A few weeks ago, I met with Lillo Brancato a gifted actor well known for the iconic film, The Bronx Tale. In his role as Calogero Anello, he plays Robert Deniro’s young teen son and contemplates life lessons from both his father and members of organized crime. When art imitates life – an immersive interview about his valuable experiences and his new found direction.
Stefani Style What is an average day like for Lillo Brancato?
Lillo Brancato An average day for me: I wake up around anywhere from 6-8am. I’m up early, I like to workout. I’ve got a treadmill in my house, a pull up bar. I do a lot of calisthenics, but I do go to the gym as well. I’m active on Social Media. I’m on Instagram, I have Facebook but I’m not really on it that much where I should be. I was on Twitter.
Stefani Style Do you have a large circle of friends or do you keep it tight?
Lillo Brancato No, Over the years just seeing through my trials and tribulations, I was able to weed out the good people and the bad people. Not necessarily bad people but the people who weren’t necessarily there for me so now its just the people that have always had my best interest at heart that I keep around.
Stefani Style So Many of your fans are excited to see what your working on. Tell us about the Documentary you’re in: Wasted Talent.
Lillo Brancato It hasn’t been officially released. Its a Documentary they did about my life. You heard about it in the press is because we were invited to the NYC International Film Festival (NYCIFF) which and we won top prize, Best Documentary. At that time the documentary hadn’t been fully edited and we were able to get that award which is pretty amazing. I would say probably in the Fall because this year is the 25th Anniversary of the Bronx Tale. We’re trying to release the documentary simultaneously with the 25th Anniversary. Strategically, it definitely makes sense people might think : you know that kid from The Bronx Tale, he’s got a Documentary coming out called Wasted Talent.
Stefani Style What inspires you today? What types of stories are you interested in ?
Lillo Brancato I don’t necessarily have one type. When I first came home from being incarcerated I wanted to stay away from anything of a violent nature. I just thought it would be a slap in the face to the family. But that was 4 years ago, and I’ve been home clean and sober and I think I’ve proven that I’m not a violent person that I can be a productive member of society. I think it’s time to get back to being an artist. If there’s a role that calls for some violence and I like the character and its tasteful. I’ll do anything, Shakespeare….whatever it is.
Stefani Style Do you feel you might be stereotyped and typecast?
Lillo Brancato No. I don’t think so much today as I was at one point in my life. I’m a totally different person: Shaved head, it’s like the second coming of me, It’s like I just broke into the business. It’s like I’m not the same person that I was. So, I think I’m reestablishing myself and don’t think that is happening.
Stefani Style What are some of your short and long term goals?
Lillo Brancato My short term goal is of course to help others who are sick and struggling with addiction. My other goal is to get a movie off the ground, financed, produce and star in it. Long term goal is same as my short term goal is to stay sober forever. I love film and television – this is what I love to do. My long term goal is to have my own film company and make $20-30 million movies – even bigger.
Stefani Style Do you have aspirations to write, get behind the camera?
Lillo Brancato I have a couple of projects in mind – I don’t want to jinx anything until I can talk about it.
Stefani Style Are you in contact and friendly with some of your old cast mates?
Lillo Brancato I’m in contact with Joseph D’onofrio, Louis Vanaria. I saw Robert DeNiro back in December when he was shooting The Irishman not too far from here. He was happy to see me. It was a very warm welcome. He was concerned and asked me if I was OK. For the most part, Yes I am in contact with them.
Stefani Style Some may not forgive you for what happened in December 2005 for the shooting and passing of Police Officer Enchautegui. After your incarceration I’m sure you had plenty of time to think about your actions specifically and what led up to it. What do you want to say to those people who don’t forgive you?
Lillo Brancato I don’t really have much to say to them other than, if you can see the person I am now. I’ve dedicated my life to helping others with substance abuse, Alcohol and Drug addiction. That right there in itself should speak volumes of the person I am today. If you still have something to say about me then it seems like its more than the passing of the police officer. See the person I am today. We all make mistakes.
Stefani Style What was your childhood like?
Lillo Brancato Middle class. My mother is Calabrese my father is Sicilian. Grew up eating pasta on Sunday. A lot of Relatives coming over because my grandmother lives with us. Sunday Dinner, Playing in the street. Church. Very Basic.
Stefani Style Some people may not know you are adopted and that you come from Bogota, Colombia. Do you have any interest in going to Colombia?
Lillo Brancato Yes, I do when I get off parole that’s actually one of the things I’d like to do.
Stefani Style Who do you admire?
Lillo Brancato I’ve always admired Robert Deniro, Al Pacino. I mean we grew up with them. Consistent with growing up in an Italian American family. Who didn’t like those guys? Those are the movies we grew up on. So of course those guys, Although they’re getting a lot older. It’s so hard to see them get old. Wow, they were part of my childhood. I like actors Gary Oldman, love Daniel Day Lewis, Christian Bale.
Stefani Style What new projects are you working on?
Lillo Brancato The Documentary Wasted Talent coming out later in the year and a film that was in limited theaters, Dead on Arrival which is everywhere now. Video on Demand, Google, Itunes, PlayStation, Its literally everywhere. You can go on my Instagram @lillo_brancato it tells you all the information where you can see or buy the film.
Stefani Style Your fans and I want to know how you were able to recover from addiction, what was the turning point? How did you stop? What is the path to recovery…. helping others & giving back? Tell us a bit about what that entails.
Lillo Brancato The actual day I got sober is November 18, 2006. Usually, everyone remembers their clean date. November 12, 2006 I was away. I overdosed in my cell, on Morphine and Heroin. I don’t know how I lived. I overdosed 3 times in my life. I don’t know how I’m still here but I am. Stefani Style: That says something, you definitely have a star – someone watching over you.
