By Kayla DeKraker
Lorraine Bracco might star in the new Netflix comedy NONNAS, but at first, the actress wasn’t sure if she was the right fit.
“I remember saying to Vince and to Steven, ‘I think you really cast the wrong person. I’m not a comedian. I don’t know how to do this,” she told Parade, explaining that she usually works on dramas. “And they were like, ‘Just breathe. You’re doing great. Trust yourself. We love you.’ They were just incredibly supportive of me.”
Movieguide® describes NONNAS as a “heartwarming comedy.”
“It tells the story of a man named Joe who opens an Italian restaurant, with grandmothers (Nonnas) as chefs, to honor his late mother,” the review reads. “Inspired by the real-life story of Jody Scaravella and the restaurant Enoteca Maria, located in Staten Island, New York, the movie is a celebration of family and food.”
“It’s a warm, lovely, heartfelt look at older women who feel they’re not worthy anymore,” Bracco described. “Three grandmothers are hired as chefs, and I was the only one who knew how to cook.”
Food obviously plays a major role in the movie, and Bracco said she and the other actresses bonded over the delicious eats.
“We had a fabulous chef, Jason [Forella], who prepared all the food that you see in the movie,” she said. “The big problem was before the food would even get to the table, we would be eating everything, and he would look at us and go, ‘Guys, now I gotta go back to the kitchen and make more food.’ After a couple of days, he would wait to put any of the dishes out until the cameras were rolling.”
Related: The Nonnas Filmmakers Cook Up a Story You’ll Never Forget!
Bracco is a grandmother in real life, too, a joy she relishes.
“Running after three little kids is always a lot of fun. Picking up a lot of things. I was laughing because when I would go to my daughter’s, I would be picking up things, and I would yell, ‘Bending! Bending!’” she told Parade. “Then the little one would hear, she would yell out, ‘Bending! Bending!’ We got a big laugh with her. The kids are incredible.”
NONNAS “has a strong Christian, biblical, moral worldview with very strong pro-capitalist elements. Characters support one another, pray with Scripture, and forgive each other. NONNAS also stresses the importance of family, community and generational relationships,” Movieguide®’s review says. However, light profanities, a lesbian character and brief drunkenness warrant caution for older children.
NONNAS is now available to stream on Netflix.
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