IN CONVERSATION WITH EMANUELA POSTACCHINI

Italian actress Emanuela Postacchini has built a distinctly international career, moving between European cinema and Hollywood while resisting easy categorisation. From The Alienist and The Seven Faces of Jane to Robots, her work has placed her alongside some of the industry’s most recognisable names. Most recently, she joined Bill Murray, Jennifer Coolidge and Ed Harris in Dito Montiel’s crime comedy Riff Raff, and has wrapped the independent feature Eternity opposite William H. Macy and Greg Kinnear. With a career spanning cinema, television, fashion-inflected music videos and independent filmmaking, Emanuela continues to navigate different languages, cultures and creative worlds with an instinct for the unexpected.

You began your career in Italy before gradually moving into international and American productions. Looking back, what was the biggest leap you had to make, professionally or personally? 
Moving to Los Angeles, definitely. I came here knowing basically nobody and without some big master plan, which looking back was probably a little crazy. I just knew I wanted to act and I wanted to see how far I could take it. Starting again in a different country, in another language, and really from zero was scary, but it also made me much more fearless. Once you’ve made a leap like that, you realize you can probably survive quite a lot. 

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Has working between Italy and the United States changed your understanding of yourself as an actress?Working in different countries has really opened me up. You have to stay flexible, listen more, adjust how you work. I think it’s made me more curious and a bit braver in my choices. In Italy, I was probably more aware of what an actress was supposed to be, whereas America gave me a little more freedom to discover what kind of actress I actually am. And weirdly, leaving Italy also made me appreciate that part of myself more - the emotion, the physicality, the instinct. Now I think I trust all of that much more and just let it be part of what I bring to a character. 

Riff Raff brings together such an extraordinary ensemble. What initially attracted you to the film? 
Well, the cast certainly didn’t hurt, but I genuinely loved the script. It was dark and funny and strange and unpredictable, and I never quite knew where it was going. And Marina immediately interested me. There was something about her that I felt I understood instinctively. Those are usually the characters I’m drawn to, when I can almost hear them before I’ve completely figured them out. 

dress ELISABETTA FRANCHI
bracelet CARTIER

Dito Montiel blends crime and comedy in a very particular way. What was the atmosphere like on set, and how did you find the right tone for your performance? 
Dito is very instinctive and creates a lot of freedom on set, which I love. It never felt overly precious or rehearsed. You could try something, change something, react to whatever another actor suddenly gave you. And with that kind of comedy, I think the worst thing you can do is try to be funny. The characters have to believe everything happening to them is completely serious, even when the situation is totally absurd. That’s where the humor comes from. 

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You also recently wrapped Eternity. What can you tell us about your character and the story of the project? 
I have to be a little careful because I’m terrible with spoilers. I play Emma, and she gave me the opportunity to explore a very different side of myself. There’s a lot happening underneath the surface with her, which is always something I’m attracted to in a character. And working with such amazing actors was incredible. They make everything look completely effortless, which is both inspiring and slightly annoying.  

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At this stage in your career, what makes you immediately connect with a character when you first read a script
Contradiction. I love women who aren’t just one thing. Someone can be incredibly strong and then completely vulnerable five minutes later. She can be funny, difficult, loving, selfish, make terrible decisions, and somehow you still understand her. That feels human to me. Sometimes I’ll read one tiny moment in a script and think, “Oh.., I know you.” That’s usually when I want the part.  

dress BLUMARINE
shoes CASADEI
bracelet CARTIER

You’ve worked across crime, comedy, historical drama, science fiction and independent cinema. Is resisting a particular ‘type’ something you’ve consciously pursued? 
I think so, but it’s also just naturally what keeps me interested. I’m drawn to characters that take me somewhere I haven’t been before, even if they’re not necessarily the obvious choice for me. I love the idea of people having one perception of you and then completely surprising them with the next role. That’s one of the most exciting things about acting, you get to keep revealing different parts of yourself. I never want to feel like I already know exactly how I’m going to play someone. 

As an Italian woman working internationally, how important has maintaining your cultural identity been while building a career abroad? 
It’s important, but I think my relationship with it has become much more natural over time. When I first moved away, I was very focused on adapting, especially with the language and the industry. Now, I don’t think about it as much. Where I grew up is obviously part of me, and living in America for so many years is part of me too. I don’t feel like I have to choose between the two. They both influence the way I see things and probably the way I work as well. 

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Fashion and cinema have always shared an intimate relationship, especially in Italy. What does personal style represent to you away from the characters you play? 
I love fashion, but I don’t really like the idea of being fashionable. There’s a difference. For me style is very instinctive and depends completely on my mood. Some days I want to be really feminine, other days I want an oversized men’s jacket and almost nothing else. I love vintage, beautiful tailoring, and mixing things that maybe shouldn’t go together. I think the best style feels effortless and still tells you something about the person. 

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earrings and ring CARTIER

You’ve already inhabited so many different cinematic worlds. What kind of woman would you love to play that audiences haven’t seen from you yet? 
I’d love to play someone really raw and maybe a little dangerous. Someone where I can completely forget about looking attractive and just transform. Give me somebody obsessive, morally questionable, slightly unhinged. I’d have a great time. 

I think I’m really drawn to characters that make you question how you feel about them, someone you may not always like or agree with, but you still want to understand. Those are the women I find the most interesting to play. 

After navigating an industry across different countries and cultures, what has resilience come to mean to you? 
I think it used to mean just pushing harder. Now I think it’s more about knowing when to push and when to let go. This career is so unpredictable. You can have a period where everything is happening and then suddenly nothing. I’ve learned, or I’m trying to learn, not to make every disappointment mean something enormous about my life or my career. Resilience for me is being able to keep your curiosity and excitement even when things don’t happen exactly when you want them to. 

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As you enter this next chapter, what are you most interested in pursuing: bigger transformations as an actress, developing your own stories, or simply continuing to follow the projects that surprise you? 
Probably all three. I definitely want bigger transformations. I want roles that scare me a little, where someone watches and maybe doesn’t immediately recognize me. I’m also becoming more interested in developing my own stories and having a voice earlier in the process instead of always waiting for someone to decide I’m right for something. But I don’t want to become too strategic either. Some of the best things in my career have come completely out of nowhere. I still want to leave room for that. 

full look CHANEL

TEAM CREDITS:

talent EMANUELA POSTACCHINI
photographer SARAH KRICK
stylist ORETTA CORBELLI
hair VIRGINIE PINEDA at THE VISIONARIES AGENCY
makeup JANICE DAOUD at THE WALL GROUP
photography assistant MAGGIE OVERBAUGH
styling assistant ALLEGRA GARGIULO
management ASCEND ARTIST REPRESENTATION
editor TIMI LETONJA
interview JANA LETONJA
cover design ARTHUR ROELOFFZEN