Gino D’acampo: ‘At the beginning, I said no; I didn’t want to do it’
The TV chef talks to Danielle de Wolfe about landing a part in Pixar’s new animation, Luca
Sat on his terracottahued terrace, Gino D’acampo looks to be living the Mediterranean dream.
The picture of relaxation as we chat over video link, his white fedora, shortsleeved T-shirt and lightly tinted sunglasses only emphasise his international location.
“I am in Italy – it’s a glorious day!” declares D’acampo with the sense of exuberance we’ve come to know and love from the chef-turned-television presenter.
“I’m wearing my fishing hat at the moment, I’ve got a pair of shorts on and I’m going to go swim very soon – well, I’m going to go on the boat very soon. I look like an Italian on holiday, which is how I spend six to seven months of my life.”
A mere coincidence, D’acampo’s surroundings align perfectly with the subject of his latest project, playing a priest in new Disney and Pixar animation Luca, which is set on the Italian Riviera.
Following two young friends, Luca and Alberto, the pair enjoy long days of sun-doused fun, all the time harbouring a dark and mysterious secret.
“Luca is a little bit like me when I was at this age,” says D’acampo, 44.
Stepping into the recording booth was new for D’acampo, who describes the role of Priest Eugenio as a “very small part”.
Working on the film was a journey that began “seven or eight months ago” according to D’acampo, with initial discussions hitting a deadend according to the chef. “At the beginning, I said no; I didn’t want to do it because, you know what? It’s not the kind of thing I do.
“So then Disney and Pixar, they sent me the video. I watched the movie and I completely fell in love with this guy… It was [set] in a place where I filmed Gino’s Italian Escape, my cooking series – in Cinque Terre, near Genoa on the Italian Riviera.
“So then I thought, ‘This is filmed somewhere I’ve been, I know very well, this little boy is just incredible, the story is all about friendship and it’s all about Italian food and how Italian people kind of live their life!’ And so I said, ‘That’s it. I’m done. I don’t care, I want to do it’.”
Directed by veteran Disney and Pixar storyboard artist Enrico Casarosa, the film’s relatability stems from the fact the story was once a lived experience.
“My best friend and I – I met him when I was 12,” says Casarosa. “I was the shy kid, sheltered, and he was very free. I grew up in Genoa – we went around that real Riviera.”
Explaining the lead characters’ partnership is a reflection of a summer’s worth of adventures, the Italian director hopes it will appeal across the generations.
“I started asking myself, ‘Would I be the same person if I hadn’t met him?’” continues Casarosa of his childhood friend.
“I love the maps. I love the visuals of those old ancient strange sea monsters – the region has nice folklore, but it also felt really interesting because it spoke to the oddness or the ‘feeling different’ that we feel as kids.
● Luca is available to stream on Disney+