I said no to a film with Sophia Loren and Daniel Day Lewis, Weinstein was furious

The case Viva Rai2 it also comes overseas. The new show of Fiorellobroadcast every morning on Rai2, is also reported by the foreign press, in particular Variety, the specialized magazine which interviewed the Sicilian showman, investigating precisely the genesis of the program and eliciting interesting considerations from Fiorello, both relating to the Italian television system to his past as an actor.

Fiorello’s interview with Variety

First of all, Fiorello explains what led him to propose an early morning show to Rai, underlining the difference with American morning shows and the fact that Viva Rai2 is essentially the transposition of a variety show in the morning slot: “for Italian TV, the value of prime time has been depreciated over the years and this is not due to the contents. It’s a matter of timing. After the evening news, for economic reasons, there are games that go on until 9.30pm, so the premiere evening started at 9.45 and there is not as much room for variety and big stars as there once was”. So Fiorello goes on like this:

I thought: “When can we do a variety show? Can it be done at half past 7 in the morning? It was a bet, but what is happening strangely is the fact that in the morning the kids watch us, as well as the public older, we created a new audience.

That no in Hollywood and Weinstein’s outburst with Fiorello

Inevitable questions about his brief past with Hollywoodgiven the participation with a cameo in the film The Talented Mr. Ripley. An experience that could have been repeated, but it was Fiorello who said no. “It was funny, they offered me another role in ‘Nine’, but it was August and it would have ruined my holidays, knowing the timing of American films. They sent me the script, I was supposed to sing in a scene where Daniel Day Lewis and Sophia Loren danced in front of an elegant Italian singer who had to sing ‘ Quando quando quando ‘. He understood that I would not have made a difference and I politely declined. Harvey Weinstein (the film’s producer, ed.) sent me an angry letter: “Who do you believe to be? You’ll never work in Hollywood again!” And I was like, “Who cares!”