-How has your experience on the set of “The Passport” changed you?

A lot. First and foremost, from a self-awareness perspective. A role like that allows you to challenge yourself, confronting many weaknesses and insecurities, but at the same time, it encourages you to trust yourself and dive in with courage, using those same vulnerabilities and insecurities to serve such an intense and delicate role. Throughout this process, working with and feeling the trust of the director Eduart Grishaj has been essential, and he will always have my sincere admiration and deepest gratitude. Furthermore, The Passport allowed me for the first time to connect directly with the hearts of millions of my fellow countrymen around the world, and I must admit it’s a beautiful feeling.

-Tell us about your character in “The Passport.”

Edon is a young man searching for stability in a country that seemingly has little to offer him. He represents an entire generation of the Albanian people. Orphaned by his father from a young age, he is determined to find a better future for himself and his mother, to whom he is deeply connected. He is willing to do anything to escape from a country that doesn’t seem to value or invest in him. He is undoubtedly very courageous and has strong principles, a positive example in many ways.

-You are an international actor, do you think it’s necessary to be an artist who addresses a global audience today?

I can’t say if it’s necessary for everyone, but for me, it undoubtedly is. I think that today, more than ever, it’s very important to reach the broadest and most diverse audience possible. Beyond the opportunity for greater career prospects, it is a necessity of a globalized and multi-ethnic society, striving to convey universally recognized messages through art. Proof of this are the increasingly frequent international productions, which aim to shed light on life stories in tune with a world that has never been so interconnected. Personally, I’ve had the fortune to work more abroad than in Italy, and I must admit that it’s the part of my job I love most, as it allows me to travel and engage with people who seem distant from me, yet I find them so close to my vision of cinema.

-Which actors from the past do you look up to? You remind us a lot of the charm and humanity of the great Marcello Mastroianni.

I’m deeply flattered to be reminded of the charm and humanity of such a global icon as Mastroianni. Being the grandson of a great Albanian actor, Bep Shiroka, who marked an era from the 1950s until the early 2000s, makes me entirely devoted to great actors, especially Italians, who since the post-war period have raised the bar of this profession to levels rarely reached by contemporary colleagues. Two names among many, besides my grandfather’s, are Gian Maria Volontè, for his incredible interpretive flexibility and intensity, and Massimo Troisi, for the authentic and sublime melancholy that characterized his comedy.

-Future projects?

Taking care of my body and mind, staying healthy to be a present father for my son, and to continue doing this rich job, never stopping to dream big. That alone would be a great achievement! More concretely, having the opportunity to work as much as possible to keep improving and becoming a good actor, which is the job of my dreams, and I always feel so lucky when I get the chance to do it. Specifically, I’m currently part of two projects, both in pre-production: Ghost Date, a psychological thriller directed by Erik Bernard, and Nossos Caminhos, directed by Carla di Bonito, well known to the Wildfilmaker community, where I’ll have the honor of portraying the great Formula One driver Elio De Angelis.