Steve Van Zandt and Lylyhammer

Steve Van Zandt has put the guitar in the closet. He took a plane, went to Norway and there, amid the snows of Lillehammer, where in 1994 he hosted the Winter Olympics, began his new life. That of an actor. The Italian-American rockers, Little Steven or Miami Steve, if you prefer, the faithful friend of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's legendary guitarist, was the first star of a TV series, Lilyhammer, presented yesterday at the world premiere of Mipcom Cannes (will be aired in the U.S. in January). Actually, Van Zandt's career of 'the actor' had already started a few years ago wearing the clothes of the mafioso Silvio in The Sopranos. But if the American series was a secondary character, here is the protagonist. Still wears the clothes of the mafia, Frank "The Fixer" They cut, that after he testified against the boss of the family enters the witness protection Delucci and expatriates in Norway. When you arrive in Lillehammer, however, not only does he realize that it is very different from New York, but also that Delucci did not forget him.

"It's a" dramedy "grotesque sides, but also action and dramatic moments," says Van Zandt, "and it is about contrasts, cultural, economic, between the Italian-American mafia and the Norwegians, that the series is based." He discovered a new artistic talent? "It was a surprise. Before the Sopranos I never thought I could play. My brother is an actor, my wife is an actress, but I had never heard the "sacred fire". Now I'm taking taste, I like the 'idea of ​​dressing for a while' the shoes of someone else. When they offered me the part I did not think twice about it, seemed written for me. " Actor, producer, writer, musician ... it never stands still. "I'm not particularly good at one thing, though I do a lot discreetly. Above all I aspire to do even better, my life is intended to capture, to achieve greatness, to encourage others to do so. In these times of terrible mediocrity, I do not want to add mine as well. I put my hands anywhere I can: I write, I'm a filmmaker and music, I have my foundation, "Rock 'n' Roll Forever" for school children, sound and organize events, I now also the 'actor'. All this because lae Street Band is stopped? "No, it's always been that way. It is clear that when I'm on tour with the band the other things are secondary. But there have been many other activities, are a lively type who likes to do new things, always. " But c 'is a future for the band to Springsteen? "The death of Clarence Clemons was a tragedy for us all, a terrible blow. And we had already lost Danny Federici ... But we're not a band, we're a family, and families do not melt ... ". So there are projects? "We'll see in a few days to decide what to do. The void left by Clarence is unbridgeable. But we will continue to play, is what we do, what we have always done."