Italian Actress Matilda De Angelis Destined for Besson Film

Italian actress Matilda De Angelis was fated to collaborate with renowned French director Luc Besson, as she was named after a character from one of his films. De Angelis, who has gained recognition for her roles in the Netflix series "The Law According to Lidia Poët" and the Amazon show "Citadel: Diana," recently appeared in Besson's "Dracula: A Love Tale," which screened at the Lucca Comics and Games festival in Lucca, Italy.

De Angelis' parents were inspired to name her after the character Matilda from Besson's 1994 film "Léon: The Professional." The actress herself saw the film at the age of 13 and fell in love with Besson's work, going on to watch his other acclaimed movies like "The Fifth Element," "Valerian," and "Lucy."

In "Dracula: A Love Tale," De Angelis portrays Maria, a society lady who has been transformed into a vampire by Count Dracula, played by Caleb Landry Jones. Oscar winner Christoph Waltz stars as Van Helsing in the film. Besson wanted De Angelis' character to be highly unpredictable, requiring her to showcase a wide range of emotions and behaviors within a single scene, from playful to ferocious.

Despite the high stakes and challenging role, De Angelis relished the opportunity to work with such a renowned director and co-stars. She is now focused on carefully selecting her next projects, eager to continue expanding her career beyond Italy and into the international film landscape.