Claudio Santamaria: Cinematic Chameleon

Claudio Santamaria and his wife author/journalist Francesca Barra in Rome

A recent New York Times Magazine article stated the actors belonging to the new concept of a character actor are, instead of playing types, hired for “their ability to play no type at all, to disappear into roles completely while at the same time imbuing their performances with something memorable; they are chameleons in the truest sense of that word.” This description certainly applies to Claudio Santamaria.

Born in Rome in 1974, Santamaria began his acting career in 1997, quickly making a name for himself while working with the likes of Bernardo Bertolucci, Bud Spencer and Monica Bellucci. In 2001, he emerged as a major force in contemporary Italian cinema with his performance in Gabriele Muccino’s record-breaking "l'ultimo bacio" (The Last Kiss). As Paolo, brash Gen Xer forced to come to terms with getting older, being responsible and letting go of a lost love, he plays the leader of a pack with whom countless young adults in Italy could identify. The film broke box office records there and earned Muccino Best Director and Best Screenplay prizes at the David di Donatello Awards as well as the Audience Award at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. In 2010, Santamaria reunited with Muccino and the cast for a reprisal of his their roles in "Baciami ancora" (Kiss Me Again).

In Emanuele Crialese’s 2011 "Terraferma," Santamaria has a small but powerful role as a police chief cracking down on the fishermen helping clandestine immigrants enter the island of Lampedusa. Santamaria’s character is a law-enforcer showing no sympathy for acts of kindness towards the refugees. Though his appearance is brief, his presence and command prove that, even with just a few lines, Santamaria can make a strong statement.

Gabriele Mainetti’s "Lo chiamavano Jeeg Robot" (They Call Me Jeeg Robot) was a wildly imaginative runaway success in 2015, and much of the credit for that goes to Santamaria’s outstanding performance. A classic tale of good vs. evil that combines the thrills of an action adventure and the suspense of a horror movie, the film pits Santamaria’s flawed hero against a villainous gangster played by Luca Marinelli. Watching these two talented actors fully immerse themselves in their roles is awe-inspiring. Santamaria plays Enzo, a loner who obsessively eats eating single-serving puddings and robs ATM machines. After being chased by the police, he falls into Rome’s Tiber River and is exposed to radioactive waste, which gives him super powers and strength beyond his wildest dreams. Along the way, he meets and falls in love with Alessia. She inspires him to use his super-human abilities to make the world a better place. When Marinelli’s character "The Gypsy" catches wind of Enzo’s new skill set, he hunts him down and that’s when the real fun begins. Santamaria delivers an empathic performance that makes the audience root for him despite his flaws.

"The Millionairs"

Last year, Santamaria stepped behind the camera and directed his second short film. "The Millionairs" is a noir-style tale of deception and desperation fueled by greed. Brimming with suspicious characters, suspenseful scenes and dark landscapes, the film was produced by Marinetti and features a diverse cast, which includes Peppe Servillo and Sabrina Impacciatore, and has earned rave reviews. The project brought Santamaria back to his southern roots. Set in the mountainous terrain of Basilicata's Pollino National Park, the largest protected area in Europe, the film was the first official project of Lu.Ca., an initiative to bring together the film commissions of Calabria and Basilicata. Santamaria and Mainetti have co-presented "The Millionairs" at numerous film festivals. In November, Santamaria brought the film to this side of the Atlantic, presenting it at the 13th edition of the Cinema Italian Style fest in Los Angeles.

When he’s not making and promoting films, Santamaria has been seen out and about with the woman in his life, journalist and novelist Francesca Barra. Both with origins in Basilicata, the two originally met as teenagers when they shared a special slow dance while on summer break with their families. They went their separate ways and last year, rekindled that spark of many years ago.

Santamaria recently wrapped up shooting on Antonio Morabito’s "Rimetti a noi i nostri debiti" (Forgive Us Our Debts) which focuses on the victims of a loan shark. The project is currently in post-production. "The Last Kiss," "They Call Me Jeeg Robot" and "Terraferma" are available through Amazon.

- Jeannine Guilyard

Comments

The Legend of Alberto Sordi - Rome's Eternal Son

′′They will always judge you, whether you behave well or if you behave badly. So screw it and live as you want but above all don't listen to anyone.′′ - Alberto Sordi By giving his fellow Italians something to laugh about during tumultuous times, he emerged as his generation’s King of Comedy. One of Italy’s best-loved personalities, Alberto Sordi played a pivotal role in Italian cinema from the end of World War II to the postwar economic boom of the 1950s. During those tumultuous years, he gave his countrymen a hearty laugh when they might have otherwise cried. Former Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi perhaps said it best: “Alberto Sordi interpreted the feelings of Italians, especially in their most difficult and tough moments.” Born in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome in 1920, Sordi grew up in a creative household. His mother was an elementary school teacher and his father, a professional musician for the Rome Opera House. A young Sordi joined the children’s choir o...

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 ...

Luminous Legacies: Yoichi Ohira’s Murano Glass at Magazzino Italian Art

A new exhibition in Cold Spring, New York, is bringing the luminous legacy of Murano glassmaking into focus through the work of Japanese artist Yoichi Ohira. “Yoichi Ohira: Japan in Murano” is on view at Magazzino Italian Art until February 2027. The exhibit showcases the work of Ohira, who became a leading figure in the design of Venetian glassworks on the island of Murano. The exhibition features works that highlight the uniqueness of Ohira’s art across the decades of his career. Ohira’s earliest Murano works blend Venetian glass techniques with his own style. These pieces show balanced shapes, clear surfaces, and striking color combinations. His Venezia e l’Oriente (Venice and the Orient) decanters reflect Venice’s ties to the East, creating vases inspired by Marco Polo’s tales with a modern twist. The exhibition shows Ohira’s respect for Murano’s glass masters, displaying objects alongside preparatory drawings that map ideas to the final works of art. It also explores ho...

The Sweetness and Genius of Giulietta Masina

Fellini and Masina on the set of "La Strada" As open-hearted and sunny as Federico Fellini was dark and complex, they were perfect counterpoints during a half-century of marriage and professional collaboration. Nicknamed a “female Chaplin” and described by Chaplin himself as the actress who moved him most, Giulietta Masina confronted the tragedy of her characters with an eternal innocence and enthusiasm that gave Italians hope in the most challenging of times. Born in 1921 in San Giorgio di Piano, a commune north of Bologna, Masina was the oldest of four children born to a father who was a music professor and violinist and a mother who was a grade-school teacher. Her parents sent her as a child to live in Rome with her widowed aunt while she attended school there. As Masina took an early interest in gymnastics, her aunt saw in her a passion for performing and encouraged her to pursue acting. So after high school, Masina attended Rome’s La...

In Conversation with Talia Shire

She has immortalized two of the most memorable characters in American cinema and now she’s promoting her new film that mirrors issues facing the working class. Talia Shire became a household name in the 1970s with her role as Connie Corleone in "The Godfather" and Adrian Balboa in "Rocky"– two characters that went on to experience tremendous growth in the sequels of both films. Shire and her brother, collaborator and director Francis Ford Coppola grew up in a family that embraced the arts. Their father Carmine Coppola was a renowned flutist and composer. He often took his children on the road when he performed. So there was always that creative energy and sense of adventure present in their childhood and adolescent years. “What you have to understand is that Francis is probably the greatest writer. He and Mario (Puzo) did Shakespeare and the Greeks. So people who love "The Godfather" are really listening to literature. He went on and did what ...

Italian Cinema Today

Search This Blog