IN CONVERSATION WITH SILVIA DIONICIO

interview by JANA LETONJA

Silvia Dionicio is poised for a breakout with her starring role opposite Mark Ruffalo in HBO’s ‘Task’, which premiered on 7th September. From the creators of ‘Mare of Easttown’, the highly anticipated drama follows an FBI agent and his family as he leads a task force to end a string of drug-house robberies in a Philadelphia suburb. As Ruffalo’s daughter, Silvia delivers a powerful performance that showcases her dramatic range, a role HBO is positioning as one to watch this awards season.

jewellery stylist’s own
shirt, tie, jacket and trench THE FRANKIE SHOP
jeans GANNI
boots H&M STUDIO

‘Task’ comes from the team behind ‘Mare of Easttown’, which was both critically acclaimed and a fan favorite. What was it like stepping into a world with that kind of pedigree?

Funny enough, I binged ‘Mare of Easttown’ for the first time, the week before we started filming, and it did nothing but inspire me. I thought “Yup, that’s Brad’s world right there.” Delco County is its own character, and watching ‘Mare of Easttown’ really helped me understand it better and fall in love with Brad’s writing even more. 

As an actor, I’ve always been drawn to projects that are raw and honest, and this world that Brad created is exactly that. So, it’s fair to say I was beyond excited.

earrings stylist’s and talent’s own
bodysuit and tights WOLFORD
coat SERGIO HUDSON
boots CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN

You play the daughter of Mark Ruffalo’s character. How did you approach building that father-daughter dynamic on screen?

Here’s the thing, I’ll confirm that the rumors are true. Mark is just as amazing as everyone says he is. That was so helpful, because despite Emily and Tom having such a rough relationship at the beginning of the show, it was so nice for me and Mark to hit it off so well outside of work, so much so that we developed our own friendship very quickly. Before we started shooting, we had a “Play/Relationship Building” session led by the incredible Noelle Gentile, who was the acting coach for our younger cast, since we were going to be working a lot with the actor that plays Sam. And I remember building a “Monster Machine,” pretending to walk through clouds or lava, and doing other fun actor-y games with Mark, Ben, and our directors. Even having to share a personal embarrassing memory with Mark in a game where we all put our foreheads together, it was the wildest day, but it also helped me connect with him in a real genuine way. Soon after, we were being silly on set, and he started calling me “mija.”

The show has a tense, layered storyline. What was the most challenging scene for you to film?

Emily has a scene in Episode 4, where she shows up drunk and is probably the most honest, loud, and raw she’s been in the whole series so far. It was such a big turning point for the character that I was nervous of accomplishing what Brad so beautifully wrote on the page, while also being fake drunk. And to add to it, it was also the peak of Summer, so we were all melting at the stages. Overall, I had incredible support from our director Salli Richardson-Whitfield and of course Brad and Mark who gave me some incredible tips on how to act drunk.

earrings stylist’s own
turtleneck THE FRANKIE SHOP
coat ANONLYCHILD
leggings H&M
boots AGL

Without giving away any spoilers, what can audiences expect from your character’s journey?

Emily has such an incredible arc in the show. We see her at the very beginning almost mirroring her dad’s avoidant tendencies and burying away the pain and grief of the tragic situation they are in. But as the show progresses, the pressure is rising, her brother’s clock is ticking, and she will need to make a critical decision for her family. At the same time, we see her, slowly but surely, step out of her comfort zone and do things that she should be doing as a teenager. One of my favorite things about Emily’s journey is that we also get to see her figure out who she is, who she likes, what she likes, etc.

This is a major breakout moment for you. How did you prepare mentally and emotionally for such a high-profile role?

It’s such a privilege to be in this pivotal position. I am so grateful, especially for various things that prepared me for this moment, including doing theater in New York City forever, advocating for immigrants as an immigrant myself, as well as doing every single side-gig you could possibly imagine. All those things have prepared me, truly, and I feel like now that the time has come, I am ready and confident to receive it all.

I also I have the most incredible team and the most beautiful community, and I know they are holding my hand along the way and making sure I know how supported I am. So, to prepare, I just look inward to remind myself of where I’ve been and I look to them to remind myself of who I have by my side.

jewellery stylist’s own
top KINGSLEY
skirt H&M
coat THE FRANKIE SHOP
boots CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN

How do you stay grounded while stepping into projects with so much buzz?

This is such a timely question. I am currently figuring this out myself. It’s so important for me to remain grounded and remind myself of what is real and tangible. This is something that I’m figuring out, but at the moment, remaining in prayer and meditation have been really important, as well as making music and taking social media breaks when possible

With ‘Task’ expected to be an awards-season contender, how are you feeling heading into it being on TV?

Jumping for joy. Singing at the top of my lung. I am so proud of this show, it’s almost a dream to realize that the time is here. I feel so grateful to have this incredible ‘Task’ family, an incredible leader in Brad, and my parents flying in from the Dominican Republic to watch their babygirl be on the red carpet. I mean young, little Silvia or Vito, as my parents called me as a kid, in her little town in the Dominican Republic, with her tiny braids, would be crying seeing that her dreams did come true.

jewellery stylist’s own
top HANES
jacket and shorts THE FRANKIE SHOP
boots ZIMMERMANN

Is there a dream role or genre you’d love to tackle next?

So many dreams. I’m definitely excited to do more roles that entail having to learn a new skill, maybe a new language, or a sport, etc.I love doing thrillers and dramas, so HBO and ‘Task’ feel right at home, but I could see some sci-fi in my future as well.

How do you enjoy spending your days off?

Probably binging shows for like the 10th time. Right now, I’m deep into my 2nd rewatch of ‘Bobs Burger’. If not binge-watching a show, I’m surely baking and reading a lot. I am such a huge baker. Emphasis on huge, not good. But I love trying to make new versions of old recipes that I know I like.

I love seeing my friends and making music. My band and I, Son Papalotl, have been using days off to write new verses for songs we are working on, while sipping on some mezcal and catching up.

earrings stylist’s and talent’s own
jacket and skirt ZIMMERMANN
tights FALKE
shoes HYKE

TEAM CREDITS:

talent SILVIA DIONICIO
photography ANKA GARBOWSKA
styling TYLER OKUNS
makeup MIA JONES at The Wall Group
hair RO MORGAN at The Wall Group
photography assistant ADELYN KARNACEWICZ
editor TIMOTEJ LETONJA
editorial director and interview JANA LETONJA