Serena Autieri: «When I was ten, dad took me to be blessed by Maradona. The trips with Michelle Hunziker in heels 12 at two thousand meters”

«Mom insisted on dressing me like a doll, I, on the other hand, was a real street urchin and enjoyed climbing trees. One afternoon to go play she put me in a little pink chiffon dress, with a fluttering petticoat, a velvet bow and matching ribbons in my hair, I was desperate. I came back disheveled, with broken shoes and torn fabric. I did it though: since then only jeans and a t-shirt.”

Serena Autieri and Diego’s blessing.
«I was born in the Soccavo neighborhood, in via dell’Epomeo. Behind our house there was the Paradiso field, where Napoli trained, we saw the players often. One day, I was 10 years old and I was with my dad, a huge fan, we actually met Diego. We got closer, he caressed my head and gave me a little kiss on the forehead. “There ‘fuagliona it was blessed by Maradona!”, my father boasted. For days the family talked about nothing else.”

Did you play football after that consecration?
«Nooo, just tennis and volleyball. But I’m a big fan. Last year, shortly before Napoli won the scudetto, I took a walk around the historic center alone, among the people. Some wanted to offer me a coffee, some aubergine parmigiana.”

This year however…
“You don’t always win.”

Pre-match ritual?
«I deal with it alone, my father, my brother and my brother-in-law are unbearable, we have to remain in religious silence. I’m wearing the official t-shirt that President De Laurentiis gave me.”

Sophia Loren.
«After dinner, at Giorgio Armani’s house, she entered the kitchen. “Now I’ll prepare some nice spaghetti with garlic, oil and chilli‘”».

How it was?
«Delicious, obviously. Donna Sophia can’t be wrong.”

The debut in the soap «A place in the sun».
«I was so anxious that, like at Fantozzi, my salivation stopped and my tongue was stuck. “I can do it, I can do it”, I repeated to myself.”

The supreme duck.
«On the set of The abusive prince. Scene with Christian De Sica. We tap danced. While dancing, we had to raise our leg and push the back of the sofa back until it overturned. Rain was falling from the ceiling. I wore ballet shoes with 7 centimeter heels, with De Sica I could afford it because he is tall, with others I couldn’t. The costume designer decided to cut them, but inside they had a plastic core, on the damp floor it slipped like a skate.”

Ouch.
«In short, I took the momentum and… a crazy flight, I gave a session that I will remember for the rest of my life. While Christian, who hadn’t noticed anything, continued with the scene, until director Alessandro Siani shouted “Stooop! Stooop!”, also because everyone was laughing. Apart from De Sica, mortified “for the poor creature”.

Valletta by Alberto Castagna in «Stranamore».
«He invited me to his house to offer me the part, I wanted to be an actress, not TV, but he was so nice that he convinced me in a second. A respectable person, like Fabrizio Frizzi, always worried about others, asking you “how are you?” and it wasn’t a pose.”

Sanremo 2003 with Pippo Baudo and Claudia Gerini.
«I remember the audition with Pippo, it lasted an hour and a half, he made me sing, act, dance. He wanted me on stage with little make-up, while Gino Landi insisted that they had to hide the freckles on my face with lots of foundation: “On TV they look like spots”.

Baudo won, yes?
“Yes. Since then I have always wanted him next to me, he was also my best man at my wedding.”

What did he give her?
«A silver tray with tea service. At the reception he sat at the piano.”

Could he have played «Donna Rosa»?
“Yes, certainly”.

«Christmas in South Africa», a big movie for her too.
«At least one is needed on the CV. We were staying at a resort inside the park, with giraffes and chimpanzees peeking out the windows. Max Tortora, a two meter tall man, was terrified of him. One evening he found a baboon sitting on his bed eating a chocolate bar. Desperate, he came knocking on the door of the room I shared with Barbara Tabita. “Please, let me sleep here with you, I’ll explain it to your boyfriends, I’m not going back there”. And he curled up in the armchair. At night, to scare him, we pulled the covers over him, poor guy, he didn’t sleep a wink.”

True Neapolitan.
«Sunny and optimistic, I always see the glass half full and in complicated moments, believe me, this helps you and those around you. We have the fire of Vesuvius inside us. And then I’m superstitious, I don’t go out if I don’t have a red horn with me.” She opens the bag. “Here it is”.

How is it not at all?
«I am precise, Swiss, I arrive at work first and leave last».

Like Furio?
«No, my husband already has Furio».

On Wikipedia they note his flirtations with Matteo Marzotto, Gabriel Garko and Giovanni Malagò. Real or fake?
«I’m not talking about this, for me life exists from my husband onwards. However, I was single and having fun, period.”

How did you meet your Enrico?
«Mutual friends insisted on introducing me to him: “You are perfect together”. I was wary. “I feel so good on my own, why do you want to burden me with this? Surely it will have some flaws.”

Married since 2010. She was very jealous.
«When you love so much, the irrational, insecure part of you comes out. I used to do real Neapolitan dramas on him, I kept him on the phone until two in the morning. He impassive: “Hey Mario Merola, now sing me a song”. But now I’ve improved.”

Best friend Michelle Hunziker.
«Between us there is pure love, which asks for nothing in return. Even if we don’t see each other much, when we meet again it’s as if not even an instant had passed. The last time, in Milan, we remained hugged for ten minutes.”

What do you do together?
«Mountain climbing, in San Cassiano, in Alta Badia. I convinced her. At first Michelle was fearful, now she enjoys it. For long hours there is only you and the rock, concentrated, in silence. Sometimes we sing, they are moments that unite you, a school of life, you learn to move forward without fear.”

And what else do you do?
“Let us eat and drink.”

What do you like about Michelle?
“She’s super-determined, smart, never speaks badly of anyone, I’m fine with that.”

A little flaw.
«He wears absurd shoes. And I said: “But where did you get them?”. Able to walk on ice in evening sandals, to come to the refuge at 2.00 meters with 12″ heel boots.

Shoot at the range.
«I started for a role that I didn’t do, I like it, I often hit the target».

And instead it is denied to…
“I have to admit it? Skiing. I’m afraid of the descent, I’m going at two an hour.”

April 17, 2024 (changed April 17, 2024 | 07:19)

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