What is the best thing that I love about my work?

What I like most about being an actor is that it not only allows me to expand my life by letting me live many lives, but it also gives me the honor, the privilege and the responsibility of offering my emotions as a cathartic gift to those who look at me while I’m acting. This is, of course, a great gift for my personal life, too. As an actor, I love the amazing possibility to experience what Carrie Fisher said in her inspiring statement: “Take your broken heart and make it into art”.

What is my idea of perfect happiness?

I never could be perfectly happy knowing that other people’s lives are unhappy. I come from a big family, the eldest of seven children, and I developed very early a strong sense of community. Also I grew up in the Seventies, when lots of young people used to be very committed and involved in political and social problems. So inevitably, like in a John Lennon’s song: I can imagine a perfect happiness only in an ideal world with peace, love, freedom, health, justice, equality and respect for everyone. Looking for something a little bit easier to be realized, I can say that every time I reach a new, important objective in my life (for myself or for people I love), this allows me to experience some unforgettable moments of perfect happiness.

What is my greatest fear?

Death. Whether it is mine or that of my loved ones, it frightens me and makes me feel powerless. But I do not want to think about it except in order to give even more value to the beauty and the uniqueness of the life.

What is the trait that I most deplore in myself?

My inability to stay focused on only one thing. I’m always making plans and working on each of them while I’m already thinking of the next one. It’s a big problem because since I am unwilling to give up on anything, I often overlap or overload my days, sometimes ending literally stuck deciding what to do first.

Which living persons in my profession do i most admire?

My icon is Meryl Streep. She’s absolutely amazing in whichever role she takes. She’s also smart, strong, positive, committed and generous. And, despite the huge success she has achieved, she never stops working hard on her own training. This is a fantastic example for anyone wants to become a great actor.

What is my greatest extravagance?

I adore the sea and love practicing sailing, without ever learning to swim.

On what occasion would I lie?

While acting, of course. Or, in the real life, only to protect someone from something dangerous or sad.

What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work?

The waiting. Actors are always waiting: waiting for a role that fits you; waiting during casting; waiting, not knowing if you have been chosen; waiting for the shooting dates; waiting for when you will be acting your scenes and finally waiting to see the results of your work. Waiting… waiting… waiting… I’m not good at waiting!

When and where was I the happiest, in my work?

The first time I saw myself on the big screen in a cinema and I realized that my dream was possible. For this fantastic experience I have to say thank you to my dear teacher at the “Scuola di Cinema Immagina” in Florence, Giuseppe Ferlito, who was also the brilliant director of the first movie I was in.

If I could, what would I change about myself?

My age. Even if I often joke about it, I don’t have real a real problem with signs of aging. I’m also happy with who I am now. I’ve no regrets, and I think if I could born again I would do exactly what I have done in my life, also the wrong things. But the years are going too fast and I still have so much to learn, to do and to experience! The time is never enough!

What is my greatest achievement in work?

The learning of the Chubbuck Technique. I did it in Rome with Patrizia de Santis, who is the only teacher certified and authorized by Ivana Chubbuck (the famous coach of many great Hollywood actors) to teach her technique in Italy. Under the sensitive and charismatic lead of Patrizia, I learned how to find in myself a strength and a power that I never would have believed to have possessed before, and that was incredibly useful, not only in acting, but also in my real life. I also realized that you never finish learning and that if you work hard with dedication, love and determination you can achieve all your goals.

Where would I most like to live?

I want to travel a lot, but I want to live in Italy forever. I was born in Calabria, I lived in Liguria, Campania and now in Tuscany, near Florence. I loved every single place I lived in and still love the people, nature, food, art, music, and culture of every Italian region. I have a big passion for my language, which I have taught for many years, and I ‘m also fascinated by the regional dialects and the expressive gestures that make our way of communicating unique in the world. Going over the stereotypes of Italy – – sun, heart, love, pizzas, moms and mandolins – – I’m also aware, of course, that we have lots of economic and social problems and sometimes I feel I want to escape somewhere else, but at the end I always choose to remain here and try to do my best to build a better future.

What is my most treasured possession?

The love of my son, my family and my friends. I couldn’t live without it.

What is my most marked characteristic?

To be able to find something good in every situation and in every person.

What is my most inspirational location, in my city?

