Before Irene Maiorino was cast as Raffaella “Lila” Cerullo in HBO’s adaptation of Elena Ferrante’ s Neapolitan novels, she was Lila in her own right. The Naples-born, Rome-based actress, 39, was raised in a small village outside of Salerno, an area which she describes as “very tough and very powerful.” To survive, Maiorino learned to be a scrappy and strong-willed child, unafraid to stand up for herself, just like the character she would go on to play in the fourth and final season of My Brilliant Friend.
Ferrante’s tale follows the lifelong friendship of Neapolitan working-class girls Lila and Elena “Lenù” Greco, as their lives weave in and out of touch. “I have a ‘brilliant friend’ in my life, ” Maiorino says. “I have an Elena.”
