Fermo, September 1, 2024 – One moment you are a boy in fifth grade, with friends, dreams, singing lessons, guitar lessons, gymnastics lessons. Shortly after, you find yourself at Venice Film Festivalwith his hand held by that of Sergio Rubini, to take pictures together with Alessio Boni, Alessandro Preziosi, Giusy Buscemi and many others. It’s the dream he’s living Hector Cardinals, 11 just, his life was in Torre San Patrizio until last year, then he was chosen to play the very young Leopardi in the fiction for Rai directed by Rubini himself.
He came back from Venice just yesterday, slept late and then said, with incredible maturity and all the joy of his young age: “Interpreting Leopardi was for me a great honor and a privilegehe was an immense, ‘infinite’ poet. His harsh and determined behavior made me reflect severe of the father Monaldo towards him and how Giacomo would have been without this rigor. I always thank Sergio Rubini for having chosen me and for having taught me with love and sweetness to interpret this role as I did. He always trusted me, everyone was really nice to me, Sergio, Alessio Boni who was Leopardi’s father, Leonardo Marchese, my coach, my little brothers on the set with whom I played a lot. In Venice I was very emotional, I will never forget a single moment. I will take these experiences with me and I hope to be able to continue on this path that I like so much”.
Dad Gianluca follows Ettore’s path closely, the whole family is committed to protecting him, to leaving him his childhood, even in the blender of success that has suddenly arrived: “He has always been very creative, always on the move. His first four and a half years were hard, he practically never slept. He is a good and busy child, it all started because he was the protagonist of a musical called ‘The Ghost of Villa Zara’. He was seen there by some actors, Fausto Verginelli and Michela Trotta, who then recommended him the casting for Leopardi, in Ancona. That’s how it all began”.
The start of the season will be in September 2023 filming, in Mantua, in Offida, in Puglia: “Luckily he is a boy who loves to study and has managed to reconcile everything. The great thing is that he has a lot of fun, it is a very joyful path for him. For this reason, however, we have refused other offers, some advertisements, he was tired and needed his time”.
Happiness was in meeting incredible professionals: “Sergio Rubini in particular he was a great professional but above all a great person. He showed incredible availability and sensitivity towards Ettore, in Venice he never let go of his hand. He guided him throughout the entire journey and Ettore listened to his every word. Alessio Boni was severe and tough on the setas much as it was playful and paternal outsideeven helped him meditate during breaks to regain calm. We were very lucky, in this project I saw a sign of destiny, I grew up at the Leopardi house, my grandfather was in a house outside Macerata that belonged to the Leopardi counts”. In the meantime, Ettore is getting ready to go to the first year of middle school and in the meantime he will resume ‘The Ghost of Villa Zara’ October 12th in Fermo at the L’Aquila theater, meanwhile he still studies piano, singing, artistic gymnastics, diction: “So many commitments and what we want is for him to be calm, that he doesn’t have too many expectations, that he cultivates this dream but within a real life”.
Meanwhile also the municipality of Torre San Patrizio is rooting for himthe mayor wrote on social media: “We will see Torre San Patrizio on Rai1, on December 16 and 17, thanks to you Ettore, for your immense talent brought with all the simplicity, joy and naturalness typical of your young age. It is thanks to your wonderful family that believes in you, in your artistic abilities and supports and accompanies you in every step. The municipal administration of Torre San Patrizio, also on behalf of all the citizens, is truly proud of you, Ettore, and wishes you to always succeed in everything you decide to do in life”.