Teenage actress, Margherita Mazzucco, has taken the world by storm with her stunning portrayal of Elena Greco in the critically acclaimed HBO series, My Brilliant Friend. The show is based on The Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante and tells the coming-of-age story of two close friends living in Italy. The show itself has earned a lot of praise and Margherita’s performance has been a big part of it. Despite being relatively new to acting, people are already blown away by her level of skill. But even though she has been thrust into the spotlight, Margherita hasn’t revealed much about herself. Of course, this only makes fans want to know more. Here are 10 facts you didn’t know about Margherita Mazzucco.
1. She Never Acted Before Auditioning For My Brilliant Friend
Not only did Margherita Mazzucco have no professional acting experience before auditioning for My Brilliant Friend, but she wasn’t even actively pursuing a career in acting. In fact, she had been planning to pursue a career in language or architecture. However, when a friend showed her the flyer for the audition, she decided to take a chance and attend the final day of auditions. Out of over 9,000 people who tried out for the role, the casting directors ultimately chose Margherita.
2. She Has To Wear Extra Padding On Set
Margherita Mazzucco portrays Elena Greco during her teenage years in My Brilliant Friend. Part of Elena’s storyline is that she is going through puberty. In order to look the part, Margherita must wear extra padding on set to give her body a more full look.
3. She Spent Hours In Makeup To Get Acne
Extra padding isn’t the only thing Margherita Mazzucco has to put on in order to fully get into her character. She also spends hours in makeup on set to have acne added to her face. Although some may feel like pimples are a minute detail, they are actually very important to Elena and the message her character sends. After all, acne is a common occurrence for many teens, and having a face full of pimples can lead to anxiety and self-esteem issues.
4. She Sometimes Doubts Her Abilities
Despite being chosen for a leading role over thousands of other people, Margherita Mazzucco admits she sometimes doubts her abilities as an actress. In an interview with Vogue, she confessed, “Even today, I asked myself why they picked me.” However, viewers seem to be highly impressed with Margherita’s talents and she has quickly become one of the most talked about young actresses.
5. She Is Worried The Next Actress Who Portrays Elena Could Undo Her Hard Work
Due to the nature of My Brilliant Friend, new actors will have to be cast every season or so. Although it is likely that Margherita won’t be returning for the show’s next season at some point, she will have to say goodbye to Elena as the character moves into the next phase of her life. She hopes that whoever portrays Elena next will pick up where she left off. During an interview with Fan Page, Margherita confessed, “I just hope that whoever comes after me won’t distort the character I have built. It would be really bad to see the work I did, distorted.”
6. She Didn’t Like Elena’s Character Initially
When Margherita Mazzucco first began learning about Elena, she didn’t think the two had anything in common. She didn’t even like Elena and felt that the character was too calm and passive. However, she soon realized they were more alike than she initially thought. Margherita told The Guardian, “I began to understand the character much better, and then I grew to like her. At first glance Elena seems shy and reserved, but in reality she has a great determination, discipline and courage, which enables her to escape poverty and change her life through education.”
7. She Doesn’t Have Social Media
Most teenagers’ lives revolve around social media, but not Margherita’s. The teen doesn’t appear to have any social media accounts, though there are a few fake pages floating around unofficially linked to the actress. It’s clear that she prefers not to share too much about her personal life, so it’ll be interesting to see if she opens up as her career progresses.
8. She Still Attends School
Being one of the main cast members on a TV show is undoubtedly a full-time job. But even with her busy schedule, Margherita still managed to attend school. Margherita told the L.A. Times that she was thankful that one of her teachers took the time to encourage her. After filming, Margherita would go to school and take her tests. She noted that she wasn’t given any special treatment and was held to the same standards as other students.
9. Her Mother Encouraged Her To Pursue Acting
Some parents may be terrified at the thought of their child wanting to pursue a non-traditional career path like acting, but Margherita Mazzucco’s mother had a different response. When Margherita spotted the flyer for the audition, she asked her mom what she thought and her mom encouraged her to go for it.
10. She Credits Saverio Costanzo With Teaching Her How To Act
My Brilliant Friend is directed by Saverio Costanzo. Margherita Mazzucco credits him with teaching her everything she knows about acting. She says that he worked with her extensively to get into character and helped her with everything down to her facial expressions and how to make eye contact with the camera.
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