Alba Rohrwacher: "I imagine Lila as a ghost that inspires Elena to escape from the Naples where she was born"

In this fourth and final season of My Brilliant Friend, Lila and Elena (played by Irene Maiorino and Alba Rohrwacher) delve into adult life and get caught up in the turmoil of late-eighties Italy, on the brink of ending decades of political violence and social unrest.

Between motherhood and the demands of their careers, amidst betrayals, threats, disappearances, and natural disasters, and after years apart, Elena and Lila reunite to live in the same neighborhood, in Naples from which they had both dreamed of escaping. There, they support each other and become closer than ever before until they are separated once again.

EL ESPAÑOL spoke with Alba Rohrwacher, the actress who plays Elena Greco, in an interview conducted before the premiere of this season on Max, after having watched only the first four episodes. Here is what she told us.

Saverio Constanzo: "Elena Ferrante kept being a ghost until the end of 'The Brilliant Friend'"

Do you remember any quote from the fourth novel of the series that helped you understand Elena better?

I could mention several passages from the entire series, but I especially remember a phrase from the novel that we also used in the voice-over of the fourth episode, the one about the earthquake.

When we managed to leave Lila's apartment and stepped out onto the street, everything had an apocalyptic feel in which she appeared more vulnerable than ever. There is a phrase that Elena Ferrante wrote that I used to build Elena's character in this season.

It is when she says: "I realized I had been wrong; she was always in control of everything, but at that moment, she was in control of nothing. Paralyzed by horror, she feared that if touched, she would break."

That sentence made me think about Elena's strength, how in the most difficult situation, regardless of fear or rage or any passionate feeling, she was able to organize her thoughts and make decisions. I always kept that in mind while portraying her.

'The Brilliant Friend'

One of the most anticipated moments by fans of the novel is the reunion of Elena and Lila, how did you prepare for that scene?

Before filming, we knew it was a very important scene, so it was quite a challenge, but we had a huge advantage: we had layers and layers of knowledge about those characters, everything that had led them to that point, everything they had experienced together, everything they had loved, hated, and missed about each other.

This information not only came from the books, which are of course our bible, but also from the three previous seasons of the series and the great work done by Margherita (Mazzucco) and Gaia (Girace), because we could literally visualize our youth through them.

It was a privilege. And also a bit magical, because Irene Maiorino and I didn't know each other, so we started getting to know each other through the characters we were portraying. There was an intense and strong magnetism between us throughout the filming. Like a dependency. It felt real, true. I really don't know how to explain it. It had never happened to me before as an actress.

Irene Maiorino

Readers and viewers often highlight the competitive aspect between Elena and Lila, how do you define their relationship?

Sometimes I imagine Lila as a ghost who gives Elena the strength to emancipate herself from the reality of the Naples in which she was born. Lila gives her strength and inspiration to be better.

In any case, it is clear that Lila is Elena's driving force. They are two parts of the same person and one needs the other to be complete. So I cannot imagine Elena without Lila and I cannot imagine Lila without Elena. Both make each other the best possible version of themselves.

*This article has been automatically translated using artificial intelligence