Lorenzo Lucchetti: A Rising Italian Actor
“I’ve been acting since I was a young kid–following in my father’s footsteps. My father is a theater actor, a voice over actor, and a singer, so I always had art around me at home.”
This is what Lorenzo Lucchetti told us when we asked him when and from where did his great passion for acting develop. He grew up in Rome and attended the Marymount International School, where he received an American-style education with an emphasis on the arts. From as early as kindergarten, Marymount provided the context necessary for his creativity to bloom, and it was there that his love for the stage was born. So much so that in order to hone his skills, he jumped straight into a 3 year course at the Accademia Teatro del Sogno directed by Ennio Coltorti.
Becoming an Actor
Coltorti immediately recognized Lorenzo's talent, uniqueness, and tenacity. These qualities, paired with Lorenzo's advanced command of the English language, inspired the Maestro to help the bright-eyed youngster take a leap of faith. Lorenzo’s famous teacher encouraged him to give the US market a shot, and Lorenzo knew in his gut that the teacher was right. Like so many actors before him, his opportunities to make it big lied not in Rome, but in America. Lorenzo was thrilled by the prospect; he has always been fascinated by multicultural environments, truly believing that they not only feed the actor's soul, but nurture a person's humanity as well, allowing you to nourish curiosity and breed compassion towards life from different perspectives.
Lorenzo explained to us the process that lead him to come to New York and follow his dream to become a professional actor in the US.
“I was at the Accademia Teatro del Sogno for three years, and I graduated in 2013. During that year I also went to an American school, Marymount, an international American school in Rome. Thanks to my knowledge of the language, I said to myself “Why don’t I try New York? Given that here in Italy there are a lot of economic and political problems. Why not give it a shot in New York?” I left and looked for the best schools: Lee Strasberg, Meisner, New York Film Academy. I was faced with a choice, and I ended up choosing Adler because I have many friends here in New York who are involved in the film and acting industries.”
Finding Your Own Method
With NYC now as his new home, he was accepted into the 3-year Conservatory at The Stella Adler Studio of Acting, where he graduated with flying colors in 2016. Here, Lorenzo satisfied is thirst for research and studying, which have been always guiding his steps in the process of becoming the great actor that he aims to be. Lucchetti has always been driven by passion, fearless curiosity, and a total dedication to his craft. Stella Adler, among other renowned schools, seemed like the right fit for his acting personality.
“For an actor, research and studying never stop,” says Lucchetti. “The Stella Adler Studio of Acting was a great move because I spent three amazing years among people of the world and great artists. I’m very happy I went this route.”
The Stella Adler Studio of Acting method is very different from the traditional Strasberg method of actor training. We asked Lucchetti a question that is always controversial for actors: which method better fits his approach to characters. He told us that it’s definitely important to follow a method, regardless of the studio you’re trained in, but you have to make that method your own.
“Adler and Strasberg have opposite schools of thought. Strasberg is based on the Stanislavski method, which has to do with the intentions of the character and bringing the character closer to the actor himself, rather than working on the actual character. You use your personal experience and bring it to the stage or the camera. Adler’s method is completely different; it focuses mostly on the character, the history of the character, the life of the character, and how everything works together. In these last 10-15 years, the method has changed a bit. There are now many teachers at Adler who taught either at Strasberg or at Meisner, which results in a fusion of methods at Adler. The beauty is in finding your own method though.”
First American Experiences on the Stage
The experience at Stella Adler opened the young actor up to the possibility of permanently working and performing in the US. Lorenzo believes that in America working in cinema and in theater is well respected.
“Work ethic here is very well respected,” explains Lorenzo, “there’s always development, continuous research, and progress. Young people are really appreciated here, contrary to Italy where nowadays there are no resources, no financing, and no progress–especially in art and theater. We saw what happened with the historic Teatro dell’Orologio in Rome and many other theaters that closed right in front of our eyes.”
Lorenzo is a very versatile actor and a natural comedian. In fact, Jim Carrey is one of his acting role models. However, Lorenzo also discovered that he enjoys playing both dramatic and romantic roles. He wants to be a wholesome actor like another one of his mentors–the timeless and genius Marlon Brando, a Stella Adler graduate.
Since making America his new home, Lorenzo has had the privilege of working internationally on both American and Italian stages. For two seasons ('13 and '14), he worked at the Globe Theatre in Rome on a production of Romeo & Juliet directed by the illustrious Gigi Proietti.
He later collaborated with Teatro delle Due on a production of Pinocchio. This Italian/American exchange aims to bring Shakespeare's plays to Italy in their original English, while also sending classical Italian plays to NYC, performed in Italian.
Lorenzo recently closed an off-Broadway production of Antigone on Theater Row and the Queens Theater stage, tackling two fundamental yet contrasting characters, Haemon and the Sentry. Haemon, Creon’s son, must deal with his father’s decision regarding Antigone’s fate. Father and son confront each other, warring with words over who has jurisdiction over her defiance, man or the Gods. The Sentry on the other hand serves as the much needed comic relief for this everlasting Greek tragedy.
The show, highly esteemed by the Pancyprian Association of America, is laying the groundwork needed to embark on a National tour.
Lorenzo’s thirst for multicultural experiences is not over. He got the chance to be part of the acclaimed Italian theater festival In Scena! this May, with its fifth edition in NYC.
The actor enthusiastically spoke about it:
“At the head of this organization is Laura Caparrotti, who is relatively well-known in the city. She’s done radio, theater, and a lot of work in Italy. Then she moved here to New York, and she works together with Mario Fratti, a great Italian artist. In Scena! is in its fifth edition. Last year it toured all over Italy, and Laura was able to find shows and bring them here to New York. She is the head of the Italian community and of the company Kairos Italian Theater, which partnered with NYU. It’s a very interesting festival with international artists: Italian, Spanish, French, and many more.”
What Does the Future Hold? Hollywood?
Lorenzo remains true to his theatrical education and his love for theater. That’s the path that he wants to follow, although he contemplates the possibility of doing movies or exploring other disciplines such as singing and dancing. But in the near future, his focus is on his beloved theater, which is the base that sustains all other kinds of acting, from camera work to the art of musicals.
“If you are serious about working as an actor, you need to have theatrical training. You start with theater and plays, with the greatness of the stage and the audience in front of you. This greatness can then be “shrunk” with a film camera. It’s a lot easier to do it that way. However, if you start with an education in cinema, it’s a lot harder to then go to theater. For me, theater is a great experience. I get a thrill every time I’m onstage. I hope I’m able to earn enough to support myself by working in theater. It’s very hard, you can’t deny it. Right now, I’m not planning to go to Los Angeles, but Los Angeles could be another step. For now, theater, then we’ll see.”
Lorenzo hopes to continue this incredible New York adventure–establishing himself as an artist in the US, possibly improving his skills through the study of singing and dancing in the musical genre’s homeland: New York City.
For more info check Lorenzo Lucchetti's official website here >>
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