The Italian Phenomenon of Young Actor- Mirko Trovato and "Braccialetti Rossi"

Over the last six months or so, while researching different subjects, I keep seeing this name- Mirko Trovato. It happened a few times this week, so I decided to do some investigating. What I found seems to be Italy's equivalent to Justin Bieber. However, upon a closer look, this kid seems like a real down-to-earth sweetheart and I believe that he has potential to do something great with his career in television and cinema.

At just 16-years-old, Mirko Trovato has apparently become a household name in Italy. He has a starring on role on one of the country's most popular television series, Braccialetti Rossi. The television series began in January of 2014 and has become a favorite among Italian teenagers. When I interviewed actress, Anna Ferruzzo, who plays the hospital psychologist, she gave me her thoughts on why the show has become so popular, explaining that it's the "Italian version of the Spanish television series Poiseres Vermelles". Inspired by the true story of the Spanish writer, Albert Espinosa, the series tells the stories of a group of young patients in a cancer hospital. Their friendship and love helps them to face and overcome the tragedy of disease and death. Ferruzzo feels the series has become so successful because before the series, no one on Italian television dared to talk about these important and uncomfortable issues of illness and death of young people. Braccialetti Rossi has shown that you can tell any story, even the most difficult, as long as you face it with grace, respect and truth.

The name of Trovato's character is Davide, with his nickname being Il bello. On describing his experience working on the show, Trovato calls it a "great adventure that has given me so many emotions, satisfactions and created so many memories." He goes on to say, "I've met so many people that I am very fond of. My character is a bit 'hard and grumpy, but basically sensible. I have fun while I work, and the best thing is living my dream."

According to Trovato's biography on RAI Television's website, he was born in Rome on  February 13, 1999. He lives in the Roman comune, Pomezia, with his parents and older sister. In his spare time, he likes to draw, play soccer, swim and experiment in computer science. Braccialetti Rossi is his first television experience. He said that he auditioned for the role 8 times before receiving the good news that he got it. On fame, he said that he's had to change his cell phone number twice and had to shut down his Facebook page because it became too overwhelming to handle. However, he enjoys stopping to talk with his fans and signing autographs.

Like most child stars, he will probably find it challenging to land the right roles that will bridge his career from teen idol to character actor, but hopefully he'll have the right guidance to do it. In the meantime, he's part of a beautiful, ground-breaking show that has brought to light the plights of so many young, beautiful souls. I can imagine that for the children that are dealing with cancer and disease, it must give them comfort to watch Braccialetti Rossi, knowing they are not alone in their battles. That aspect is a wonderful gift this young actor has been able to give through his work on this show.