Frost interviewed the beautiful and talented Claudia Gerini. Prolific and mufti-lingual, Claudia can be seen in Labyrinth, broadcast on Friday 29 and Sunday 31st March on Channel 4.
You got your first role when you were only 14. Do you think starting so young was a good thing?
Well, I think that there are advantages and disadvantages in all of
one’s decisions. Perhaps the positive side of this was that I started to work
immediately and was able to throw myself into the career that I had always
known I wanted to follow. The negative side could be that I started to work
straight away and so I wasn’t able to develop other interests or perhaps lost
out on other things but, at the end of the day I think that say it was a more
positive than negative outcome.
What is your favourite role you have played?
Well, I suppose it was the part that I had I’m Crazy about Iris Blond. I
played the part of a waitress ― Iris Blond ― who then becomes a singer and
given that singing is my passion and the role required me to sing a lot, I really
enjoyed that part.
You have over 53 credits on IMDB, how do you think you managed to have such a long and prolific career?
I suppose taking decisions and making the right choices. I don’t really
know. I follow a trajectory in which I try to follow a set of principles and be
faithful to my ideas and plans. Part of this is probably my love of challenge
and so I try not to repeat myself too much and I am always on the look out for
new genres and different roles.
Favourite film?
I have no doubts about that one. Moulin Rouge by Baz Luhrmann. I
don’t know how many times I’ve seen it over the years.
Favourite genre to work in?
I think I’d have to say comedy, a more romantic or ironic comedy but
then again, given that I like changing genres and roles and I am always on
the look out for a challenging role, I like dramatic roles as well.
You have worked in many different languages. Do you find learning
other languages hard? What is your favourite language to work in?
I find it quite easy to learn new languages, probably because I have a
good ear and so I tend to pick up the sounds quickly. I learned Spanish,
French and English this way and if I have to work in another language then
probably I prefer working in Spanish or English.
What would you be if you were not an actress?
If I could stay in the entertainment sector then I’d love to be a singer. If
I had to change sector then I think I’d love to work with children, young
children; perhaps as a pedagogue or even a primary school teacher.
How do you stay in shape?
I keep in shape by going to Taekwondo classes 3 times a week. Its so
energetic that you don’t really need to do anything else; there is a lot of cardio
and stretching and so its an all-round sporting activity. Recently I’ve
discovered pole dancing which is a lot of fun so I suppose just keeping myself
in movement. You know, being a full-time working mother, I have very little
time to sit and relax and another thing is that I’m slowly moving towards a
more vegetarian diet as well even though I still eat meat occasionally.
What’s next for you?
At the moment I am working on some projects that will be staring this
summer and so I’ll be back on set shooting in July. Tulpa is also being
released in Italy on the 30th of May and so I’ll be a bit busy with that as well
and so, in general, I’m getting ready to start filming again this summer.