Tommaso Ragno: From Stage to Screen

Tommaso Ragno in a scene from "Nostalgia"

A seasoned character actor, his performances reflect the diversity and intensity of his stage training as well as his knack for comic timing.

Born in 1967 in the region of Puglia, Tommaso Ragno grew up in the north of Italy and studied acting at the Paolo Grassi School of Dramatic Arts in Milan. In 1988, he appeared in his first stage production, which was directed by Mario Martone, a filmmaker who would have a huge impact on his work. 

 

Ragno continued perfecting his craft, building a distinguished career as a theater actor for a decade before his gradual transition into film. During those early years, he worked with renowned directors on productions ranging from Shakespeare to Eduardo De Filippo.

 

Though he built an impressive theater resume, he was destined for success beyond the stage. His first screen role came in 1997 in Davide Ferrario’s “Tutti giù per terra” (All Down to Earth), followed by parts in various television series. He went back and forth between TV, film and theater during the late ‘90s and early 2000s.

 

In 2007, he took on the complex role of a womanizer in Emidio Greco’s “L’uomo privato” (Unseen). The film follows a seductive law professor who engages in casual affairs with students and colleagues. Insensitive to their feelings, he is caught off guard when one young student falls in love with him and is overcome by grief when he calls off their affair. He soon becomes involved in the girl’s life when her new boyfriend is found dead. The tragedy forces him to finally consider the pain he has caused through his indifference. Ragno gives a thoughtful, subtle performance as a man coming to terms with the consequences of his actions.

 

The ensuing decade solidified his career as a screen actor, with important roles in films by Bernardo Bertolucci, Paolo Virzì and Alice Rohrwacher. Two roles in particular helped define his career.

 

In 2018, he starred in the Italian series “Il miracolo” (The Miracle) as Padre Marcello, a priest who has lost his faith in God. It was a tumultuous period for the actor, as he was going through a difficult separation. He made Padre Marcello an outlet for the stress and pain he was feeling and, in doing so, delivered an award-winning performance.

Also that year, he began the first of three seasons on the Netflix series “Baby,” directed by Andrea De Sica, Anna Negri and Letizia Lamartire. Inspired by a scandal that rocked Rome’s upscale Parioli neighborhood in 2013, the series follows two high school girls and their classmates as they get caught up in a prostitution ring.

 

Ragno interprets the role of Alberto Fedeli, a stern high school principal and overbearingly strict father. The arc of this character is impressive. Ragno brings a great deal of pathos to Alberto while lending a touch of naivete that resulted in some much-needed comic relief. In a cast of superbly written and performed characters, Alberto stands out as a mysterious man who slowly lets down his guard to reveal a warm, thoughtful human being trying to do his best as chaos unfolds around him.

 

In Episode 5 of the first season, during a moving scene with his son, Alberto says, “We single parents have to be tougher than the others because we have nobody to support us.” He finishes the thought by cracking a joke. Thanks to Ragno’s kind smile and sincere gaze, the scene is a revelation, showing that someone who at first appears villainous is actually relying on tough love to guide the youngsters so dear to him.

 

The 2020s are proving to be even busier for Ragno. In a recent interview with Fra Noi, he talked about his surprise at the direction his career has taken. “Most of my life was spent in theater. In the last five years, I’ve started to work more often in movies and television series. What I’m experiencing now is that it’s the best time for me to be a movie actor,” he explains. “When I was younger, I thought there was no space for actors like me in movies and television series given my background as a theater actor. It took some time for me to understand how to present myself as a movie actor. It was a turning point.”

 

In 2020, Ragno appeared in the first two episodes of Season 4 of the FX series “Fargo.” His character, Donatello Fada, once again called upon his inherent sense of comic timing. The series brought Ragno to Chicago, where he shot on location right before the pandemic. “It was a great experience. I was blessed to be there with great writers and actors. It was a dream,” he says.

 

He goes on to talk about his appreciation for the city. “Chicago is a very European city. And at the same time, it’s also American. In my vision, the American culture is really very important.”

 

Pierfrancesco Favino and Tommaso Ragno 
as Felice and Oreste in "Nostalgia"
Photo by Mario Spada, True Colours

Arguably his finest performance came in Mario Martone’s 2022 thriller “Nostalgia.” Adapted from the 2016 novel by Ermanno Rea, the film follows two former childhood friends who haven’t seen each other in 40 years. Felice (Pierfrancesco Favino) returns to his hometown of Naples after living abroad for his entire adult life. Upon his arrival, he is surprised to find his mother living in squalor. He cares for her, but sadly she passes away. His new mission is to reunite with his childhood friend Oreste (Ragno), who has become the neighborhood’s ruthless crime boss. Felice confesses to his priest that when he was a teenager, he was sent away after the mischievous friends were involved in a robbery that turned fatal. Felice and Oreste have had no contact since.

Even though Felice’s friends try to discourage him from pursuing Oreste, he insists that he knows Oreste like no other and goes ahead with the meeting. He finds his old friend changed and distant, living in isolation in a broken-down apartment. Oreste shows no interest in forgiving Felice for abandoning him all those years ago and warns him to leave Naples forever. Felice refuses to leave and suffers the consequences.

 

The role of Oreste was an intellectual and physical feat, according to Ragno. “The first thing I did was learn the Neapolitan dialect. It’s not just a language but also a way of thinking,” he explains. “My body also had to be excessive for that role. It was very strong, un corpo muscoloso, un corpo allenato (a strong, trained body). That gave the appearance of an animal in a cage.” 

 

“Nostalgia” won a whole slew of awards, with Ragno receiving best-supporting actor from the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists. In June, he traveled to New York to present the film at the 23rd edition of Lincoln Center’s annual series Open Roads: New Italian Cinema.

 

With dozens of stage, television and film projects under his belt, Ragno has earned every bit of his success and is taking nothing for granted. “I’m grateful for everything that is happening,” he says.

 

Most of the aforementioned films are available to stream. Click on the titles for direct links.

-Written by Jeannine Guilyard for the September 2023 issue of Fra Noi Magazine. Click here to subscribe.