THE HAND OF GOD LEAD FILIPPO SCOTTI ON ACTING, ARCHITECTURE AND WHAT COMES NEXT

Photography MICHAEL AVEDON | Styling SIONÁN MURTAGH | Hair & Makeup RORY ALVAREZ

Story MEETKA OTTO

Shirt and trousers PRADA

On a typical dark and cloudy February day in Greenwich Village, I sat beside the window of a crowded Caffe Reggio, which boasts its history on the lids of sugar jars and on laminate menus. Louisa May Alcott once lived across the street, a painting from The School of Carravagio collects dust on the southern wall, and the ‘world’s oldest’ espresso machine takes up about 10 square feet of real estate in the corner. 

Filippo Scotti strolls in at a quarter to noon. He blends in well with the NYU students studying and gossiping among us, wearing a Prada winter coat and his hair — long, black messy curls — emphasize his boyishness, somehow making him appear younger than he did over a year ago when he starred in Paolo Sorrentino’s semi-autobiographical film, The Hand of God. 

Scotti orders a croissant and offers to split it with me. “Do you want half of it, I know you want to.” I felt a bit shaken, I admitted I was terribly hungover and he admitted he hadn’t slept much either because his friends took him to a concert in the East Village the night before. “So are you here for work or for fun?” I asked, trying to be neat while picking at the croissant he had insisted we share. “Oh no, I’m here just visiting; tourism. The only work I really have to do on this trip is this.” 

Five-pocket denim jeans, denim blouson jacket PRADA

Cafe Reggio felt ideal for such an occasion. The spot caters to those in search of a window into a sort of past. A place to think, read, write, and talk. Littered with old things, some over a century old. Classical music is almost always on at a low volume. Young men sit and chew on the back of their pens and there are darting eyes seeking contact. I figured a young Italian would be more comfortable in this environment rather than say, a shiny sparse SoHo ‘coffee lab.’

The topic of houses comes up, and I mention my disdain for the types of houses you often see now in architectural publications and videos. He half concurrs and explains that he desires something in between the home of a Kardashian and a 300 year old cottage. “Maybe it [Kim Kardashian’s house] is too minimal, but personally, I like it, I like the contrast, I like that it’s modern but there is also something like that-” he pointed towards a wooden chair that looked as though it were about to collapse.

We walked to Washington Square Park where we fell into a comfortable silence, watching people walk through an oddly empty square. He was pulling out his phone from time to time to take photos of a man mastering about a hundred pigeons. Filippo’s Instagram has an array of black and white and color photos, geometric and minimal — city scapes and architecture. A mix between old and new, not too dissimilar to his taste in design and film. The things he sees, these everyday things, are mirrored in his acting.

Coat, shirt, trousers and shoes PRADA

“I don’t really have a method,” he says in regards to acting, “I’m always trying to think about the moment on top of the energy from the set that gives you this power.” He began to grow more relaxed telling me this. “Now, me and you, we are talking, we are doing this interview, tomorrow I have to shoot. For example, a scene in which we are doing this interview, I think I will do exactly the same as we are doing now, but adding details of the character; The moment has to be real for me. I have to look into your eyes and tell you the truth.”

“When you work on a character, you first try to define all the points you have in common with them. I was very lucky because Paolo Sorrentino is the type of director whose writing is always something very precise, and something that’s going to touch you a lot. It makes it a lot easier for me to understand which points I have with my character and which points I don’t. I just allow it to influence me.”

This type of thinking is what sets Filippo Scotti apart from his peers – the 23 year old isn’t trying to showcase at any given moment, in real life, the range of characters he can perform. He sits in the park as comfortable as anyone else, unafraid to embody himself. Most young actors I speak with are in a constant state of panic, emoting to the sky in every which way. Filippo is by no means desperate to prove his skills to me here and now and I think even if I was a casting director optioning him for a role, he would remain absolutely himself in this process.

Trousers LANDEROS, Necklace FILIPPO’S OWN

“I was reading this book by Michael Caine, and I’m thinking about a time a director had him go to the front of the boat they were shooting on, look at the horizon and express the pain of a guy that lost his mother. He didn’t really know how to do that, he just went on the boat and stood there. He said later that the movie brought the audience to a [powerful] moment, feeling the pain in his eyes, but didn’t [actively] express that pain, he just stood on the boat, looking at the horizon. This is something that can work for some scenes, for others, you have to go through a lot of technique to get through all that emotion. I always try to think about the moment you have the power to go into the character. In one case you have this character because you studied them, in another you can just go about your day and on set, think to yourself ‘Okay, this is not my life, but actually, I really have to believe in it.’”

Having rewatched The Hand of God just a few days before our meeting, I had a hard time distinguishing Scotti from his character, Fabietto. I felt as though I had met him before because of his nuanced and seemingly subtle slip into his role.  

Suit and matching tailored pants LANDEROS

“I would love to work with Wes Anderson,” he says, “and Yorgos Lanthimos.” Two directors who often provide large and expressive characters much different than that of his role as Fabietto in The Hand of God. “Jonas Carpignano, an Italian director, he’s really doing a great job of portraying the reality and a certain sensitivity to see things, and to tell things to the audience.” 

“I’d love to do comedy, actually, It’s something that’s really stimulating to me. Every project - from super beautiful to super ugly. If it’s an experience and you live it for real, I think that’s the most important thing to do.”

When I asked him what the opposite version of himself would look like, he said “Very rude, violent, and also…someone who fake laughs all the time,” he said shyly, “I can fake a smile, but I can’t fake a laugh.” And with that we laughed, in earnest.