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| Don
Matteo, the 'house keeper version'.
Terence Hill has been living in the
USA for 30 years with his wife Lori
whom he married in 1967. Since he
traveled between the USA, Italy and
Germany for many years, he learned
to appreciate the cuisine of those
countries. "Don't laugh",
he says, "but my favorite dish
is spaghetti with ketchup, a real
treat!" |
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We'll never forget Trinity
with his duster coat, his incredible blue eyes, his winning
smile and friendly nature. That was in 1970. Today, 32 years
later, he replaced the duster with a priest's robe - but we
still find the same blue eyes and smile. Does he own a portrait
in the attic which grows old for him - like Dorian Gray? But
good looks are less important to Terence in his role of Don
Matteo: The focus lies on his modesty and good
nature, qualities which have made him, in a short time, one
of the most popular TV characters. The new episodes of Don
Matteo followed the success of the first two series, watched
by viewers of all ages.
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| Terence
Hill won the award 'Best Actor of
the Year' at the International Television
Festival. |
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Don Matteo Bondini is a generous person, intuitive,
informal and without prejudice. Did those qualities convince
you to interpret this character?
Don Matteo convinced me especially because he’s a detective,
not only a priest. He has an adventurous side to his personality,
that's what I look for in every character I play, since the
times of 'Trinity'. I am accustomed to adventurous roles and
stories. They are part of my personality now. Actually, there
is not much of a difference between the duster coat and the
priest's robe. Both are worn by mysterious characters.
Was it easy to play the role of a priest or did
you have to make some adjustments?
At first, I was a little at loss. His strong confidence
didn't convince me very much. He had few doubts and I personally
think that a sensitive man has many doubts and always questions
himself. Confidence and certainty comes step by step. I
tried to make him more tolerant and to emphasize his ability
to understand others. I don’t want to say that I made
him more human but I tried to let others recognize themselves
in his wish to find the truth. With humanity, patience and
perseverance.
We already saw you as a priest in a remake of the
movie 'Don
Camillo', in which you had the difficult task
to replace Fernandel, the great French actor. Are there
any similarities between the two characters?
I don’t think so. Don Camillo was literary very defined,
with a political commitment. Don Matteo is more modern and
up-to-date. He is a detective because he has a great sense
of justice and he kept his sense of curiosity from his childhood.
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| A
dramatic scene from Don Matteo: The
horse riding ground near the village
where the filming took place caught
fire |
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Although you have made many 'solo' movies, the
public will always see you as 'the other half of Bud Spencer'.
Do you have a good relationship?
Sure! We often talk on the phone and we see each other when
we can. Our relationship is real and deep. It will never
end. We are not only partners on the screen, we are friends.
We respect each other. We compensate each other in a special
way.
You are a reserved and quiet person but became
famous by playing funny roles, characters very different
from yourself. Was it difficult?
Not at all. There is an ironic and funny part inside me
that comes out easily. I inherited it from my mother. She
was cheerful and funny, it was part of her character. This
aspect of me, which I don't want to call 'comic' but rather
'ironic', came to light with 'Trinity'. Everybody noticed
that there is a strange chemistry between Bud Spencer and
me. When we are together, anything we do immediately becomes
more funny. Over the years, my roles became a little calmer.
Similar to myself.
 You
decided to live in the USA. Why?
For multiple reasons. Sometimes, things just happen. It's
important to feel good and comfortable in a place. However,
I also spend time in Italy and Germany, where I grew up.
But I can say that my ties to Italy will always be strong!
Photos by Memmo Palombi, interview by Cielo Panaro
from 'TV Fiction' November 2002
Translated from Italian by Terencehill.com. Published courtesy
of TV Fiction Magazine © 2002
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