‘Maria’ Star Pierfrancesco Favino on His Scene-Stealing Role as Angelina Jolie’s Butler and Defying Macho Stereotypes: ‘Not All Men Are Like That’
variety.comNick Vivarelli International Correspondent Pierfrancesco Favino, who plays Maria Callas’ protective butler in Pablo Larraín’s “Maria,” doesn’t back down from a fight, on-screen or in life.
At last year’s Venice Film Festival, the Rome native erupted with the kind of volcanic indignation that Callas was known for, furious that American actors like “House of Gucci” and “Ferrari” star Adam Driver kept getting cast as iconic Italians.
Those parts should have gone to Italian actors, Favino argued at a press conference — though he was quick to add he had nothing against Driver.
With “Maria,” Favino gets the kind of quietly scene-stealing role that could show Hollywood what it’s been missing. In the meditative, slightly surreal drama, he plays Ferruccio, a loyal helpmate who caters to Callas by moving her grand piano around the apartment to whatever window she thinks has the best light that day, despite suffering from a bad back.
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