Basilicata-born Actress Alessandra Romano Baudelaire Making her Mark in Hollywood

Nestled in the Dolomite mountains of southern Italy's rich, historic region of Basilicata, Castelmezzano radiates the same southern beauty as its own Alessandra Romano Baudelaire, a stunning, talented filmmaker who left for Los Angeles to work as an actress. Although the move took courage and sacrifice, Romano Baudelaire has found her share of success in both leading and supporting roles.

After having recently visited her picturesque hometown and meeting members of her beautiful family, I can understand how the sincere passion for her work and the desire to make the world a better place through her art ignited her need to give it all she had and chase after her dream.

Romano Baudelaire and I have been connected for some time on social media. In light of wanting to know more about the young people of her region- why some stay and others leave- I asked her about her work, her love of acting and her dreams for the future.

Tell me about your work as an actress.

In Italy, everyone is a sort of an actor. Italy is really the country of theatre. As children, we do a lot of theatre. Then it might happen that the ‘game’ becomes your work. I was lucky enough to collaborate with top Italian theatre people such as Christan Ginepro, Isabella Urbano, Tonino Centola and many more. However, my real passion is cinema and LA is the best city for that. When I got to LA, I attended the NYFA (New York Film Academy). I was very lucky because right after graduating, I was chosen for two feature roles; one with Robert Woods, that for me was a dream come true since he is very big in Italy. He was in all the spaghetti western movies. But also, at that time, I was a spokesmodel for an American/Persian company. Recently, I worked on an Origo media production television show in a leading role, playing Rosenda and I also got cast for two other pilots where I was the lead again. One of those is a funny dating TV show (Rickshaw Romance!). The other one is a pilot, My Life After, where I play a Dominican brokenhearted daughter that lost her dad during a plane crash. I hope we’ll see those on TV very soon. I just worked as a cast member for a truTV show that is going to be on in September, but I also got notified that one of the ultra low budget shorts I’ve done as a supporting role, Very Bad Words, just received an award and one of the reasons for it was the performance of the actors…I am really happy and grateful.

Alessandra Romano Baudelaire's hometown, Castelmezzano, Italy

When did you realize that acting was your calling?

I am a very curious person that likes to explore all the nuances that the world offers us. Acting, as a form of art, gives me the freedom to reach a new unexpected genuine truth. I really think that any talent we have should be used to serve people. As artists, I think we have the responsibility to show the best part of us everyday in order to inspire others. Being creative is really something that gives me happiness. It makes me feel alive and joyful and close to the beauty of the universe.

Did you study acting before arriving in Los Angeles?

I’ve been taking acting classes all my life. I studied acting at the Smile Academy in Potenza, and at the Roma Tre Dams. I also had many coaches, two of them really made a difference for me: Natalia Florenskaja and Ivana Chubbuck.

Do you have any family in Los Angeles? Tell me something about your life there and how you have assimilated into the culture.

I am here really by myself, although I was lucky enough to find people that really care about me. Even here, I know I can count on someone, and I feel blessed it for it. This city gave me a lot, it teaches how to turn your scars into stars.

What is your dream? Do you have the desire to return to Italy someday to live?

My biggest dream is to work with Terrence Malick. In fact, my university thesis was about the way he approaches the creative process and how he works with the actors. I would love to experience that in person. I know I will retire in Venice. That’s my favorite Italian city. All the magic in the world is hidden there.

Check back for updates on the progress of Romano Baudelaire's two pilots.

Comments

Federico Fellini: A Look into the Life and Career of an Icon

A Fellini family portrait “The term became a common word to describe something on the surface you can say is bizarre or strange, but actually is really like a painter working on a film,” said Martin Scorsese when asked to define “Felliniesque,” an adjective inspired by one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. The oldest of three children, Federico Fellini was born in the seaside town of Rimini in 1920. His father was a traveling salesman, so his mother was left to do the bulk of raising the children. One can argue that Fellini was born for his destiny. “You could tell that even as a child, he was different and unique. He was very intelligent, well above average. He was always the one to organize things, direct the others, make up games. He could control the other kids with just a look, said Fellini’s sister, Maddalena, in an interview with journalist Gideon Bachmann. Not only was Fellini directing the children, but he was also putting on shows and charging ...

