IN CONVERSATION WITH MARCO PIGOSSI

interview by JANA LETONJA

Brazilian actor Marco Pigossi stars in the feature film ‘High Tide’ written and directed by Marco Calvani, which premiered this past March at SXSW to critical acclaim and will be released theatrically in the US on October 18th. He previously appeared in Amazon’ hit ‘Gen V’, the spin-off of the smash hit series ‘The Boys’, and in Netflix’s series ‘Tidelands’, ‘High Seas’, and ‘Invisible City’. Next up, he’ll be starring in the comedy-horror film ‘Bone Lake’ by Mercedes Bryce-Morgan and in Ann Marie Allison’s feature debut ‘You’re Dating a Narcissist’.

Your performance in ‘High Tide’ has been described as “haunting” and “soul- baring.” How did you prepare to bring such emotional depth to the character of Lourenço, who is going through such an isolating and uncertain time?

Lourenço is going through something that in a way I’ve been through myself as an immigrant and as a gay man as well. Of course, I immigrated under completely different circumstances. I came under contract for a job and I had legal papers that allowed me to work and stay in the country, but still, it was quite a shock to suddenly find myself living in a place in which I don’t necessarily belong and being immersed daily into a culture that even though you admire and look up to, you still have a hard time to really understand and own. That is quite lonely and vulnerable. It’s a new version of yourself that you’re discovering and there’s a lot of solitude until you find your “family”. 

Before going to set, I was able to spend some time by myself in a very isolated place in California without phone, computer and internet. It was quite an experience to be just by myself for several days. I think I understood the solitude and quietness I needed for this character during that time. I had the fortune to be very much involved in the writing process. I’ve got to collaborate with Calvani for almost two years and to fill his writing with my own experience and feelings, all while we were out there shopping it. I was there every step of the way, and I’ve got to grow with it. By the time I got to be on set, I knew Lourenço deeply and truly. I knew every little detail about him and exactly how I wanted to portray his emotional, physical and spiritual limbo in which he finds himself when we meet him at the beginning of the film.

The film is set in Provincetown, a place known for its LGBTQ+ community and natural beauty. How did the setting influence your performance and the film’s overall tone?

I think Provincetown is the lead character in the film, and I absolutely adore that town. I’ve gone though so many beautiful personal moments there and built such great memories with so many great people. The first time I visited Provincetown, I felt this strong sense of community. I believe it is the only place in the world where we, queer people, get to be majority instead of minority, and it might sound silly and insignificant, but it’s actually a very important thing. It’s a very powerful feeling. There’s no place better than Provincetown to set a story about belonging and self-acceptance like ‘High Tide’ is. It’s one of my favorite places on earth, with all its wonders and flaws. It’s also visually stunning. It’s a thin piece of land, only 2 miles I think, but you’re surrounded by nature no matter where your eyes lay or where you point your camera. 

You also served as an executive producer on ‘High Tide’. What was it like balancing both the creative responsibilities of acting and the business responsibilities of producing for this project?

We had the best producers one could possibly dream of. Pete Shilaimon and Mickey Liddell at LD Entertainment really understood and protected the film from the beginning, and they allowed us to let our creativity run free. I had complete trust in them and in Calvani’s direction, of course, that I was able to just be Pigossi the actor on set and focus one hundred percent on Lourenço. The business responsibilities came back right after production and have continued to this day, but it’s been nothing short of extraordinary and fulfilling.

The film centers around belonging and acceptance in today’s America. How do you think the themes of ‘High Tide’ resonate with audiences, especially in the context of today’s socio-political climate?

The film will open in US theaters at a very particular time, during the presidential elections. Immigration is one of the most discussed topics and one of the biggest concerns of the American people right now. I really hope that the movie can shine a light on what it means and how it feels to be at the center of this conversation without necessarily having a seat at the table. My hope is that the film will touch the audience’s hearts while shining a light on the many of us who are and feel like outcasts in our societies and communities. Hopefully, the film will help Americans making the right choice when they go to vote. I think that’s the power of cinema, to make people feel close to one another and to enable empathy for those we are not familiar with. We need that now more than ever.

You’ve had a very successful career in Brazil, with leading roles in hit series for Rede Globo and international projects for Netflix. How has your transition from Brazilian productions to international projects shaped you as an actor?

