Playfulness, Legacy, and Finding Your Own Path – A Conversation with Sebastiano Pigazzi

FLH sat down with Italian actor Sebastiano Pigazzi, whose path into cinema is shaped both by an instinct for playfulness and by legacy. The grandson of legendary actor Bud Spencer (Carlo Pedersoli) and the great-grandson of producer Giuseppe Amato, Pigazzi could have easily leaned on his family’s history in Italian cinema. Instead, he speaks with candor about carving his own way, balancing life between the US and Italy, and why love, more than anything, is what drives him forward.

FLH: Sebastiano, how did you first venture into acting? Was it something you felt from a young age?

Sebastiano Pigazzi: My mom wanted me to be less shy, so she put me in acting classes. That’s really how it all started. Even as a kid, I’d put on little plays just for fun. You try to hide those feelings, but they always come out eventually. For me, it’s still about playfulness. I like keeping an amateurish approach to acting, it makes it feel natural.

FLH: You come from a strong cinema legacy, with Bud Spencer as your grandfather and Giuseppe Amato as your great-grandfather. Has that influenced your own path?

Sebastiano: Honestly, not as much as people might think. I wasn’t really aware of it for a long time, and I didn’t see myself in that world until much later. By the time I decided to act, my grandfather had already passed away, and I hadn’t seen much of my great-grandfather’s work. If anything, it’s an honor to be in that conversation, but I wouldn’t compare myself to them. My grandfather shaped me more as a person than as an actor.

FLH: You grew up between the US and Italy. How do you see yourself, Italian, American, or both?

Sebastiano: Both, if that’s allowed. I spent summers in Italy growing up, and as an adult I’ve been in Italy for work. My mom recently moved there. But sometimes it feels like I’m not allowed to be either! Sometimes I think there’s an overemphasis on where one comes from. What does it mean to be Italian or American? I don’t know. I think it’s hard to find any commonalities just based on where you’re from, besides the language.

FLH: Before acting, you studied political science. Does that connect to your work as an actor?

Sebastiano: Definitely. All roles are political in some way, both in getting them and in how you play them. I’d love to play a political figure one day. Studying political science taught me about history, people, and relationships. It helps you empathize, which is essential for acting.

FLH: And Just Like That… wrapped this season. How do you feel about closing that chapter?

Sebastiano: It’s bittersweet. I’m so grateful to the show, it really helped my career, and I made good friends. Of course, you always want more. I would have loved to see Giuseppe and Anthony’s relationship explored further, maybe even marriage. I thought their relationship was inspiring.

FLH: Giuseppe’s character is what you might call a “Hot Fella” but also a poet balancing beauty and intellect. Did you see that in him?

Sebastiano: I try not to overanalyze my characters, I don’t want to make them too cerebral. But yes, the idea of beauty is constantly shifting, and many people struggle with being judged by their looks rather than their words or actions. Maybe that was true for Giuseppe. For me personally, I never really felt that.

FLH: Looking forward, are there roles or projects you’d like to explore next?

Sebastiano: I’m pretty experimental. Of course, I have roles I’d love to play, but if you only focus on those, you’ll drive yourself crazy. The parts I really want, I usually end up writing or directing myself, even self-financing. Maybe they’ll go somewhere, maybe not, but it’s important for artistic fulfillment. It reminds you why you started.

FLH: Are you directing anything now?

Sebastiano: Yes. A few months ago I filmed an improvised road trip movie with friends, part in Italy and part in the US. I still need to film the American half, so that’s my current focus.

FLH: You’re interested in design and fashion as well. If you could portray or direct a film about a designer, who would it be?

Sebastiano: Tom Ford would be fascinating. McQueen too, such a tragic but important story. Those would be my top choices, whether acting, directing, or both.

FLH: Our magazine is called Faith Love Hope. If you had to choose one, which would it be?

Sebastiano: I’d probably say love. Faith and hope can be more subjective, your hope and my hope might be very different. But love feels universal.

Sebastiano will return to the screen in 2026 with two exciting projects - Non è un paese per single, directed by Laura Chiossone and set to premiere on Amazon Prime, and another film shot in Portugal - marking 2026 as a year to watch for Pigazzi’s evolving body of work.