Emanuel Caserio, when Sicily goes beyond the DNA

Emanuel Caserio, known thanks to the role of Salvatore Amato in the daily-fiction Il Paradiso delle Signore, told us his story. From the dream to become a volleyball player to the small parts on TV, then the great success and a brilliant idea developed in quarantine. Let’s discover more on Sicilian Secrets.

Q: How did your career as an actor begin?

A: I began almost by chance after I had attended a show of a friend. I tried to understand more about the emotion I had proved during that performance, so I decided to enroll in a drama school. In the past, I wanted to become a volleyball player, but I realized that I didn’t have a big talent. So, I studied at Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome and once I received the diploma, I got some small roles, but it wasn’t always so easy.

Q: We read the name of Emanuel Caserio as part of the cast of some famous fictions such as Un medico in famiglia, Squadra Antimafia 7, Il commissario Rex, etc., but it’s the character of Salvatore Amato in Il Paradiso delle Signore that made you popular. Since you are from Latina, how did you study to play the role of a Sicilian guy?

A: At the beginning, I played some small roles in movies and on TV but I couldn’t live doing only this job. So, in the meantime I was working as a waiter, entertainer, barman. To play the role of Salvatore Amato I studied a lot and was helped by a Sicilian friend who was working with me at the restaurant. Without her, I would have never made it! The first time, my manager contacted me to do a casting for the role of Antonio, but I wasn’t chosen. Later, they called me back for the part of Salvatore, the brother of Antonio (played by Giulio Corso, ndr). It’s tough to speak using the dialect without sounding ridiculous.

Q: Salvatore Amato is from Partanna, in the province of Trapani. Have you ever been in Sicily?

A: Never! I wanted to come this summer to visit Palermo, Siracusa, Catania and Partanna, of course.

Q: What are the elements you had to push more to show off your ‘sicilianity’?

A: It was spontaneous, I used the dialect and listened to Giulio (Corso. Ndr), who is from Palermo. He was a fantastic teacher and corrected me when it was necessary. Moreover, I have to say thanks even to some other colleagues such as Antonella Attili e Neva Leoni.

Q: What’s the best side of Salvatore? And what would you like to ‘steal’ from his personality?

A: Salvatore Amato is very responsible, joyful, cheerful but also fragile and emotional. He’s more impulsive than Emanuel Caserio who generally is more rational. Salvatore is instinctive, maybe I should steal this trait of his personality because if you fall, you discover many new things. He falls and stands up again. The audience created a bond with him, he’s a nice guy.

**Q: 10 giorni almeno, a pandemic series. This is the idea you had during the quarantine. Tell us more.**

A: We worked a lot, rehearsed on Skype, engaged everybody from the make-up artist to the costume designer. I had the idea together with Neva Leoni, Francesco Maccarinelli and Francesca Del Fa…during a conversation on WhatsApp! I called some friends, both actors and technicians who work with me in Paradiso and in 3 weeks we turned our project into reality. Quick pace, 2 episodes each week and in 20 days we made it. It was just an experience, but it was amazing to work with them, since we are all friends.

**Q: After 10 giorni almeno in which you are even the director, how do you see yourself in the future? Actor or director? On the stage or on TV?**

A: At least for a while, the name of Emanuel Caserio will be the name of an actor but who knows, maybe in 5-6 years I’ll become a director. I love working on TV, I can see how the audience reacts and love the fact that people get fond of a character.