Lillo Brancato Right. There’s a purpose, there’s a bigger purpose than me acting like an asshole and doing the things I was doing. I recognize that – that’s why I work so hard to become better every single day. A lot of people don’t care about becoming better every day. One day I just wanted to and on November 18, 2006 my cousin and my friend came to visit when I was in solitary confinement for the dirty urine when I overdosed. They were very disappointed. For some reason something that day was just like WOW, they expressed their disappointments. They said, what are you doing? A police officer is dead because of you and your addiction. Your family is crying every day over this and we want to see you beat this and come home. For some reason what they said should of sunk in many years ago, but it didn’t. That day was the day. I decided that day, when I went back into my cell I’m never going to get high again.
Stefani Style You have many fans rooting for you to do well, how does that make you feel. Pressured? Happy? Humbled? Is it a big responsibility?
No. I actually do well under pressure. I like pressure. I’ve always done really well under pressure. It’s like when people come up to me and after all that’s happened and to still accept me and still be a fan and recognize the good things that I’m doing and to express that to me is something that is very empowering and it provides me with an extra layer of strength every time especially from someone who is sick, suffering and in recovery. Someone might say “Lillo, I follow you on Instagram, thank you for your encouraging words”. That’s the fuel to keep me going.
Stefani Style What are some of your pet peeves?
Lillo Brancato Well I hate when people don’t do what they say. I don’t like flakiness. I’m a pretty solid guy. When I say I’m going to do something, the only way I don’t is if there’s an emergency.
Stefani Style What kind of music do you like?
Lillo Brancato I like a little bit of everything. Stevie Nicks. Fleetwood Mac. Classic Rock. I like 90’s hip hop. Beastie Boys were great. I’m talking more along the lines of I love Tupac, Biggie Smalls, Wu Tan, Mobb Deep. That was the best era of rap. The stuff that’s out now is crap.
Stefani Style What is your one annoying habit that you’ve been told you have?
Lillo Brancato I’m an excessive throat clearer. Now you just started something off. I’m not going to be able to stop!
Stefani Style Do you Google yourself?
Lillo Brancato Yeah, I do. I do google myself. I press search tools, last 24 hours what’s most recent. Sometimes, I don’t see everything that’s written.
Stefani Style How do you feel when you see something written about you that’s not very complimentary?
Lillo Brancato Either way it doesn’t bother me. Because I have thick skin and half of it is bullshit anyway because I know me better than anyone. If they want to bring up something that happened 15 years ago, its old news. Its not like they wrote something I did a couple of days ago where I was in some hotel smoking crack with prostitutes. Stuff like that I would never do. Not the new me anyway. So, if they want to bring up old stuff that I’ve taken responsibility for over and over and time and time again, they can.
Stefani Style I have some funny questions to lighten up the mood….
Stefani Style The ladies want to know what do you look for in a girlfriend or a partner?
Lillo Brancato I just want someone that will make my life easier not harder. That’s the key, life is complicated as is. At 41 years old, I realize someone that’s going to make your life easier is someone that you need. Not one specific type.
Stefani Style Square or Round? Pizza, that is….
Lillo Brancato I like the Square, but they gotta be the best. Sicilian, that’s my favorite They gotta be really good. Not too thick not too thin. I’ve got a place I love. Dunwoodie Pizza in Yonkers. Its the best on the planet. Blows the other pizzerias away. I’ve been to a famous one in Brooklyn and this blows it away. That place is overrated. Stefani Style I love Brooklyn Pizza. Stop. I don’t want to argue with you about Brooklyn Pizza.
Stefani Style Sauce or Gravy?
Lillo Brancato Sauce. Gravy is for chicken and roast beef. Brown gravy. Who makes gravy? Salsa (in Italian)
Stefani Style Natural or Fake?
Lillo Brancato For Females? Natural of course. Natural, although good fakes can be OK. They gotta feel right. Stefani Style Have you ever been asked that? No.
I remember this one time I didn’t know how they felt and I was with an older woman when I was 18, when she got close and we started kissing and felt the hard breast on me, I thought she had a sex change.
Stefani Style Latina or Italian Women?
Lillo Brancato Latina all day. It’s like not even close.
Stefani Style What is your dream vacation?
Lillo Brancato I would probably go to South America, to Colombia where I was born.
Stefani Style Love or Lust?
Lillo Brancato It depends – there’s a time and place. It’s what I’m in the mood for. I mean Love I guess. If you can find a really good woman that you can love and feel like you just met her 30 years from now. I don’t know if that still exists anymore. It did back in the day I see how the old school are but now it’s different with social media it’s nearly impossible to stay married.
Stefani Style Boxers or Briefs?
Lillo Brancato Briefs. Boxer Briefs. I don’t wear the Supermans….:)
Stefani Style Would you rather live in the City or Country? Beach or Mountains?
Lillo Brancato City any day of the week. Country is for the weekend to get away. Beach..
Stefani Style What is your legacy ? How do you want to be remembered?
Lillo Brancato I want to be remembered as a person who went through a really tough time and turned it around and dedicated his life to helping others?
Stefani Style Should everyone have a second chance?
Lillo Brancato I wouldn’t say everyone. It all depends if you deserve it. Obviously, if someone is getting a second chance and is making all horrible decisions and they’re doing a lot of the same things that caused them to screw up their life the first time, I don’t know if you deserve a second chance. When you have people that have shown that they are different people and are willing to change and they’ve become the total opposite of what they were. Then, yeah you deserve a second chance.
