were dancing and singing Patrick suggested we stage a Devils musical. I confessed my past and my inability to sing and they replied: “Come on, today everyone is capable with autotune” ».
Other stories of Vanity Fair that may interest you:
Devils 2, Alessandro Borghi and Patrick Dempsey
Devilsthe first images
Devils 2, the first teaser
Source: Vanity Fair
