What are your first thoughts on awakening in the morning?

We’re off to a bad start haha. In all honesty, my sleep routine has been terrible lately, so my first thought is “gosh, I need more sleep”. I don’t do anything special, unfortunately, I just stay up until 3am, tidying up the house and making lists. I love my lists.

Shower or Bath?

A shower to start the day, but a hot bath with a good book is the best remedy for stress and a crowded mind.

What made you become an actor?

When I was five, like many kids, I experienced my parents’ separation and didn’t fully understand my place in it. In theater, I found a way to channel all the energy I had inside and to communicate my thoughts and feelings, giving them a coherent shape. Since then, over twenty years have passed, during which I’ve studied and worked in theater, film, and television; but before being a profession, acting has always been a form of exploration and growth, that made me the person I am today. Putting me on this path is the most wonderful gift my parents could have given me, along with life and their immense love.

What are your tips for success?

The biggest tip is figure out what success means to you. To me, it means putting passion into everything I do, be it acting, producing an event, translating, or designing a sustainability project, while being surrounded by the love and respect of those dear to me.

What project are you working on at the moment?

After two years of work, I just finished writing my first screenplay with a dear friend, an American author, who involved me in the project. It’s a very personal story about the strength and perseverance of love after loss, and in the coming months, we’re working to bring it to life.

How much are you like the character of James you play in Zorras, or how different?

We’re very similar in that we’re both trying to figure out our lives and our feelings. James struggles to trust and keeps his feelings inside, and this affects his relationship with Emily (Mirela Balić). In my life, I always try to communicate openly, even if it doesn’t always work out perfectly. I never saw him as a toxic character, though he can make hurtful mistakes, like when he abandons his friend in need in the middle of a club.

What attracted you to your character of Dario when you first read the script for Memento Mori?

Dario is a young police officer who hasn’t yet resigned himself to the violence and darkness of this world. Next to Gracia (Anna Favella), he has a role of responsibility right on the front-line, but perhaps his sensitivity is exactly what makes him the right person for the job.

Would you say that Dario is one of your most complex characters? What is it like to get into a head like that?

Like any character, Dario can be approached on multiple levels, and the empathy in the face of death is certainly one of the most fascinating to explore. “Memento Mori” is a daily reminder of what awaits us, but also of the opportunity we have to live fully. Dario is privileged in that he can walk on the edge, and he’s courageously chosen to face both sides head-on.

Professionally, what are you better at now than before?

I’m better at being entirely myself behind the scenes, however multifaceted that may be, to bring out the best in the characters I portray on screen. There’s still so much I want to learn and tools I don’t even know exist yet, which I hope to acquire.

Do you have any secret desire to work with a certain director? And why?

I admire Rodrigo Sorogoyen very much, but I’ve never kept it a secret from him. He immerses us deeply in the complexity of the human soul, which is far more intricate than the dichotomy good/evil, where the line between right and wrong is often drawn only by those who resort to violence. Among other directors I love are Celine Sciamma and Alice Rohrwacher for the simple, never clichéd, yet overwhelming power of their emotions. I also feel a strong connection to Ferzan Ozpetek’s cinema and magical realism. And please let me spend a minute in Chris Nolan’s mind.

Many actors are fascinated by characters with a dark side. Does it happen to you too?

I believe the best-written characters are those with multiple layers, just like real people. What fascinates me about a character isn’t so much their dark side, but rather their “obscure” side—in the original sense of the word, meaning hidden, concealed. When I’ve played characters commonly seen as villains, the most interesting aspect wasn’t the darkness on the surface, but the hidden pain, vulnerability, and wounds that drove their own actions.

If not an actor, what would you like to be?

I think my main inclination in life is connecting the dots, whether it’s people, creative ideas, or stories. I love traveling and speaking different languages, so maybe a diplomatic career would suit me, but I think I’d love to be a professor, Robin Williams style.

Do you like risk?

I may sound boring, but I’m not thrilled by the adrenaline from danger. When my time comes, sooner or later, I’d like to face it with a smile, but I’m not in any hurry to speed up the process. In love, though I’ve rediscovered the joy of taking risks and diving in.

Are you of method or guts?

My guts have a method, haha. I surrender with faith and let myself be carried by what I (and Jodorowsky before me) call “The Dance of Reality.”

Have you ever felt typecast?

In my still-brief career, I’ve had the chance to play very different roles, but I think my physique and appearance have, naturally, influenced casting choices, both positively and negatively. I’m happy when a casting director steps out of the box to explore a new path, but it’s also our responsibility as actors to show them this potential.

Do you read books?

I love books, and I have more than I’ll ever manage to read.

If so, what was the last one?

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma, lent to me by a friend.

And what makes you angry?

I am not an angry person, but I cannot stand the
arrogant bullying of the strong and powerful; and people who do not care about their community, polluting nature and littering the streets.

What do you do to stay fit?

In general, I have a pretty healthy lifestyle, except for the sleeping. I used to play American football and I fence, but my career and itinerant life make it difficult. Every day, I do 33 push-ups, a number that’s symbolic and special to me, and every other day, wherever I am, I go for a run among people and surrounded by beauty: the Colosseum in Rome, the coast of Portofino, Buen Retiro Park in Madrid, the Regent’s Canal in London.

In this Story:

 1-4. Iacopo Riccioti wears black swim briefs MOSCHINO 5-6. Iacopo wears white logo briefs VERSACE 7-8. Iacopo wears t-shirt VINTAGE, jeans LEVIS, Tanktop LEVIS, pants FRED PERRY, shirt BOSS, black logo briefs DSQUARED2 9-10. Iacopo wears white logo briefs DOLCE & GABBANA 11-12. Iacopo wears tanktop VINTAGE, jeans CALVIN KLEIN, Pants and black briefs CALVIN KLEIN

Photography FERRAN CASANOVA, Style CRISTIAN BETANCURT, Assistant LO RESA, Talent IACOPO RICCIOTTI

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