The Santa Maria Novella Train Station. In general, I like train stations and airports very much. They are places where anything can happen, where stories, lives and feelings are intertwined, in which the beginning, the becoming and the end of things are found in the swirling passages of human beings coming and going. At Santa Maria Novella I love this microcosm of emotions, inserted in the reassuring landscape of my daily life. And then, I’m an actress: I love crossing the station knowing that I’m surrounded by people to whom I could be anyone: a desperate lover or a happy mother, a queen in disguise or an employee late for her job. Sometimes I end up believing I am someone else too. I play a bit. I smile, or take advantage of my being anonymous among the crowd to shed a tear if I feel a bit sad. Then I go out of the station and I taste the happiness of being in the most beautiful city in the world.

What is my favourite place to eat and drink, in my city?

Any place where I can spend time with my friends: it doesn’t really matter if it is for a sandwich, an aperitivo, a pizza, or any other kind of food or drink. But when I’m very tired and stressed there’s nothing like a huge dish of pasta and a good glass of red wine, whatching a movie on TV, sitting on my old sofa, with my cat Chanel purring next to me.

What books influenced my life and how?

So many! When I was little my mother used to come into my bedroom late in the night to swich off the light and ordering: “Stop reading and start sleeping, Susy!”. I’ve read and I’m still reading lots of all kinds of books . Every book has left me with some message, even the ones I forgot. As Rilke said about the memories: I wait until the books I read turn into my blood, look, gesture, and no longer stand out from my being.

Who are my favorite writers?

Both classical or modern writers who can tell me stories of lives, and give me emotions. And also the ones that help me to better understand what I am and what I want. Among these ones, I’ve loved, for example, Alberto Savinio: musician, painter, dramaturge, writer and theatrical critic. Master of irony, he used to say that what is often called superficiality is actually just the first layer of the profondity. Now I know that I want to be this kind of superficial person.

You Only Die Once. What music would I listen on my last day?

Astor Piazzolla, Oblivion. And dance the tango until my last breath…

Who is my hero or heroine in fiction?

Since I was a child I’ve liked Morticia Addams. Growing up, with my long black hair and my dark dresses I even started to look a little bit like her. In my mind Morticia and the Addams family were the heros of the social differences and in a certain sense I felt my big southern family coming in Sixties to the North of Italy, was seen a little bit similar to these strange people. My heroine Morticia is the symbol of somebody who wins against the differences and the discrimination with creativity, class and sense of humour.

Who are my heroes and heroines in real life?

My mother is my heroine in real life. Daughter of a blacksmith, she used to say that she was made of iron. And she was the sweetest iron woman in the world, even in the hardest days of her illness. She was the best mother ever, a great woman, the person I would like to resemble more in life and who I will miss forever.

Which movie would i recommend to see once in a lifetime?

Gone with the wind. Scarlett O’Hara is another of my favourites heroines and with her I would like to always remember that “After all, tomorrow is another day”.

What role does art play in my life and work?

I am fascinated by art and in my life I tried to practice different types of it, maybe sometimes without a real talent but always with passion and enthusiasm. I love the art that changes the world and makes it better. I love being surrounded by art and beauty. And I want to make my work as an actress my greatest work of art.

Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime?

My son. Thank you, Vittorio! You are the best thing I’ve ever done in my life.

I love you.

Whom would I like to work with in 2017?

My greatest dream would be working with Carlo Verdone. I wish I could have even a very small role in one of his movies. I think he is one of the most representative actors of my generation. He was able to create and play with empathy, effectiveness, intelligence, sense of humour and an amazing talent, a gallery of characters that will remain in the history of Italian cinema.

Which people in my profession would I love to meet in 2017?

I would like to meet the most important Italian directors: Sorrentino, Tornatore, Garrone, Salvatores, Amelio, Virzì, and lots of others until I find a brave one, who will want me to be the lead actress in a great love story with a protagonist of my age.

What project, in 2017, am I looking forward to work on?

Is there anything, in acting, I’m not looking forward to work on?

Where can you see me or my work in 2017?

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, You Tube and… stay tuned!

What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me?

It means that the best is yet to come!

Which creative heroines should Peter invite to tell their story?

Anamaria Mayer, Francesca Cellini

How can you contact me?

Mail: susanna.mollica@hotmail.com

Facebook: Susanna Mollica