Fallout, Rodrigo Luzzi Interview

The second season of the television series Fallout, in which you played Reg McPhee, is released on 17 December. What memories do you have of working with the Fallout cast?

I have nothing but fond memories of working with everyone dating back to my first day on set for Season One, which was way back in the summer of 2022. I thought the entire cast and crew were amazing and everyone was such a joy to be around. Zach Cherry and I hit it off from jump and despite not having any scenes together, I quickly became friends with Cameron Cowperthwaite, who played Monty in the Pilot episode, as well as Dave Register, who plays Chet. Being on set with everyone in the cast was something I looked forward to every day. This season was also a real treat for me as I got to work quite a bit with Leslie Uggams, who is an absolute legend. To share the screen with her is something I will cherish forever. And as I previously mentioned, the crew was truly amazing. I look forward to what the future holds and definitely look forward to being back on set with everyone soon!

Fallout is based on a successful video game. Are you a video gamer?

I was actually never a gamer, but my interest has certainly been piqued by being part of this show and seeing the massive world of the Fallout game franchise. Hopefully I get a game console this Christmas!!

There has been a lot of discussion recently about cinema and streaming, and how the latter is changing fans' habits. In your opinion, is streaming really killing cinema, or will cinemas retain their appeal?

I think cinema will most certainly retain its appeal. Even being in the theater for the LA premiere of Season Two proved to me how different it is being in a large space with others and completely immersed in the experience. I've watched shows and movies either at home or with friends via streaming platforms and sometimes there can be distractions or someone always on their phone etc. so the experience, at least for me, is different. I feel almost hypnotised in the theater and fully engaged with what I am watching. For me it's a great escape from the world even if it's for just a few hours.

You appeared in the cast of New Amsterdam and FBI: Most Wanted in 2021. Can you share any anecdotes with your fans?

The funny thing about being on FBI: Most Wanted was that I played a bartender and my last shift as a real bartender was in April 2019 so it felt familiar except that I was now just playing one on tv and getting paid. Definitely felt better not having to do side work when the filming day was done lol. Working on New Amsterdam was also interesting because it was still Covid days so my face was covered by a surgical mask in the episode. Not sure any of my friends knew it was me haha!

As a screenwriter, you wrote and starred in La Locura: The Madness, a nine-episode comedy series. Where did the idea come from, and what is the series about?

La Locura was a project that came about when a director I had previously worked with, Sam Cadman, who is also a good friend, asked me if I had any ideas to work on since everyone was on lockdown for Covid. At the time I told him I hadn't really thought of anything, but that my father had just been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. I had some funny stories about things my dad had been saying and Sam thought it would be a great idea to flesh out the story, but to add a comedic element. Being that Sam came from a comedy background as a director I put my faith and trust in him and brought in a talented friend of mine, George Deihl Jr, to help with the writing.George is not only a talented actor, but also a writer and an awesome illustrator. He did a lot of the heavy lifting along with Sam in terms of writing. George actually played Dr. White in the project. We managed to film during the pandemic after raising money on Kickstarter. La Locura was a deeply personal project and something I would love to see turned into a bigger project at some point. I feel like a lot of people can relate to the situation and it's a story worth telling.

Which of the roles you have played do you remember most fondly?

Playing Reg in Fallout is something I am truly grateful for and something I hope to continue to do for the foreseeable future, but playing a version of myself in La Locura will always have a special place in my heart because it was so personal and cathartic. Unfortunately, my father is no longer with us and because of that, the project and playing the role of Rodrigo Amaro will always be something I remember fondly. I'm actually hoping we can put the entire project on YouTube or Vimeo so that it has somewhere to live and others can watch whenever they want.

What are your next projects, both as an actor and as a screenwriter?

As an actor, I am just looking forward to the next opportunity to work with other actors and directors and continue to grow and learn from them. I enjoy the process so much and really try to observe how others work in an effort to better myself and challenge myself. Constantly growing and evolving as an actor is something I look forward to and I do know there's a project a friend of mine has me in mind for that would be a completely different character than Reg so hopefully that comes to fruition next summer. As far as screenwriting goes, I'm still figuring out what the next thing will be. I have a few ideas with a couple of friends but nothing set in stone. Writing actually terrifies me so maybe I just need to face that fear and lean into it instead of resisting.