by Chiara Maffioletti
The actor directed her in her latest role – a cameo in the movie «Box Office 3D». “He was also a guest at my festival, but he said to me: I’m not going to appear in front of Silvana Pampanini”
“It’s a long love story with Lollo,” says Ezio Greggio. The diva’s last work was on one of her sets, «Box Office 3D», but Lollobrigida «was also one of the stars that opened the first edition of my Montecarlo Comedy Festival».
“She was absolutely the diva of everyone. It was just the way he presented himself, how he managed to get a big ovation from the audience. Silvana Pampanini was also in this issue, here she came to me and said: Let me be clear, I’m not going out before Pampanini. Then Pampanini came and said to me: I’m not going out before Lollobrigida. The solution was to say I didn’t prioritize them, even if I didn’t.”
How do you remember the experience on set?
“He was supposed to be a cameo in this movie of mine, which was a mega parody where we joked about movie genres. He came to Sofia to film and stayed for a few days precisely because he enjoyed being on the set. It was great to have her there even when she wasn’t filming. At lunch or dinner, I started teasing her a little and she became a treasure trove of anecdotes».
“He talked to us about his American years, about his time in the White House, then about other things that just can’t be told. But he was always a force of nature.”
When was the last time you saw her?
“Seven or eight years ago and even then she was full of projects, with her head always on the move. Artists are like that to the end».
Will the fame Lollobrigida embodied end?
«Well, there are very few divas left at this level. There are good heirs, Monica Bellucci comes to mind: she was my guest too, but I don’t think she’s loved at that level by both Italians and French. Or Stefania Sandrelli, who received a five-minute standing ovation in the last edition. But these are the last few cases. The charm and glamor that characterized Lollobrigida have been lost: today, even in Hollywood, everyone is simpler, more trendy. Our divas were works of art… Sophia Loren still is today, she can block cities when she arrives. Gina Lollobrigida will remain a timeless beauty and comedy performer».
January 16, 2023 (change January 16, 2023 | 18:20)
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