Mark Strong

Marco Giuseppe Salussolia, yeah, the guy with that wild name, actually grew up in London. His dad’s Italian, his mom’s Austrian—so, you can imagine the family dinners were probably a mix of pasta and schnitzel, right? Despite having roots all over the map, he’s got that proper London vibe, but you can spot a bit of that Italian flair in the way he talks or moves. It’s like he’s got multiple worlds packed into one person. People mostly know him by his stage name (which, honestly, is way easier to pronounce), but his background is a cool mashup. He didn’t just stumble into acting; seems like the multicultural household gave him a knack for slipping into different characters. London’s got its fair share of actors, but Marco brings something a bit different—like, not your run-of-the-mill Brit. There’s a bit of international mystery to him, you know?

People talk about directors all the time, but Matthew Vaughn? He’s got this knack for not letting anything slide. Like, if something isn’t clicking, he’s not gonna just shrug and move on. He genuinely cares about every shot, every detail. That’s the kind of energy actors want on set—someone who’s got your back, making sure the scene feels right, not just “good enough.” It’s rare, honestly. Most directors stare at the monitor, say “fine, let’s go,” and call it a day. Vaughn’s different. He’ll push for what he believes in, but not in a bossy way—more like a teammate who wants the best out of you. That attention to detail and genuine taste shows through in the finished film, too. You watch Stardust and you can totally feel that nothing was just “phoned in.” There’s heart in it, and a sense that everyone was striving for something a bit magical.