Even though I’ve had a successful career in Brazil, it doesn’t necessarily translate here in the US. Very few Brazilian content gets to cross to the American market. So in a way, it’s a new beginning for me and that’s very exciting. It’s as if I’m having the chance to start all over again, but with much more experience, calm and maturity. I can now choose projects based on what moves me as an artist and a person. 

When you’re young and at the very beginning, sometimes you don’t have that luxury and you always tend to please the other one instead of yourself. For example, now I’m much more focused on independent cinema. That’s where my heart is right now. That’s where I believe the juiciest stories are for me, stories I can continue to learn from. That being said, I believe that it is so important for an actor to navigate through all platforms, from theater to movies and TV, and if you get to do that in different cultures and in different languages, it’s even more amazing.

How do you feel the global entertainment industry is evolving in terms of giving more visibility to Brazilian actors and storytelling?

We are at a moment where Hollywood is more open to new voices, accents, faces and cultures. There’s finally a big conversation about Latinx inclusion and I think Brazil must be a part of it. We have a very powerful film industry in Brazil and I’m extremely proud of it.

You recently appeared in ‘Gen V’, a spin-off of the hit series ‘The Boys’, which has a massive fanbase. How did working on such a high-profile project impact you and your career?

I had such a great time shooting ‘Gen V’. I got to meet so many talented folks and made great new friends. I think the most important thing is always the people you meet and what you get to share with them and learn from each other. These are the memories that stay and it’s what I care about the most. Of course, we all wanted for the show to succeed and having such a massive fan base was incredible to begin with, but in the end it’s the experience that counts and I had a beautiful one.

In 2022, you produced the documentary ‘Corpolitica’ (Political Bodies), which follows four queer candidates running for municipal elections. What inspired you to take on this project, and why was it important for you to highlight queer voices in politics?

We talk a lot about representation nowadays and I wanted to highlight the people who are at the front of the battle, day and night, working to make sure we have our rights in place and secured. There are very few queer politicians in Brazil, especially representing us as a community, working for our collective agenda. I wanted to use the voice and the space I’m granted in Brazil to give voice and space to the people who usually don’t have them.

Back then, we were coming out of the second year of Bolsonaro as president. He went live on TV and said that he’d rather have a dead son than a gay son. That was horrifying, and it was also extremely dangerous. Public speeches like that one legitimizes hate and prejudice, and that year, 2021, we had a record of queer candidates running for Congress. I saw it as an answer, a reaction from all the homophobia that was ramping up in Brazil, and I wanted to be a part of that response and support it somehow.

As a producer, what kind of stories or themes are you most passionate about bringing to the screen, and how do you see yourself expanding your work in this area in the future?

I’m passionate about cinema in general. I watch everything I can, whenever I can, from documentaries to animation, anything you can imagine. As a producer, I always try to devote myself to projects that resonate with me and the world I live in, which is the opposite of what I search for as an actor. The more distant from me the character is, the more I want to play it. But as a producer, I prefer to dive into known territory and in one way or another, shine a light on topics that are important to me and my community.

I’m already working on another documentary in Brazil about queer refugees. Brazil is the country with the highest rates of hate crimes against LGBT people in the world and at the same time we have a very modern legislation in place that helps, protects and welcomes refugees from all over the world. One of the many Brazilian contradictions which I think is worth investigating. 

What can you share with us about your upcoming projects ‘Bone Lake’ and ‘You’re Dating a Narcissist’?

We just premiered ‘Bone Lake’ at Fantastic Fest in Austin and at Sitges Film Festival in Spain, and it was a huge success. We got great reviews and sold-out screenings. I couldn’t be happier about it. Hopefully, we will be able to bring ‘Bone Lake’ to the theaters soon. It was an amazing experience to shoot my first genre film. Mercedes is an extremely talented director and it was a delight to work with her. 

‘You’re Dating a Narcissist’ is still in post-production, but I can’t wait to share it with the world. The script is amazing, and Marisa Tomei is a genius. By far the best actress I’ve ever worked with. I feel so lucky to have shared the screen with her twice already, as she also appears in ‘High Tide’, and brings so much light and heart to the film.

photographer GERSON LOPES