Steve Bastoni: Aussie actor bringing Russell Crowe and Mick Gatto to life
They are two of our biggest characters and this beloved Aussie actor is taking them both head on.
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Having spent his school holidays as a kid by the beach south of Melbourne, Steve Bastoni returned to the idyllic Mornington Peninsula to raise his family.
“I have been here for 12 years and l love it.”
His fondness of the famed Victorian headland is evident, having launched the Peninsula Film Festival there in 2018 and it has quickly become one of the state’s biggest outdoor film festivals. This year’s event takes place on March 11-13.
“I was involved in (short film festival) Tropfest in Sydney from day one, and that’s what inspired me.”
Aside from a developing project based on Mick Gatto’s life – “he has been portrayed very one dimensionally so far” – Steve is also filming the last scenes for the Russell Crowe-directed film, Poker Face, with Liam Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky.
Filming for the thriller was derailed due to Covid shut last year, with a late 2022 release now forecast.
“It’s an Aussie film made for international audiences and basically because of Covid we had to shut down with just one week left to film. Russell rang me and asked me to do it and of course, I was happy to be working with him again. Initially an American director was attached to it, but Russell has taken the project in a different direction, which I think audiences will appreciate. He’s a great director.”
WHO Actor Steve Bastoni.
WHERE Mornington Peninsula, Melbourne with wife Bianca Pirrotta and their three children aged, 9, 12 and 14. Favourite thing I learnt how to surf in Sorrento (beach in the Mornington Peninsula) and now I love that I can raise my family here and give them the same experience.
INSPIRATION Reasonably modern but comfortable family home.
HOME IS It’s my touchstone refuge and sanctuary. It’s where I can recharge with my family.
ACTOR STEVE BASTONI’S THINGS
GRANDFATHER’S WATCH
The band on this Longines Conquest was handmade by my grandfather in 28 carat gold. He gave it to my father, who passed it on to me and my son will inherit it from me one day.
SURFBOARD
When I lived in Sydney (1987-2007) I wasn’t interested in surfing at all, I was only interested in the night-life. Now I love it. Local shaper Mick Pierce made this board by hand.
HAWAII FIVE-0 MEDALS
I worked on Hawaii Five-0 with (Australian actor) Alex O’Loughlin. Producer Peter Lenkov had these commemorative medals made for specific milestones of the show.
SWISS ARMY KNIFE
My dad would travel a lot when I was a kid and he would always bring back knives from places like Switzerland, Turkey and Finland. The Swiss Army knife is something I use a lot.
A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE POSTER
This was my first lead role at the Melbourne Theatre Company and it was really challenging, just way of out my comfort zone. It was milestone and we got incredible reviews.
PORTRAIT OF BIANCA PIRROTTA
When we started dating, my wife had done some still life modelling for artist Neil McIrvine. I fell in love with this painting of her, it captured her energy beautifully, so I bought it.
RAFFAELE BASTONI
My father was a kayaker in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. He was a five-time Italian champion and won the senior and junior Italian champions in the same year.
CERAMIC DOVE
This was bequeathed to me by the late, great Stuart Wagstaff, who is a showbiz legend. We worked together on The Rocky Horror Picture Show in 1987 and Russell (Crowe) and I would bombard him with questions about Hollywood.
Originally published as Steve Bastoni: Aussie actor bringing Russell Crowe and Mick Gatto to life
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