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The new Pixar movie, Luca, is Enrico Casarosa’s directorial debut, a literal fish-out-of-water story. Although the voice cast is stellar, the Italian storyboard artist made two cameos, voicing two different animated characters. One of the lines quickly became a fan-favorite quote from the movie. Early in the film, Alberto (voiced by Jack Dylan Grazer) repeats a phrase he heard from a fisherman. “What’s wrong with you, Stupido!” the fisherman yelled. Throughout the movie, the two main characters, Alberto and Luca (voiced by Jacob Tremblay), repeat the Italian phrase. As it turns out, that random fisherman was the Luca director himself, Enrico Casarosa.

Disney Pixar film Luca with Giacomo Gianniotti and director Enrico Casarosa posing at the world premiere
Giacomo Gianniotti and director Enrico Casarosa at the world premiere for ‘Luca’ | Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney

‘Luca’ movie voices

The Luca cast is star-studded, with A-list celebrities even voicing minor roles. However, surprisingly, the Luca director chose to jump in for cameos anyway. Grey’s Anatomy fans celebrated the few lines that Giacomo Gianniotti spoke in the Luca movie. Former Dr. Andrew DeLuca portrayed a fisherman alongside Gino La Monica, who voiced the role of Tommaso.

Also, the Canadian actor famous for Room, Jacob Tremblay, voiced the 13-year-old sea monster Luca Paguro. Meanwhile, Shazam star, Jack Dylan Grazer acted opposite Tremblay as Alberto Scorfano. Emma Berman, who voiced Giulia Marcovaldo, is one of the only actors not to hold extensive filmography.

Additionally, Marco Barricelli joined the Luca cast as Giulia’s father, fisherman, and cook Massimo Marcovaldo. American stand-up comedian Jim Gaffigan voiced Luca’s father, Lorenzo Paguro. Also, SNL star Maya Rudolph acted opposite Gaffigan as Luca’s mother.

Italian comedian Saverio Raimondo voiced Ercole Visconti, the local bully of Portorosso and fancy Vespa owner. Lastly, no one could forget Uncle Ugo — Borat’s Sacha Baron Cohen.

‘Luca’ director Enrico Casarosa provided two hysterical cameos

The story of Luca came straight from the director’s childhood in the Italian Riviera. Casarosa added beautiful language as well as random phrases from small-town Italy. According to a Disney+ fact sheet, the director voiced the role of the winning card player in Portorosso. He shouted “Scopa!” which translates to “broom.” However, in Italian, it means “to sweep” all the cards from the table. 

Later, his second cameo is the fisherman who yells to a speeding boat, “What’s wrong with you, Stupido!” Alberto picks up that phrase and uses it throughout the film because he thinks it’s a traditional Italian human thing. In an interview with The Wrap, the Luca film director explained why he included so many varied Italian phrases.

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“It felt like a great opportunity to make a love letter to small-town Italy with all the beautiful language,” the Luca director told the outlet. “There’s so many things that I was so proud and happy to be able to share. Especially with a fish out of water, we have a kid who has never experienced this world. And through Luca, we can look lovingly with interest and with attention and curiosity at this Italian world.”

Where does the movie ‘Luca’ take place?

If you watched the movie, you know that the setting is the Italian Riviera seaside town of Portorosso. Although it is a fictional town, the filmmakers traveled to Italy to get a feel for the movie’s setting. The director of Luca took the team to dinner at his parents’ home in Genoa while researching the local culture. So, the setting might be fictional, but the artists made it as accurate as possible by because of their travels.

Another fun fact from Disney+ is that all of the children’s background voices are recordings from local kids in Italy. 

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