After years of watching the Academy Awards, I know the categories by heart—from the prestigious Best Picture and Best Director to Best Actor/Actress and even lesser-known categories like Best Live Action Short Film. Now that the Academy has introduced Best Casting, I can’t help but think there’s still one vital category missing: Best Actor in a Real-Life Performance. If I could address the Academy’s over 9,000 voting members, I would explain why my performance deserves that coveted golden statuette.
Any acting Oscar recognizes dramatic physical transformations, cultural mastery, emotional range, versatility, and technical skill—all of which I deliver in spades. But unlike Hollywood productions with their directors, costume designers, and stunt teams, my life unfolds in real-time between a medieval Italian hilltop town and Vancouver Island’s rocky coast. No script. No second takes. No special effects.
Consider physical transformations. In Italy, I portray Silvana—channeling a bit of Sophia Loren’s Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow as I carry out mundane household chores. Even hanging laundry becomes an art form: white sheets billowing in the Mediterranean breeze, time slowing as I gracefully pin each one to the line, the afternoon light casting its glow across the scene.
Then, smash cut to Vancouver Island, where the tranquility of domestic life fades to raw athleticism. An extreme long shot reveals my character, Silvana, surrounded by an unexpected cast: Columbia black-tailed deer nibbling on delicate yellow roses. As the camera zooms in, it captures my awkward and clumsy dance in a unchoreographed attempt to shoo the deer off the carefully curated garden set.
My performance also draws on the cultural mastery and emotional range the Academy celebrates. I learned these skills growing up in an Italian immigrant family in the foothills of the Rockies. Our dinner table was my first stage, where hand gestures and vocal inflections carried as much weight as words themselves. Over plates of penne with sugo al ragù, I studied the use of rising and falling voices, discovering how a single gesture could transform the emotional landscape.
Fast-forward to present-day Italy, where that inherited cultural fluency continues to evolve. I navigate modern Italian language and social situations with ease, calling my friends raga instead of ragazzi, and my husband amo instead of amore. I sprinkle my speech with anglicisms like chance, focus, and spoiler, each delivered with a distinctly Italian pronunciation. My hands become props, gesturing to suit every situation—whether haggling with the antique dealer for the antique wardrobe or hurling insults at the driver tailgating me.
The scene shifts to Victoria’s genteel British atmosphere, where my performance demands a different kind of mastery. Here, a measured Yes, indeed carries the dramatic weight of a ten-minute Italian monologue. The Mediterranean’s theatrical flair yields to British reserve: I move effortlessly through polite discussions of changing weather patterns, their impact on our rhododendrons, and my needing to remember to purchase an annual pass to Butchart Gardens.
The last elements the Academy looks for are versatility and technical skill. My seamless transitions between passionate Italian animation and the quiet poise of British reserve showcase a range that rivals last year’s winners—Cillian Murphy, Emma Stone, Robert Downey Jr., and Da’Vine Joy Randolph.
And like those Oscar winners, my performance relies on the unsung heroes of costume and makeup, but in my case, without the support of a Hollywood team. In Italy, my character of Silvana works hard to make it look effortless – dressing in the neutral tones that are the hallmark of Italian fashion, a monochromatic palette of black, white, and beige. It’s about investing in quality, classic basics that stand the test of time and transcend seasons. Above all, it’s about confidence, each outfit a carefully crafted performance. Under the Mediterranean sun, I embrace the sun-kissed look, often applying self-tanning lotion to complete the natural look.
With each transatlantic flight back to the Island, my wardrobe undergoes a dramatic transformation. Gone are the carefully curated neutrals, replaced by an outdoor adventure-ready look: waterproof jackets, sturdy rubber boots, cargo joggers, cult cross body bag and Heat-tech thermals. On the west coast, my makeup shifts to waterproof mascara and long-lasting lipstick—practical essentials for this environment.
This is how I would make my case to the Academy for an Oscar for Best Actor in a Real-Life Performance. But, in reality, even without the golden statuette, I’ve won life’s lottery—living fully and authentically in the role of Silvana, played out on split screen between the rugged beauty of Vancouver Island and Italy’s pastoral landscape.