“I love film studios. Even in California I worked at Universal and Paramount… but Cinecitta is one of those places whose energy immerses you in history.“.
Word Claire Forlani (pictured below), the first star we meet on set Dominate at the studio on Via Tuscolana, in the final stages of filming. For the second series, which exactly one week later it will be streaming exclusively on Sky and streaming on NOWthe British actress will still play the role Octaviasister of Emperor Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus.
“Working here is a real dream, thinking about all the films that have been made there.” – continues the English actress, known to the general international public for playing Meet Joe Black with Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins. “It’s a privilege and a joy, I feel very lucky.”
But Claire Forlani he is almost the only big name that shines in Ancient Rome Pack From Cinecitta. Entering the Domus, the Roman columns and capitals that make up its architectural and scenographic magic, we meet the rest of the stellar team led by Kasia Smutnyakhe is Livia Drusilla, third wife of Caesar Augustus. A few meters from the very popular actress and model is Matthew McNulty, in the role of the emperor; Then Christine Bottomley in the role Scribonia, second wife of Gaius and mortal enemy of Livia; That’s why Ben Batt playing Agrippa, childhood friend of Gaius, later general and consul, ed. Ewen Horrocksin the role Druz, the youngest son of Libya. A little further Leah O’Prey (Julia), Darrell D’Silva (piso) AND Alais Lawson (Marcella). Then three novelties: Benjamin Isaacin the role TiberiusLivia’s eldest son, traumatized by dark childhood memories; David Avery, who will play the role of young and ambitious Domitius, recently joined the Gaius family by marrying Octavia’s daughter Antonia. And finally Joel, that will revive the character Vipsaniadaughter of Agrippa, happily married to a stranger Tiberius, one of the main positive forces in her husband’s life.
MATTHEW MCNULTY – Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus
“This is the most historic and iconic film studio in the world, it has its own great character.– says the satisfied “emperor”. Matthew McNulty (August). “Yes, there are many studios in London, but they are modern, you know you are in Cinecitta, ed. as if the story is unfolding before your eyes… they recently passed here Angelina Jolie, Jane Fonda, Charlize Theron…I don’t know how else to say it it’s just wonderful to be part of the history of cinema thanks to this place“.
British actor (known to most of the game Losers) then we ask how he is experiencing the return of the second season, how his character has changed.
“The feeling is that we have grown a lot this year, and the fact that we have a permanent base Cinecitta it’s important,” McNulty continues. “Last season we had several rooms in one of the studios, but this year we have Domina Village. We shoot in different locations, even outside of here, we have a lot of costumes, a lot of changes… and they are so real, nothing like this has ever happened to me. Gabriella’s costume team (PescucciAcademy Award for The Age of Innocence, ed.) he did an incredible job i really feel like an emperor“.
And he adds: “Gaius August is going through a midlife crisis and is questioning his mortality. He wonders if he is still attracted to women, and as he gets older, he feels that his hopes of having a son are very slim. All he does is lose the people he loves and that also makes him unstable. He tries to hold on to power while those around him conspire to take it from him, blaming him for all the failures. Guy also understands that in the end, power does not belong to him, but to Livia.
JOEL – Vipsania
“It was my first time in Rome, I couldn’t believe I had never been there, it’s such a beautiful city!” Joelfamous protagonist Dunes AND Academy of Good and Eviloozes enthusiasm from every pore, in what was her first series, as Vipsania. “Everything seems so surreal that it’s almost hard to believe that we are shooting a feature film about Ancient Rome… I walk and find myself in front of the Roman Forum, the Colosseum… then I come to the set with these reproductions… It’s wonderful to work here. It’s so nice to have Domina Village, IThe Ancient Rome set is simply amazing.. And then there are posters of cats that live in Cinecitta, I really like them, I really love cats and animals in general, and … this thing really surprised me.
“Vipsania is very different from the rest, almost a dreamer… She dreams of leaving Rome,” continues the young English actress, describing her character. “She is a free spirit, but she also deeply loves Tiberius, her husband. It is touching to see how they love and accept each other for who they are, in their entirety, with all their shortcomings. I would say that this is a very modern relationship, which is quite rare.
What this series tells us about the power of women
“It tells us a lot about people, about how far they are willing to go to survive, get power and keep it. It is very interesting to watch how women worked behind the scenes, starting with Livia herself, the manipulator: you never know if what she says is true or not. It’s very interesting, you don’t see it often.”
