Paolo Briguglia is a young and talented Italian actor. Born in 1974 in Palermo, he studied at the Silvio D'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Art in Rome, where he graduated in 1998. He has achieved great success in various media, including film, theater and television.

Among his most important works for film are "El Alamein" by Enzo Monteleone, “I cento Passi” by Marco Tullio Giordana, “Buongiorno, notte” by Marco Bellocchio, "Ma quando arrivano le ragazze" by Pupi Avati, "La Terra" by Sergio Rubini, and "Basilicata Coast to Coast" by Rocco Papaleo. Among his TV roles are those for "Il tunnel della libertà," “Il figlio della luna,” “Caravaggio,” "Giovanni Falcone," and “Era mio Fratello.” Recently on stage he has been performing in “Il gioco dell’amore e del caso.”

You are a versatile actor: theater, film and television. When you have a new part, do you have places where you prefer to study? How do you put yourself in character?
Developing a character is a lengthy process and is a test of patience; it’s full of mistakes, frustration, and then a ray of light appears, when you can see, yes, that’s the way! Every film/ play/TV program has its own story and origin. Creating the character can become a fascinating journey. You may have to play a real person and begin with that. But many times you create a character with your imagination and the places that you visit can help that process. It 's always nice to see what our creative imagination can pull out of our memory banks, in which case an external place is less necessary than is the search for new routes. Instead you need a great willingness to look within and without, to see what is right for the character, and to do so fearlessly.

Right now you are in a play, "Il Gioco dell'Amore e del Caso." What are your favorite theaters in Italy? And for the after-theater where you like to go?
One of my favorite theaters is Teatro Valle in Rome, a small treasure, a mysterious island. Also dear to me are Lauro Rossi Theater in Macerata, in Le Marche, and a small theater in Emilia, in the town of Rio Saliceto. Italian theaters are like wise old men and children, always with a soul and a heart. When our tour arrives in a new theater I try to listen to the voices suspended in air: to the voices of my illustrious colleagues who preceded me on the planks; to the voices of the public who laughed or cried or dreamed. I try to spend a some time in the theater in an off hour, when no is there... And after the performance, still full of adrenaline, you go to eat, laugh, joke, and drink!

Film, television or theater?
All of them, of course! And to break down the barriers among these worlds, to bring a bit of naturalness to the theater and a larger scale to television ...

Your story as an actor is closely linked to Italy, to its culture and its history (including social). What does being Italian mean to you?
I have always chosen "weighty" (so to speak) roles and films because of the epic dimension of the story: the struggles, the tragedies of our country; the spirit of us Italians, of our combative and creative sides; of our tenacious strife for truth and justice. It seems a paradox today, but we Italians know who we are and what we love. I have great confidence in Italy!

Among places or ways that show the best of Italy, what comes to mind?
I am reminded of the amazing beauty of our cities, so unique in the world, of which we are aware. (Perhaps we should let them impress us and admire them more often.) I think of taverns hidden in the alleys of the historic centers, full of secrets, of different regional traditions (we Sicilians are enriched by Arab influences). Sharing a meal with loved ones is one of the things that we Italians love most, to savor slowly and with awareness, the fascination of being suspended in time. And then I think the landscape of the Dolomites, in the summer when I have time I explore the mountains, and the Umbrian countryside and Sicily’s sea, which I love.

You have a very sharp and coherent imagination. For you, what is style and elegance? Is there anything that you could never do without?
I'm not the type who knows how to construct an image ... I have my own! People see more or less what I am. I like to be consistent, to be who I say I am. Style and elegance? They are joy and imagination, showing respect for others and for life through the clothes that we wear, to celebrate the everyday and the holidays. I think that when you create clothes or shoes or accessories, you add your zest for life, right? I like things that last. I like leather, wool, cotton, organic materials that stand the test of time. I do not like things made in haste and of poor quality, that after just a short time you throw away. To me that seems a terrible waste.

Still thinking about style and elegance, is there a character (alive or not) that you admire?
A style icon? Cary Grant! Always so elegant and full of irony ... even in the most absurd situations in those Hitchcock films, even when he escapes from the plane that flies over his head and tries to kill him in "North by Northwest." His face always seems to have a smile as if to say: it’s ok guys, it's only a movie!

Why Tod's?
It seems to me that the things we discussed are in tune with the spirit of Tod's. Style meets quality and elegance, is never removed from common sense. The quality of the basic materials and the ability to create something timeless. Fashion, like theater, trades of art and craft, is made by people and for people, not “consumers.” I think that Tod's is very aware of the difference.

Style by Virginia Galateri
Photo by Pietro Olivetta

Special thanks to: Teatro Manzoni Milano

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