Giovanni Mazza Says Gio ‘Is Seeking The Truth’ On General Hospital (Exclusive)
Since discovering that Brook Lynn and Dante are his birth parents, General Hospital‘s Gio has had little to do with either of them. He has, however, remained close with two newfound relatives, half brother Rocco and paternal grandfather Sonny — and on the Tuesday, June 17 episode, he made it clear to Rocco’s mom, Lulu, that he isn’t mad at her, either, despite the role she played in the far from ideal way he learned of his true parentage. To hear Giovanni Mazza (Gio) tell it, that trio (along with Gio’s BFF, Emma, of course) have one crucial thing in common: they haven’t lied to him.
The Whole Truth And Nothing But
“I think right now, Gio is seeking the truth, the honest truth, which is something that Emma, Sonny and Lulu have brought to him,” Mazza tells Soap Opera Digest. “Lulu is the reason that he even knows who he is, knows who his parents are, and he’s appreciative that she did that. He feels like, ‘There’s no way that I could live without knowing, and I would much rather know the truth than live in ignorant bliss, even though I was a lot happier.’ Lulu brought that [truth] to him and so he feels like she’s an ally.”
While Gio giving Lulu a pass is likely to drive Brook Lynn up a wall, it works out well for the GH star. “I think it’s awesome, because I love working with Alexa [Havins, Lulu]!” he grins. “I think she’s such a talented human being and she’s sort of like the person that I want to be when I’m older. She has such a beautiful family. She takes her kids to the beach and enjoys her days and I feel like that’s just how I want to be as a parent and as an adult. And then in scenes, she’s just amazing. It’s really exciting because what Gio wants — not to bash his family — is to create a new, chosen family. A support system, like an inner circle that he can rely on, and who can rely on him. And I think Lulu is starting to seep her way into Gio’s new chosen family.”
Sonny is also golden in Gio’s eyes. Notes Mazza, “Sonny didn’t know he was Gio’s grandfather and still, he always loved me, he always cared, he always gave so much to me. Mo [Maurice Benard, Sonny] and I have had some killer scenes together, and the last thing we shot [which has yet to air] is probably one of my favorite scenes that I’ve ever done. Sonny has become a very important person in Gio’s life because he’s like the one person in his family, his blood family, that he can count on. I think when everybody else is sort of out of sight, out of mind, Sonny is the one person that is there, who stays and continues to care about Gio as if nothing happened. I mean, obviously something happened, but it’s not like anything changed with their relationship, regardless of what happened.”
Mazza says that Gio’s trust with Rocco is building little by little. “Our scenes together have been really interesting because it’s almost been like a battle for Gio to trust him, and in any new relationships,” the actor muses. “But Rocco is so innocent and reminds Gio so much of himself that I think they’ll create a really nice bond over time.”
On The Outs
Someone in Gio’s life who will be facing a very steep uphill climb back into his good graces is Lois, his maternal grandmother, who knew his true identity for 22 years and concealed it from him. Gio grew up knowing Lois as a doting family friend, and the betrayal he feels coming from her cuts deep. “They had a bond and now he feels like it wasn’t authentic,” Mazza says. “Gio feels like, ‘The whole thing was a lie!’ ”
But no one is rooting harder for Gio and Lois to reconcile than Mazza. “Rena Sofer [Lois] is like my best friend,” he smiles. “When I first moved out to L.A., she lived a block away from me, which was insane, and it made me feel like I had some community here. She really cares and she is so much fun to be around so much fun to work with. She really does feel like family, and doing scenes with her just feels so real.”
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