Funniest Moment and Worst Moment
“In general, it was a wonderful six months: I arrived in the second season, a completely new character, and I can say that I was welcomed as in a big family.. Can you really feel it everyone puts themselves into this series, starting with the costumerswith Gabriella and her team: you can feel their passion and they all really like what they do, it makes a big difference“.
“There were very funny moments, In fact. How once we were in the forest, in the wilderness, and we had to shoot a very serious scene. Suddenly, it seems they were rehearsing a concert in the area, and in the middle of the stage, ABBA music starts from somewhere! We had to stay serious and of course we wanted to laugh, it was a fun moment.”
BENJAMIN ISAAC AND EVAN HORROKS
“Our characters have grown a lot since the first episode, we found that while reading the script because we as actors get to know the story bit by bit as it’s being written… we were pleasantly surprised by our roles.” Like Joel, Benjamin Isaac – one of the new arrivals of the series, designed to interpret the young Tiberius: next to him Ewen Horrocks (Drus).
How well did you know the history of Rome before this project?
“I would like to say that I knew a lot, or now I know enough, but I don’t…” he admits. Isaac. “When I got the role, I thought, ‘OK, I’ll order all the books written on this subject… but then I realized that, in fact, I can only recite what is written on the page.’ People know who Tiberius was, so the main thing is to make him healthy in all his aspects … he is the son of his mother (Livia, pseudonym Kasia Smutyak, ed.), they are both real stoics.
And then there is Drusus with his military exploits.
“Starting with the second episode and then again in the third, we see his success in Europe,” he explains. Ewen Horrocks. “Druze is a 28-year-old leader, but still a bit infantile and intolerant, who asks his people to follow him in his exploits. It’s also very ambitious.” Costume play and horseback ridingThe costumes are incredibly powerful!Horrocks continues. “Suffice it to say that when we took almost a month off, filming was a little difficult… but once we put on the costumes, everything became natural!
I am a very good rider… (laughs) It’s not my best quality, but I try my best. We didn’t do well at first, but then we did a few lessons and had a lot of fun. We actually mounted the horse directly: the most important thing is to sit in the saddle relaxed and at ease, because the horse feels all the tension. Having reached this goal, most of the work is done by the horse. Plus our riding teacher was really good.”
In the first season, Tiberius and Drusus get along very well despite being very different.
“It’s because of love, the pure instinct of love that connects them to each other,” he immediately replies. Horrocks Druse.
“Tiberius and Drusus are just two sides of the same coin. We are very different, but we understand each other,” he adds. Isaac-Tiberius.
“Yes, I can’t do what I want without you, and I know it, and you know it too …” she replies. Horrocks Druse.
“But only love, true love between them binds them.”
KASIA SMUTNYAK – Livia Drusilla
“It’s kind of a dream to be here and film the Roman era in Cinecitta.” He says Kasia Smutnyak (Livia Drusilla). “I have already shot here in the studio, a few things, in costumes and so on, but I must say that In two years, this place has changed in an incredible way. It’s great to see Cinecitta alive, full of people, full of movement, noise, it gives me an idea that something is happening, something that changes, and it does change.”.
“I’ve been here for a few months now and to be honest, it really is a magical place” – comments Smutnyak. And not only because there are incredible sets, or because I have the opportunity to work with incredibly talented and inspiring people, for example with Gabriella Pescacci for suits or with Luca Tranchino for landscapes… Every detail is so precise that it’s easy to forget the hundreds of people on set: it all takes me right back to that era. I am very lucky to be able to work with them on this project. Yes, perhaps shooting a film from the Roman period here is a bit banal, but… It’s like I ticked off my wish list, and now it has come true! It’s really beautiful”.
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The second season of the series “Domina”, which will be aired from 8 to 29 September exclusively on Sky and broadcast on NOW, it was created by Simon Burke, also served as executive producer along with Lucy Bedford, Murinn Lane Kelly and Carmel Maloney. Production Tiger Aspect Productionsin collaboration with EPIX Studios. Banijay Rights is an international distributor.
In the center of the new episodes of the drama of the period, the struggle for power continues during the reign of Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus, the first Roman emperor, for the first time from the point of view of a woman: one of the most interesting periods in Roman history. a story that sees the extraordinary rise to power of Livia Drusilla against the backdrop of new intrigues and twists. The second season resumes exactly in 19 BC. e., when Gaius and Livia return to Rome after three years in the eastern provinces.
Giovanna Pasi