Short Giuliano Gemma Intreview

A ‘HARD’ TENDER TENDERNESS

Generally engaged in roles of "beauty and violence", Giuliano Gemma is actually a gentle man, who, as an actor, has long waited for an opportunity to demonstrate his real interpretative skills. And the opportunity came with "The Desert of the Tartars"

In a real competition of bravery with three big guns, even Giulano Gemma gets along well, revealing undone dramatic skill -, wrote a reviewing film critic “The Desert of Tartars” and between the - big Calibri - there were, just to mention some, Italian Vittorio Gassman, Swede Max von Sydow, Frenchman Jacques Perrin.

Could I have taken myself too much for that? says Gemma But the fact is that the critics, and also a part of the public, have always considered me "beautiful",  nice, an athlete, and in short ... see me as a "committed actor". I waited for fifteen years for favorable criticism, an appreciation of the kind, and I have not been able to subdue: when they told me "good", I was happy and  'amazed' by the critics for my skill and it did not offend me ... "

The career of Gemma, started in 1962 (“Arrivano i Titani” by Duccio Tessari), was in fact characterized by a large and substantial success of the receipts, but never the criticism, and the most demanding public, promoted Giuliano up in the ranks of the star actors.

Now that it’s finally happened: what effect does it have on you?

GG: I'm happy, I told him. And I'm not at all surprised to have been able to deserve the credit. The emphasis was always put on me, even when I happened to play some unconvincing roles. I was always amazed at the fact that people took so long to understand that I even know how to act.

But you, in the past, have always stated that you do not particularly care for the role of a committed actor.

GG: It's true, and I continue not to keep it as well as I detest all the labels. I just want to be considered an actor, in the most obvious sense of the term: an actor who knows how to portray the parts of all kinds of characters.

Working with screen legends - sacred monsters - like Gassman, von Sydow, does it put you in awe?

GG: Absolutely not. Not because I have a terrible face, mind you, but simply because Gassman and all the others, are serious, professionals, I have been welcomed with sympathy. They did not look down on me because I had so many spaghetti westerns behind me.

Speaking of spaghetti westerns: Your rival Terence Hill went to shoot a film in Hollywood.

GG: Terence Hill and I have never considered ourselves rivals. His films have been successful while mine have also, so we have just have to stomp our feet.