MI Ciao Benedetta, how are you? It’s exciting to collaborate with you on this project in which you are wearing Gucci DIY Collection looks. These are incredible pieces with precious embroideries that subtly echo the Haute Couture…
BP Ciao Maddalena! I am so glad to be part of this amazing project and to be wearing these unique looks. It feels like home given the special relationship I have with Gucci. I am good, currently on vacation, but I went back to work and noticed things are starting to move again, which I am very happy about. I have to admit though the lockdown time-out was good for me. It really taught us to slow down and reset our lives with a new and lucid perspective.
MI Baby third season will be out soon on Netflix! How do you feel about it?
BP I am thrilled! The series has been such a fundamental part of my professional path. The relationship I have with the people I have worked with and the whole project itself is just so extraordinary. My life has completely changed since I embarked on this project. Somehow, I am glad this journey has come to an end. Life is also about phases and Chiara’s character ran its course. We narrated what needed to be said. I am leaving a role I am deeply attached to, and not seeing the people I worked with as often as usual will be hard… but hey, that’s also part of the rhythm of this job . [laugh]
MI During a recent interview you defined Baby as a “rough generational portrait” which, I imagine, kind of resonates with your teen experience. What hopes do you have for your generation?
throughout the story full looks Gucci.
It is great to see many youngsters fighting for what they believe in. I truly hope the world is moving in a better direction. It would be amazing if we didn’t need movements like #BlackLivesMatter, at all. But at least, now, that thunderous silence has been broken. To achieve a real cultural improvement everyone has to take part.
BP The generational context narrated by Baby is for sure something I knew about, growing up in Rome during the same period and hanging out in the same neighborhoods the series is set in. Many situations are quite familiar, which is why I felt this huge attraction to Chiara’s character. I absolutely wanted to play this part… The series definitely depicts a lonely generation which has no mentors, no confidence or self-esteem. What I hope is that my generation finds something that motivates them from within and that they could hold on to – . a passion, a friend, a lover something that drives them, as they seem to be wandering with no direction, trying to survive this huge sense of emptiness they feel.
MI During these months we have been questioning issues such as environmental sustainability and racism with the #BlackLives Matter movement, asking what we can do to create a better and safer socio-cultural context. Do you think these are issues young people approach with the necessary awareness? Are there any aspects you feel more sensitive about?
BP These are complex issues, but I am positive we are going towards a big change. I find my generation to be much more aware in regards to things such as the environment and mutual respect when compared to my parent’s generation. It is great to see many youngsters fighting for what they believe in. I truly hope the world is moving in a better direction. It would be amazing if we didn’t need movements like #BlackLivesMatter, at all. But at least, now, that thunderous silence has been broken. To achieve a real cultural improvement everyone has to take part.
MI Back to you. Most of the time when we look at the lives of young stars people only see the glamorous side. But a lot of work happens behind the scenes. Having started when you were very young, how was switching from school to a grown-up, professional context?
BP It was such a weird process because I had never thought about acting before. By chance, I did a casting, and even though I had never taken any classes, a month later I was on set with an amazing cast of actors and a four-year contract with this amazing Italian series.
I had no idea what I was about to embark on and at the beginning, it was kind of hard to get used to it. I changed school in order to handle the workload, but I was so confused. I was 15 years old and no one really had the time to prepare me for that. And then, I slowly settled in, I learned to observe, I understood how many people and how much work there is off-screen… On set, you have to be present and focused and the work you have to do on your own at home more intimate and specific. To find a balance was difficult, but today I made friends with some amazing people at work and I also have my school friends who I’ve known since always.
MI What are your upcoming projects?
We would love to watch you on international screens. How do you feel about acting in a different language?
BP Hopefully, I will be able to share my upcoming projects soon. At the moment it’s still top secret. I’d love to act in a different language, work abroad and experience a different culture. It would be just amazing! Let’s say I am working to get there.
MI During these months we have been reflecting on how our lifestyles have affected the present times and asking ourselves how we want the future to look. Indeed, A Better Future is this issue’s theme. What are your hopes for the future?
BP I’d love to live in a world where there isn’t this oppressive and constantly threatening judgment over all of us. I hope there won’t be inequalities anymore. I hope we will live peacefully in a world where we won’t have to feel ashamed or cope with the crazy injustices we constantly read about today. I think I am part of a responsible and brilliant generation that wants things to change. I am proud to be part of it and I hope I’ll be able to contribute.
