General Hospital’s Giovanni Mazza: Emma Has an ‘Undeniable Presence’ in Gio’s Heart (EXCL)
Gio Palmieri and Emma Scorpio-Drake became fast friends when both set down roots in Port Charles last year, and their adorable chemistry has made their slow-burn love story one to watch on General Hospital. Emma provided Gio with a shoulder to cry on when he discovered the truth about his parentage, and he’s returning the favor now that her cousin Maxie Jones is clinging to life after suffering a heart attack, bringing the duo closer than ever. Soap Opera Digest chatted with Giovanni Mazza about his character’s bond with Braedyn Bruner’s Emma — and the pair’s special real-life relationship when the cameras stop rolling at GH.
Friends With Benefits
“I’m so glad that the fans are picking up on our connection,” says Mazza of the dynamic he and Bruner are bringing to life on GH. Asked why he thinks the two characters gelled so easily, he points out, “Opposites attract, right? And I think we’re not afraid of each other. It’s very subtle, but I think Gio and Emma aren’t afraid of saying something that’s going to hurt the other person. Like in the beginning, when Emma was doing things that she probably shouldn’t, Gio was the first one to say to Emma, ‘You shouldn’t be stealing people’s wallets’ or, ‘You shouldn’t be stealing people’s phones.’ And I think she respected that.”
That allowed a deep trust to blossom, which Gio needed more than ever in the wake of learning the truth about his biological parents being Brook Lynn and Dante. “In this time where he was sort of losing it, she was not afraid, which is really special,” observes Mazza. “She was there for Gio. She knew that he was going through something so painful and so intense, and she offered her support with no strings attached. And we know how to be there for each other; we’re comfortable with each other, and anything can happen from that. I mean, maybe Gio will say something that goes a little far, but they can talk it out. That’s the most powerful thing about their friendship — even if one of them goes too far, they can talk it out and continue to have a great relationship.”
Off camera, Mazza and Bruner are also tight. “We’ve become best friends,” Mazza smiles. “She celebrated my birthday with me — she came to all the festivities — and on the show, she’s sort of like my rock.” Of their closeness, he declares, “It’s just undeniable what’s there.”
That real-life trust and the comfort they feel with one another fuels their performances, according to Mazza. “Working with her, it’s an authentic connection. It’s real, and it’s us responding to each other in such a beautiful way. I genuinely feel like the luckiest man on earth sometimes to work with her and to be friends with her because we’ll run lines and we’ll rehearse and whatever, we’ll just be talking in my dressing room, and then we go up [to set] and we do the scenes and it just feels like a continuation of life. And that’s what I’m trying to go with — creating a reflection of life onto the screen. It just feels real.”
But the million-dollar question is: When are Gio and Emma going to realize that their feelings for each other go far beyond friendship? Hedges Mazza, “I haven’t gotten a script where I confess my love or I’ve kissed her yet, but she has an undeniable presence in my heart, whether it be as friends or more.”
Conversation
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