My Brilliant Friend is an acclaimed Italian drama series inspired by Elena Ferrante’s initial four novels in the Neapolitan series. Directed by Italian filmmaker Saverio Costanzo, the series’ fourth and concluding season premiered on HBO on September 9, 2024.
This captivating narrative follows the profound friendship between two girls, Elena Greco (affectionately referred to as Lenù) and Raffaella Cerullo (nicknamed Lila). They grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Naples during the 1950s. The tale unfolds through the recollections of an older Elena as she reflects on her childhood adventures with Lila in a memoir format.
Elena receives an alarming call from Lila’s son, revealing that Lila has gone missing. Though both girls excelled academically as children, their paths diverged during elementary school. Elena pursued further education, while Lila had to leave school early to work in her family’s shoe-repair business. Lila’s striking beauty drew the attention of many suitors, including Marcello Solara, the eldest son of a wealthy Camorra family.
In a bid to avoid a potential marriage, Lila made a hasty decision to enter into a dissenting marriage with Stefano Carracci, son of Don Achille, a local grocer. However, this choice quickly descended into a nightmare for Lila. Stefano Caracci is portrayed by the talented Italian actor Giovanni Amura in My Brilliant Friend.
Stefano Caracci in My Brilliant Friend
Before marrying Lila, Stefano was known as the neighborhood bully. He is the son of the local grocer, Don Achille, and Donna Maria. At one point, he even bullied Lila after she outperformed his brother in school. The Caracci family wielded significant power in the area, but their influence began to fade following Don Achille’s murder.
Stefano attempted to cope with the loss by managing the family grocery store alongside his mother, father, and sister. Despite Elena’s warnings, Lila grew closer to Stefano even as Marcello Solara had shown interest in her for months. Stefano often tempted her with dreams of transforming the Cerullo shoe business into a flourishing venture.
Eager to escape her engagement with Marcello, Lila placed her trust in Stefano entirely. However, she soon discovered the gravity of her mistake. Lila felt ensnared in a tumultuous marriage as Stefano’s behavior turned increasingly violent. After having a son, she ultimately left the oppressive relationship and found work in a factory in Naples.
Who plays Stefano Caracci in My Brilliant Friend?
The character of young Stefano Carracci is played by Kristijan Di Giacomo in Season 1, while Giovanni Amura portrays the older Stefano throughout the remainder of the series. In a conversation with Segmento Magazine, Giovanni elaborated on his journey as an actor, stating:
At 14, I enrolled in a professional academy of performing arts, La Ribalta, in Castellamare di Stabia, Naples, where I studied theatre, diction, and acting. My career as an actor began one year later, and at 27, I embarked on my most significant project, My Brilliant Friend.
Giovanni auditioned for various roles in My Brilliant Friend, including Enzo, Rino, and Pasquale. Notably, Elena Ferrante, the author of the source material, played a role in the casting process. Although another actor was initially chosen for Stefano, Ferrante demanded a callback for Giovanni just two weeks later.
He shared his previous experiences, mentioning:
Prior to that, I participated in a television series titled Sottocopertura on RAI 2 and collaborated with notable Italian television figures like Guido Caprino and Claudio Gioà (in the comedy-drama Mafia Only Kills in Summer). Between the first two seasons of My Brilliant Friend, I starred in another popular Italian series, Rosy Abate, where I played the protagonist’s best friend.
Giovanni discussed the challenges of embodying Stefano, particularly in capturing the mentality of the era. He aimed to understand the essence of his character:
To prepare, I kept questioning myself with “why.”The more questions you ask, the more answers you uncover, and the better you connect with the character’s core. Without revealing anything for those who have yet to see the series, Stefano was truly a product of his time, leading him to commit questionable acts. He was certainly a victim, but he also victimized others.
The first two seasons of My Brilliant Friend are available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video, while all seasons can be viewed on HBO Max and Apple TV Plus.
Stay tuned as we continue to explore character research in the latest movies and TV shows.
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