RAFFAELLO DEGRUTTOLA

Simone married Raffaello in May 2003 - and they have also been involved in a film together called CALL ME - in 2004/05, which Raffaello was also a co-producer for. They expect their first child in September 2005 and we wish them all well!

Raffaello Degruttola - Simones Actor husband

© Interview with World Movie Magazine.
19th April 2004.

Raffaello Degruttola can be described as a serial serial killer since he takes on these roles in two of his latest films. A rising London-based actor of Italian origin, Raffaello has also lived in New York and returned there to film John Irvin's Dot.Kill in which he stars as a serial killer with Armand Assante. Prior to that he has appeared in Saving Private Ryan and even shared the big screen with Jerry Springer in Citizen Verdict , playing junky killer Ricky Carr whose execution is broadcast on live television. He graciously took time out of his busy schedule to be probed by Lyndsey Steven.

What was the first film you ever saw?
Grease

What's your favourite film?
I've got about five: Grease (1978), Star Wars (1977), The Godfather (1972) Good Fellas (1990), Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980), Midnight Express (1978)...

Okay, that's more than five. Same again for your worst?
Difficult one... recently Tomb Raider ( Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life) (2003), but worst movie ever? I just can't think - there are too many.

If you were to create the perfect movie star, what actors would you use?
You're talking about a woman obviously?

No, you can admire a man
Well, I'm going to go for talent rather than looks. Talent wise, someone with a great ability to play different types of emotions for example Gary Oldman and Al Pacino. I get lost in this because I always think about women so that takes me away from talent...

Away from talent? That's a sexist comment if I ever heard one!
Not at all, I think Meryl Streep is the perfect actress.

Does that mean you don't rate her looks wise?
I do rate her looks, I think she's beautiful and she radiates talent and beauty in every way. She is absolutely my movie star of the moment.

You've ever so slightly managed to redeem yourself there. And who is your all time favourite actor?
I love Gary Oldman, I love Al Pacino and Robert De Niro .

What role do you really want to play?
A varying spectrum of characters really - a lot of characters with emotional problems, relationship problems. I tend to play the dark character.

Has any scene from a movie changed your life/ made you want to take your own life?
There are so many.I watch loads of movies. Midnight Express (1978) changed my life a great deal - following the journey of the character Billy Hayes (who wrote the novel on which Oliver Stone based the script), played by Brad Davis. It was such an emotionally powerful piece about someone who was incarcerated against his will for smuggling some marijuana and it really affected me. I was only young when I saw it and I remember then making a choice that I wanted to do roles like that, that impact people's souls.

I thought you were going to say you made a conscious choice to stay away from marijuana?
Yeah that as well.

Anything besides Dot.Kill coming up?
House of 9 (2004), which is about nine strangers kidnapped and sealed in a house, is currently in post-production. I had a cameo in What a Girl Wants (2003), playing the drunk groom and I was in Wit(2002) starring Emma Thompson which was just on TV and apart from that I'm just doing the gardening - my wife make's me. (He is married to Bad Girls TV actress Simone Lahbib.)

 

 

SAVING PRIVATE RYAN