The first memory?
‘He and I took the sleeper from Rome to Milan. It happened every week for the 7pm program that aired on Channel Two. Back then there was no high speed and we were both afraid of flying». Christian De Sica and Maurizio Costanzo: a phobia and several joint projects.
Strange but true: it wasn’t he who discovered it.
“It was the opposite, I was the one who recommended it in the beginning.”
How did you meet?
«In Rai. I went to a very bad show, alone on the stage, I sang and told anecdotes. He saw me and called me about a show».
‘At seven o’clock in the evening.’
‘He had clear ideas. He said to me: You’re going to be the moderator, but don’t try to be nice, good-natured, democratic, because you have the face of a father’s son, or rather, you have the face of an asshole… So you must be an asshole ; you have to speak affectionately, with spite, dress fané-like, with your hair tied back, and you’ll see that people start to say: who is this asshole? That way they will notice you.”
It was 1974, “Goodness them” came out two years later.
“He made a name for himself as a journalist, but he hadn’t done anything important yet, so much so that when I was shooting Duccio Tessari’s film La Madama, I suggested Maurizio among the screenwriters”.
Was he as cynical as he seemed?
“He was ironic, he had that cynical sense of humor that I like. But it was also a facade. I remember he called me in 2006 about a show he was writing with Enrico Vaime, Parlami di me. At the premiere, Maurizio came backstage and told us: don’t be scared because tonight there are so many sons of bitches hoping you’re wrong to be able to say the show is bad. Doesn’t matter. The show was so successful that there was a standing ovation. Maurizio and I hugged backstage and he cried. I think I can be the only one who can say that I saw Maurizio cry.”
He was a phenomenal interviewer…
“He was really an inquisitive character, at the same time he put you at ease but kept you on your toes.”
Have you had a chance to see each other outside of work?
‘Not much, he was always behind a thousand projects. We met several times at his house when we were writing Tell me about me. What I noticed is that he always ate sandwiches, small pizzas, nothing cooked. All the stuff came from the bar, I’ve never seen pasta or risotto…».
The last meeting?
‘Especially on the last episode of your Costanzo show. I have a happy picture of him, he let me tell many anecdotes and laughed like crazy. I have a nice memory with the little tortoise he always gave to all his guests.”