Actor Giavani Cairo joins us Close-Up Culture to chat about his role in The Chosen, his role as Thaddeus, his admiration for Martin Scorsese, and much more.
Hi Giavani, welcome to Close-Up Culture. Can you tell us the story behind getting your role in The Chosen?
Thank you James! So great to connect with you. Of course, it’s honestly one of the most special moments of my life. It was early 2018 in LA and I wasn’t happy where I was at in my life. My career wasn’t close to where I wanted it to be and on top of that, I was really missing family back home in Michigan. Another big thing that had been on my mind too was my faith. I grew up Christian but never really connected fully to it. I wanted to grow in that area, but didn’t know how. After deeply considering taking a break from the business, a friend encouraged me to join this program that had to do with giving back.
After some slight push back, I decided to give it a shot. I also made two goals for the year…to book my first series and to get closer to God. The program lasted a few months and what’s crazy is that a couple weeks before it ended, “The Chosen’ audition came. The writing was so good that I immediately connected with it. I sent my self tape in and got an in person callback opportunity in Texas, but didn’t have the finances to get there. However, Dallas Jenkins (our creator) and casting graciously let me send in another tape for the callback. A couple weeks later I had a Skype with Dallas and the rest is history. My two goals came together in one…that’s definitely not a coincidence. It’s all God.
How have you approached your role as Thaddeus?
Honestly, what’s so cool about playing Thaddeus (whose also known as St. Jude) is that there’s so much room for exploring the unknown. He’s only mentioned in scripture a few times.
Our writers Ryan Swanson, Tyler Thompson and Dallas Jenkins do such a great job giving these characters unique and specific personalities. From their writing I knew right away that Thaddeus lives life with his heart on his sleeve and tries his best to make others feel seen. I lean into that and try to bring a good amount of myself to him as well. Practicing prayer and humility on a daily basis has really been impactful as well. Us Italians can fly off the handle at times you know?
What has been your favourite experience so far working on the show?
Hands down, it’s been the family that we’ve made. Cast and crew. I love these people so much. They’re not just co-workers. They’re my family. We’ve laughed together, cried together, and are always there for one another. Even going back to that first day on set in 2018, it felt so welcoming. Even in the off season, we stay in touch and will hangout if we’re in the same area. I can’t imagine life without them.
Where does your love of acting come from?
I’ve always been curious about people. Why they do certain things and why they choose certain paths. Storytelling has always held a special place in my heart as well. I was one of the kids that would always come home from the movie theater and act out the performances either with friends or in front of the mirror. In elementary school, my mom bought me a camcorder so my friends and I could go around the neighborhood making our own movies. Some randomly involved a Scream mask and sticks for swords…can I tell you why? Absolutely not, but we were creating and it was such a fun time. Watching Matt Damon’s performance in ‘Good Will Hunting’ is what consciously made me want to be an actor. That really had an impact on my life and I constantly strive to connect with others through my art in a similar way.
What are your biggest passions away from the camera?
I’m a huge family man. Both my mom and dad come from big families so it’s always been important to me to make that a priority. Growing up it seemed like every week we’d have a family function. Game nights, Sunday dinners, cousin’s birthdays…I looked forward to each and every one of them. It’s obviously harder when I’m away for work, but I do try and stay in touch through FaceTime and phone calls. I also have a deep passion for health and fitness. You can find me at the gym on most days. Weight training and basketball for cardio are part of my current routine.
What type of roles and projects are you excited to take on in the future?
I’m extremely excited to get back to work with my ‘Chosen’ family for Season 5 in the next few weeks! Season 4 (which just released in theaters recently) was such an emotional season so I’m eager to see how fans react to this upcoming one as well!
The Italian/east coast genre is always a world I’ve wanted to be in.
Martin Scorsese is my favorite director, along with ‘The Departed’ being my favorite movie. Would love to work with him some day.
Do you have any other ambitions or upcoming projects to share with us?
Honestly, my main focus has been prepping for Season 5 of ‘The Chosen’. We truly have the best fans in the world and I can’t wait for them to see what we have in store for them this year!
Title image by Nathan Caulford