Joe Manganiello stars alongside Vince Vaughn in the new Netflix film, Nonnas, and it is their real-life friendship that had a hand in landing him the role, the actor admits. Because he knows how to make Vaughn laugh, their chemistry is off the charts, making it extremely believable to play lifelong best friends in the film.
Nonnas is based on the true story of Joe Scaravella (Vaughn), who decides to start a restaurant after the loss of his mother. His friend Bruno (Manganiello) just so happens to be a contractor and is there every step of the way to help him renovate the location he has his heart set on. What sets his place apart from others? He hires Nonnas as the chefs, celebrating them and their family recipes. This heartwarming movie about finding joy in life can be streamed on Netflix beginning May 9.
ScreenRant sat down with Joe Manganiello to talk about Nonnas. Not only did he reveal that his relationship with Vince Vaughn helped him get a leg up on the compeтιтion during the chemistry read, but he also broke down one of the most emotional scenes of the film. Manganiello raved about the food at Enoteca Maria and discussed spending time with his and Vince’s counterparts.
Joe Manganiello Knows How To Make Vince Vaughn Laugh, Which Helped Him Land The Role
“To Use A Volleyball Term, I Know How To Set Him Up At The Net”
Joe Manganiello and Vince Vaughn are very believable as best friends in Nonnas, which is likely because they are actually good friends. When asked about working with Vaughn, Manganiello first jokes that it is great to work with someone who is a “normal height” (because Vaughn is six-foot-five), before going on to gush about his co-star. ‘I’ve been a huge fan of Vince’s from the very beginning. My formative years as an actor were the 90s in the independent movement.“
“I remember going to a little independent theater and seeing Swingers three times. I remember bringing friends back, ‘You’ve got to see this movie. You gotta see this movie.’” he admits. “When I was in drama school, certainly knowing that I was most likely going to move to Los Angeles, it was all about Swingers.” Manganiello says he has watched Vaughn’s career grow from the beginning, with Swingers, and then “obviously his string of all the rated R-comedies.” The two had a lot of mutual friends, so it was only a matter of time before they met.
“We were introduced by Tom Morello, the guitarist of Rage Against the Machine. Tom and Vince knew each other from Chicago,” he explains. “So it was funny when I wound up at the screen test with all the other guys who were screen testing for Bruno, and Vince and I had chemistry, because I know Vince.” Manganiello reveals that this helped him get the part. “I really think I had a leg up on how to make Vince laugh. To use a volleyball term, I knew how to set him up at the net.“
Joe Manganiello Breaks Down The Emotional Scene Where Bruno Goes Too Far
“Sometimes You Revert Back To The Kids You Were”
There is one scene in particular where Bruno goes a bit too far, pushing Joe out of his life momentarily. It is a key scene that works incredibly well because of the chemistry between the two actors. Manganiello breaks it down, “That scene, for the characters, was all about their history together. Sometimes you revert back to the kids that you were.“
Sometimes people do things for each other, and they don’t let on to the full extent of how far they’ve gone for a friend or a loved one, so that person doesn’t know.
He goes on to explain, “My character has gone above and beyond as a friend. And sometimes people do things for each other, and they don’t let on to the full extent of how far they’ve gone for a friend or a loved one, so that person doesn’t know. How could they know?“
Manganiello agrees that the scene is important to the film, and also believable and raw. “That stuff is very real, and made for a really great and believable scene where I put myself out on a limb for Vince’s character, Joe, and in that moment, I feel like he’s really been reckless with me and my livelihood and my hard work. And so some childhood stuff comes out, and I realized, yeah, I went a little too far.“
The Cast Never Went Hungry While Filming Nonnas
“These People Had Their Own Italian Ice Shop In Their Garage”
Nonnas is all about food and the emotional connection that we have to it. The way that certain dishes will remind us of our family, or bring back treasured memories. While Manganiello was not a part of a lot of the cooking scenes, he was sure to not go hungry while filming. “I will say that the set that had a restaurant down the street. These people, it was a residential area, but these people had their own Italian ice shop in their garage, or outside of the garage. I was always, in between setups, I’m taking orders and heading down to try whatever the flavor of the day was.“
Manganiello also says that “during the week, as a cast, we would get together and get invited to Italian restaurants in the area.” The highlight of it all, however, is when he and Vince went to the actual Enoteca Maria to meet up with the real-life Joe and Bruno, their counterparts. “The Nonnas cooked us this dinner. That was awesome.“
Be sure to check out our other Nonnas interviews here:
- Vince Vaughn
- Lorraine Bracco & Brenda Vaccaro
- Director Stephen Chbosky & Screenwriter Liz Maccie
Nonnas starts streaming on Netflix on May 9.
Source: Screen Rant Plus
