From theatre to television: Flavio Furno on his constant transformation

Flavio Furno, an actor known for his versatility, began his professional journey in theatre. In 2011 he graduated from the acting school of the Teatro Stabile di Genova, after making his debut in 2008 with Quaranta ma non li dimostra, directed by Luigi De Filippo — son of one of the giants of Neapolitan theatre.

He later embarked on a career in film and television. He appeared in Il sol dell’avvenire, Nanni Moretti’s film nominated for the David di Donatello and winner of two Nastri d’Argento, and in 2024 he joined the cast of Marko Polo, directed by Elisa Fuksas. On television, he has acted in series such as Rocco Schiavone, Tutto può succedere, Il nostro generale, and Marconi – L’uomo che ha connesso il mondo. In 2026 he starred in the TV series Morbo K and Gomorra – Le origini. Soon, he will appear alongside Luca Argentero in Ligas.

Welcome to InItaly, Flavio Furno. It’s a pleasure to have you with us.
Let’s start with the question every fan of Gomorra – Le origini would ask you: what was this experience like and… will there be a second season?

This experience was wonderful for many reasons. I had done many auditions for this series — the most striking were those for the role of Ciro Di Marzio, where the final choice came down to me and Marco D’Amore. So being given this opportunity after so many years, especially now that Marco has moved to directing, felt like closing a circle. It made me very happy.

It was also great because they gave me a role crafted with incredible detail and fascinating from every angle.

I felt extremely guided by Marco, by Francesco Ghiaccio, and by the entire Sky and Cattleya team, because they wanted to portray a character with specific traits — madness, but also charisma.

As for a second season, we hope so, but nothing is official yet. We’re very optimistic given how things are going, and the intention is to continue the story. But as the higher‑ups say, a strong idea is needed to move forward. What matters is taking the time to write something worthy of what has already been done, should the series continue.

Recently, we’ve seen you play very different roles. What’s the secret to “tailoring” such opposite characters to yourself?

I don’t have a real method. I simply believe there are different types of actors. Some are phenomenal but have such a strong alter ego that they struggle to dismantle it; some always play similar roles, and they’re brilliant at it; and then there are actors who enjoy changing, who don’t want to see themselves in their characters. I probably belong to this last category, because I’m not particularly attached to my own image — I enjoy seeing myself transformed.

For example, to play O’ Paisano, I didn’t spend hours in makeup — I transformed myself through acting choices, a pair of glasses, and a beard. And that gives me great satisfaction.

Two things help me enter characters more easily. First, I’m curious: I’m a great observer of people. Second, I’ve done significant personal analysis work, which improved me both as a human being and as an actor. It’s as if I found answers to the psychological dynamics that drive human behavior.

You’ve worked with high‑caliber actors and directors. With whom did you feel the strongest professional connection?

I’ve been very lucky in my career, because I’ve met many of my idols: Nanni Moretti, Silvio Orlando, Pierfrancesco Favino, Marco Giallini, Luca Zingaretti, Sergio Castellitto.

But an actress with whom I truly connected is Teresa Saponangelo. We worked together on a Netflix series by Carmine Elia titled Sara – La donna nell’ombra, based on the novels of the great Neapolitan writer Maurizio De Giovanni. I played a police officer.

She is the person with whom I spent the best quality time. There was a perfect match both professionally and personally. We had two main roles, so we had more time to get to know each other. We later became very close friends, simply because we worked so well together. We still are, and we care deeply for each other.

You were born as a theatre actor, but cinema has very different requirements compared to the stage. How much has your theatre experience helped you take on film roles?

I might be wrong, but I’m one of those actors who has never seen a real difference between approaching a character for theatre and approaching one for cinema or TV. Of course, there are technical differences: in theatre you must project your voice to the last row, your body language is different, while cinema is made of close‑ups.

One benefit of theatre training is that it makes you more uninhibited. You perform live, in front of an audience that reacts instantly: they laugh if you make them laugh, they don’t if you don’t. That gives you a certain boldness in front of the camera.

Many actors who work only in cinema are often very shy off set: they sometimes need encouragement, and they struggle to immediately do “extreme” things when required.

On the other hand, theatre actors can sometimes be “too much” for cinema — you need to find the right technical balance.

In short, theatre gives you that shamelessness that can be very useful when playing extreme roles, like mine in Gomorra – Le origini. It’s a role where you can’t be timid, and theatre helped me with that.

“When I grew up, I realized something was missing”: in an interview years ago, you said this about leaving Naples and later missing it.
What did you miss about Naples, and what was it like returning to the city that has now embraced your talent? Would you feel ready to do something important for your community?

It’s all true: acting, which I discovered very early in life, was a great excuse to leave — not because I wanted to escape Naples or because I was unhappy there, but because I wanted to discover what was outside. This is something many people from the outskirts feel.

I’m not from central Naples — I’m from Ponticelli and lived in Volla, a suburb unfortunately known for recent crime news. I knew that pursuing a dream like mine — art, cinema, theatre — in a “small” context would seem strange. Even my friends, whom I loved and who loved me, found it unusual.

After working everywhere, I realized I was missing something essential: linguistic identity. As a Neapolitan, I was never cast for Neapolitan roles.

The first time I returned to Naples after years of study, I was very emotional. It was for a play by the Russian director Končalovskij at the Teatro San Ferdinando — a milestone for Neapolitan theatre actors. On opening night, I slipped and fell during a scene. That almost never happens to an actor. The audience didn’t notice — they thought it was part of the show.

Now I’m happy, because in the last two years I’ve returned to work in Naples for projects deeply tied to Neapolitan identity, like Sara – La donna nell’ombra and Gomorra – Le origini. Sometimes I felt bad when people said, “Wait, you’re Neapolitan? I didn’t know!” Now I think — and hope — they know.

But I don’t know if I’m ready, as an actor, to take on the responsibility of doing something important for my community.

We’ve met Dr. Vittorio Sorani and O’ Paisano in Gomorra. Tell us about Paolo in Ligas.

Ligas is a series coming out on March 6 on Sky, starring Luca Argentero. It’s set in Milan, in a law firm that is both militant and competitive, always wanting to be at the center of things.

The protagonist, Lorenzo Ligas, is completely unconventional: his methods are far from orthodox. He works at a major firm called Studio Petrello, but at some point he gets fired. His best friend Paolo — the character I play — is also a lawyer at the firm, and he suddenly finds himself caught between two fires: the firm’s owner, Petrello, who wants to “destroy” Ligas after firing him, and Ligas himself, his closest friend.

He must navigate the tension between affection for his friend and the healthy — and sometimes unconscious — competitiveness that exists among ambitious people.

Thank you for being with us. We look forward to celebrating your future successes.

Cover picture credits: Lisa Bof