Shadowhunters Star Matthew Daddario Leans Into His Italian Roots In The Comedy ‘The Italians’ [VIDEO]

In Michelle Danner’s comedy, The Italians, Matthew Daddario plays Nico Vitale, the beloved son of headstrong matriarch Angelina (Danner) and her slightly bumbling hubby Vincenzo (Rob Estes). Nico is the apple of his mother’s eye, that is until he brings home his new-ish girlfriend Lily (Abigail Breslin), who Angelina takes an immediate dislike to. Firstly, she’s not Italian, a major problem for Angelina. She doesn’t eat meat. And she isn’t sure she wants children. Mamma Mia! So, Nico is caught between wanting to please his mama and being with the gal of his dreams.

“It’s been a hectic few days,” Nico tells his priest in the confessional during the film’s opening moments which also provide a filmic throughline as the Vitale’s relive the sequence of events that have brought them all to such a messy place.

Daddario, with his sexy swagger, infectious smile and distinct accent, never falls back on the-Italian-American-son stereotypical but instead manages to discover the nuances of a young man who needs to break free from his mamma’s tight cord without completely alienating her, but needing to stand up to her—a situation many an Italian boy have found themselves in. Trust me.

The thesp is probably best known for his three-season starring role on the popular Freeform show, Shadowhunters, where he played Alec Lightwood a shadow hunter who comes out as gay in season two and falls in love with Harry Shum, Jr.’s Magnus Bane. The series, which ran from 2016 to 2019, focused on a group of human-angel hybrids who hunt down demons.  In 2021 he joined the dark comedy CBS All Access series, Why Women Kill as Scooter, the struggling actor/gigolo.

Daddario’s first major film role was in Drake Doremus’s Breathe In, followed by Ken Scott’s Delivery Man, both in 2013. A year later he was featured in the sports drama When the Game Stands Tall. Other film credits include Growing Up and Other Lies (2015), Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List (2015), Cabin Fever (2016) and Trust (2021).

He is the younger brother of The White Lotus Emmy-nominee Alexandra Daddario.

The Italians is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

The Contending had a blast chatting with Daddario about the movie as well as his career.