From the poetic haze of We Are Who We Are to delivering romantic repartee with Mario Cantone in And Just Like That…, Sebastiano Pigazzi has been slowly — but quite surely — slipping into our collective gay hearts like an espresso shot of unexpected emotion.
And look, in a show that’s been polarizing (we know what you said about Che Diaz), the Giuseppe-Anthony storyline feels like that one perfectly tailored suit: surprisingly flattering, deeply needed, and yes — tailored just for us.
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Pigazzi, who plays Giuseppe, the dreamy Italian poet-slash-pizza boy (because sure, why not give us every gay fantasy at once?), isn’t just some eye-candy from central casting. He’s the real deal — a multilayered actor with a voice like velvet and a mind like Bergman. As Vanity Teen put it: “Sebastiano Pigazzi took the screens by storm, a well needed thing, because cinema needs a breath of fresh air, capturing the complexities of love and desire with a vulnerability and emotional intelligence seldom seen in male leads.” Preach.
From Cinecittà to Carrie Bradshaw’s Dinner Parties
Born in Rome but raised stateside, Sebastiano didn’t grow up lounging in film sets or soaking in cinematic legacy, even though his grandfather was Italian screenwriting royalty. “I wasn’t really aware of my family history as a child… Overall I had a great childhood. I probably peaked then or at least that’s how I remember it,” he said. The self-deprecating charm? It’s giving ‘hot guy who reads Camus and doesn’t make a big deal about it’ energy.
Sebastiano’s first big break came in Luca Guadagnino’s We Are Who We Are, where he played Enrico — a performance that didn’t just shape his career, but expanded his identity as a creative. “Since working with Luca I started directing, writing and designing clothes,” he shared, casually. Because of course he designs clothes — and not just clothes, artful garments with stories, like a Dolce & Gabbana shirt with sleeves made from vintage Japanese pajamas. Style? Check. Substance? Check. Slightly intimidating in a cool way? Also check.
The Poet and the Pizza Boy
Enter: And Just Like That… Season 2. Picture it — Mario Cantone’s Anthony Marentino, a man known for spicy one-liners and an eternal resting bitch face, meets Giuseppe, a soft-spoken Italian who writes poems and delivers carbs. Chemistry? Instant. Banter? Sharp. Shirtless scenes? Hopefully increasing, especially since Cantone himself demanded more sex in Season 3, telling showrunner Michael Patrick King: “I want more nudity.” (Sir, same.)
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Cantone also revealed: “Before Season 3 started filming, Michael Patrick King called me up and said, ‘Hey, just so you know, you’re gonna be getting a storyline, you’re gonna be getting a boyfriend.’” And honey, did he ever. The response? Let’s just say, “My DMs blew up the next day,” Cantone admitted. We’re not shocked. Pigazzi brings that rare quality: classic leading-man looks with modern leading-man depth. A gay storyline, but elevated — not just comic relief, but complex, vulnerable, sexy.
Not Just a Pretty Face, But a Whole Vibe
When he’s not lighting up HBO screens or redefining queer romance, Sebastiano is somewhere in a thrift market, finding a 1950s scarf to rework into a jacket, or co-directing deeply indie shorts with equally thoughtful collaborators. As he once put it, “Loneliness is where we hide our darkness… and the more we are alone the more we come to know ourselves, for better or worse.” He’s a little bit Orson Welles, a little bit Timothée Chalamet with better tailoring.
In an era where male leads are still often painted in the broad strokes of brooding or bland, Pigazzi’s authenticity feels radical. “I think my love for acting started with my affliction with boredom and desire to become someone else to gain more agency,” he said. That mix of introspection and playfulness? You can’t teach it — but you can cast it.
More Than Just TV Love
As And Just Like That… gears up for its third season, Pigazzi’s Giuseppe remains one of the show’s most refreshing additions — not just for his heart-eyes with Anthony, but because he feels real. “Expect to laugh, cry and experience New York City like only Carrie, Charlotte, and Miranda can showcase it,” Pigazzi says of Season 2. But his real challenge? “Getting on set and making sure I did everything I could to not disappoint them.”
Well, Sebastiano — spoiler alert — you didn’t. You delivered the type of presence we didn’t even know we were missing. Whether he’s sparking new conversations about masculinity on screen, blending vintage pajama sleeves into couture, or simply reciting Neruda like it’s pillow talk, Sebastiano Pigazzi is proof that vulnerability is sexy, poetry still matters, and queer romance doesn’t have to be tragic or campy — it can be beautifully, unbearably human.
Source: VanityTeen