He greets and smiles to everyone. A sincere smile that of Enrico Lo Verso, which reveals his relaxed innocence. Everyone likes Enrico. Women, of course, but men too because he is spontaneous despite the great success and the fact that he has been an actor for more than 25 years. The son of an engineer and a teacher, Enrico grew up in Palermo and started his career acting for the theatre, although he owes his popularity to the cinema, to movies such as: “Il ladro di bambini”, “Lamerica”, “Farinelli – Voce Regina” until the last one “Voce umana”, in which he played opposite the legendary Sophia Loren and was directed by the son of the actress, Edoardo Ponti.
Therefore, when I meet him in Tricase in the Throne Room of Palazzo Gallone at the evening dedicated to Sophia Loren and organized by the director of SIFF, Salento International Film Festival Gigi Campanile, with a screening of the short documentary “Sophia racconta Loren” (Sophia tells about Loren) by Marco Spagnoli, the first question is of course related to the film he co-starred with her.
To play a role in a film alongside Loren: a dream of many. You had the chance to do it, what can you tell us of your emotions, your feelings?
I can only say that I have filmed with her for three days and I couldn’t stop dreaming about her for many successive nights!
Can you tell us more about the movie?
The film, already played in the past by Anna Magnani and Liv Ullman, has some new features compared to the previous versions. For example, the flashbacks of the happy days that fit perfectly in the story and make ever more real the sense of desperation for a lost love, and the sense of abandonment felt.
How have you been chosen for the part?
Thanks to my ten-year friendship with Edoardo Ponti, to whom I’m connected by a close relationship of esteem and respect. He strongly wanted me to be the co – star in this short movie where he directed his mother. Moreover, and I say this here for the first time, I owe Gigi Campanile, the organizer of SIFF, my friendship with Edoardo, because it was him to introduce us in Los Angeles more than ten years ago.
What are you working on at the moment?
The movie “ Nomi e cognomi” by Sebastiano Rizzo has just been released. I filmed it with Maria Grazia Cucinotta and the movie was shot in Puglia, in the neighborhoods of Giovinazzo, Molfetta, Modugno and Corato.
Talking about Puglia: what is your relationship with our region?
To me, Puglia is like a second home. Especially Salento, its golden light, its Baroque, colours and the scents that remind me of Sicily and Palermo where I was born and raised.
What are your plans for the future?
I generally do not like to talk about the future. I prefer to refer to the present. But in the immediate future there is a nice project with Mauro Di Domenico – and he gestures towards him while smiling, as the latter is also here in Tricase and only a few minutes before had involved the whole audience with his playing of the guitar.
It is a tribute to Morricone, “The Legendary Morricone”, with music of the Master performed by a string orchestra of eight instruments, and the rhythm section played by the Solisti di Cinecittà, while I am the narrating voice. For this occasion, they are only playing the most unforgettable soundtracks of the artist and a piece that Morricone himself gave to Mauro. This make you understand the esteem that the musician had for the guitarist Di Domenico, an artist of rare sensitivity.
Can you tell us more about the movie?
The film, already played in the past by Anna Magnani and Liv Ullman, has some new features compared to the previous versions. For example, the flashbacks of the happy days that fit perfectly in the story and make ever more real the sense of desperation for a lost love, and the sense of abandonment felt.
How have you been chosen for the part?
Thanks to my ten-year friendship with Edoardo Ponti, to whom I’m connected by a close relationship of esteem and respect. He strongly wanted me to be the co – star in this short movie where he directed his mother. Moreover, and I say this here for the first time, I owe Gigi Campanile, the organizer of SIFF, my friendship with Edoardo, because it was him to introduce us in Los Angeles more than ten years ago.
What are you working on at the moment?
The movie “ Nomi e cognomi” by Sebastiano Rizzo has just been released. I filmed it with Maria Grazia Cucinotta and the movie was shot in Puglia, in the neighborhoods of Giovinazzo, Molfetta, Modugno and Corato.
Talking about Puglia: what is your relationship with our region?
To me, Puglia is like a second home. Especially Salento, its golden light, its Baroque, colours and the scents that remind me of Sicily and Palermo where I was born and raised.
What are your plans for the future?
I generally do not like to talk about the future. I prefer to refer to the present. But in the immediate future there is a nice project with Mauro Di Domenico – and he gestures towards him while smiling, as the latter is also here in Tricase and only a few minutes before had involved the whole audience with his playing of the guitar.
It is a tribute to Morricone, “The Legendary Morricone”, with music of the Master performed by a string orchestra of eight instruments, and the rhythm section played by the Solisti di Cinecittà, while I am the narrating voice. For this occasion, they are only playing the most unforgettable soundtracks of the artist and a piece that Morricone himself gave to Mauro. This make you understand the esteem that the musician had for the guitarist Di Domenico, an artist of rare sensitivity.
It is difficult to make Enrico talk about his private life. He is surprisingly discreet, but the most amazing thing is being in the presence of a man satisfied with his personal life, something not easy to achieve nowadays. The evening ends in front of a good pizza and at that point Enrico opens a bit more hinting at Elena, his long life companion who he married recently and at his son Giacomo, 22. The rest remains secret: the recorder does not record, the camera is put away, the sketchpad is placed in the bag. The words and the laughs we shared at the table are not part of the interview.
Thanks Enrico and thanks Gigi for giving us the opportunity to meet.
(Traduzione di Monia Saponaro)