Ornella Muti: Five decades of Acting and Still Going Strong

Ornella Muti was born Francesca Romana Rivelli in Rome in 1955 to a Neapolitan father and an Estonian mother. She began her career as a model during her teenage years and made her film debut in 1970 with “La Moglie più bella” (The Most Beautiful Wife). Her follow-up role was in the 1971 film, “Sole nella pelle” (Sun on the Skin), in which she played the daughter of wealthy parents who runs off with a hippie they don’t approve of. The film offers a telling journey through Italian society in the seventies, with its political climate, breathtaking seaside, and the styles and cars of that time. Much of the film is set amid the sunny Italian seaside and captures the innocence and beauty of first love. Muti made her American film debut in 1980 with "Flash Gordon." She played the role of Princess Aura. She’s appeared in two other American films, including “Oscar,” directed by John Landis and starring Don Ameche, Chazz Palminteri, and Sylvester Stallone. In 1992, she w...

Model/Actress Anna Falchi

Anna Falchi was born Anna Kristiina Palomaki, on April 22, 1972, in Tampere, Finland. Her mother, Kaarina Palomaki Sisko, is Finnish, while her father, Benito "Tito" Falchi, is from Romagna, Italy. Growing up in Italy, Anna was a tomboy, and had a fervent imagination. She is known mostly for her prolific career in modelling. However, she tried her hand at acting and landed a role in one of my favorite Italian comedies, Nessun messaggio in segreteria . I consider it my one of my favorites because it brought together so many amazing, talented filmmakers during a time when they were all just starting out. Those filmmakers, Pierfrancesco Favino, Valerio Mastandrea, Luca Miniero and Paolo Genovese are now huge names in contemporary Italian cinema, so it's great to look back and see their work in a low-profile film completely different from the bigger-budget stardom they now know. Watch the trailer . Anna Falchi started her career as a...

Alessandro Gassmann: Born to Act

Alessandro Gassmannin his directorial debut "Razzabastarda" Alessandro Gassmann is the son of the iconic Italian actor/director Vittorio Gassman and French actress Juliette Mayniel. He was born in 1965 and grew up around cinema royalty. He made his cinema debut in 1982 at the age of 17 in his father's autobiographical film, "Di padre in figlio." He went on to study his craft under his father's direction at the Theatre Workshop of Florence. Vittorio Gassman was very active in theater and seemed just as comfortable on stage as he did in front of the camera. Known for his powerful interpretations of Dante's "Inferno" and "Paradiso," it is no surprise that he nurtured his son's acting aspirations on stage before he launched his career in television and film. One of Gassmann's strong qualities, which he undoubtedly inherited from his father is his incredible range and ease in going from genre to genre. He can play ...

Cineuropa's Interview with Michele Placido

It was announced this week that Michele Placido's new film, "7 minuti" will be shown at this year's Rome Film Festival. 11 amazing actresses women star in "7 minuti" by Michele Placido , a drama co-produced by Italy, France, Spain and Switzerland and being distributed by German company Koch Media. The cast features Cristiana Capotondi , Ambra Angiolini , Fiorella Mannoia , Maria Nazionale , Ottavia Piccolo , Violante Placido , Sabine Timoteo , Anne Consigny , Mimma Lovoi and Clémence Poésy . The film is based on the play of the same name by Stefano Massini, who wrote the screenplay with Placido, and is the story of 11 women, a mixture of manual labourers and office workers, who are called to the negotiation table when the owners of the textiles company they work for sell the majority of their shares to a multinational. In a short space of time they must decide, for themselves and on the behalf of their fellow colleagues, whether to accept the...

Italian Cinema Today

Search This Blog