Marco Grazzini and Jessica Szohr star in a brand new fresh, funny and pretty heart-warming Discovery+ Christmas movie, entitled Designing Christmas, which is premiering November 11. We at Survived The Shows had the pleasure of chatting with Marco Grazzini about his experience on Discovery+’s Designing Christmas and what fans can expect from the movie. Check out full interview below!
What’s the main element in Pablo’s character and the movie in general that fascinates you the most and drew you to join Designing Christmas?
MARCO GRAZZINI: Comedy! Pablo has a very sharp sense of humor, he is sarcastic and to the point but at his core he is a very loyal person. Those are the themes that attracted me to the character and to the script – the levity combined with the big heart. I had never come across a Romantic Comedy script that was so quick in its pacing and had so much humor. And thankfully the team that was assembled for the movie did an amazing job of bringing the script to life.
Where are you and Pablo most similar and where most different as human beings?
GRAZZINI: I identify with Pablo a lot, so much that I barely had to act in this film. Pablo and I do not miss opportunity to find the humor in any situation, sometimes even when we shouldn’t. We are very stubborn, very altruistic and I think we both get angry in the same ways hehe. I really don’t know if there’s much of a difference between me and Pablo – oh I know!! I would never fall in love with my co-worker, and definitely not if she’s engaged. Too many headaches.
What’s been the biggest challenge for you in portraying Pablo?
GRAZZINI: My biggest challenge in portraying Pablo was to look like I knew what I was doing with the home improvement parts. I can screw in a light bulb.. That’s about it.
To all the fans looking forward to watching the movie, how would you describe Designing Christmas in just 3 words?
GRAZZINI: Funny, Heart-warming and fresh!
What can you tease about Pablo and Stella’s journey throughout the movie?
GRAZZINI: Jessica Szohr (who plays Stella) and I clicked immediately as “co-hosts” which will give the audience a feeling like they’ve been watching Pablo and Stella for years. They’re co-workers who spend massive amounts of time together and sometimes, that time can blur the boundaries between work relationship and “oh damn, I’m crazy about you”
Talking about the environment on set, how would you describe your experience while filming Designing Christmas and do you have any fun anecdotes to share?
GRAZZINI: It was a very light-hearted set. Our director Pat Mills never lost energy, was always such a fountain of ideas and jokes. It was very entertaining.
Most of our cast comes from a comedy background – which is such a blessing when you’re shooting a Christmas movie in the middle of a humid summer with all the Christmas sweaters, fireplaces and mosquitoes!
If you could choose any other character from Designing Christmas, apart from Pablo, that you would have loved to play, which one would it be and why?
GRAZZINI: Zoe! It would have been so much fun to put my own spin on the quirky Zoe character who is the producer of “House Sweet Home” (the tv program within our movie). However, there is NO WAY I would have come close to what my friend Nicole Power did with the role. She is phenomenal and she would probably make you laugh by just reading a phone book.
Did you take anything from set, any prop or piece of costume, to remember your experience as Pablo?
GRAZZINI: I took a jacket with the show logo on it. I think it looks cool!
Designing Christmas premieres November 11 on Discovery+. Watch an exclusive preview below!
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Chiara
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