Who is Eugenio Mastrandrea, a.k.a. Lino in From Scratch?

Netflix's romance series From Scratch introduces viewers to a talented cast in its U.S. television debut. The show, based on Tembi Rock's "From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home" (opens in new tab), follows a Texas-born artist (played by Zoe Saldanha) and a Sicilian chef ( played by Eugenio Mastrandrea) fall in love and adjust to major changes, including a move from Italy to the United States and a health crisis. Mastrandrea, who plays chef Lino, brings Locke's real-life husband to the small screen in an enchanting performance.

"From Scratch" is his American debut, but the 28-year-old has already booked his next big Hollywood role. Meet this Italian star.

The 28-year-old Mastrandrea was born in Rome and graduated from the acclaimed Silvio D'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Arts in Rome. She has appeared in productions directed by such luminaries as Robert Wilson ("Hamlet Machine") and Emma Dante ("Le Baccanti"), as well as in the 2012 film "A.C.A.B." and the RAI series "La Fuggitiva."

Although he is a fairly private actor, his Instagram (opens in new tab) contains behind-the-scenes photos of his appearances and snaps of his life in Italy. He is also set to appear (open in new tab) alongside Denzel Washington in the action film "The Equalizer 3," which is currently filming in Italy.

While his role as Reno required him to speak English, Italian, and Sicilian, in real life he is fluent in Italian, English, and Spanish. Sardinha told Tudum (opens in new tab) that she and her on-screen partner ended up bonding over language because they spoke Spanish together. 'It's his second language,' she said. 'Obviously, Spanish is my first language, it's the language that eases my fears and always puts me at ease. It was kind of our comfort language."

For the Sicilian he speaks on the show, Mastrandrea learned from co-star Paride Benassai, who plays Lino's father. He said, "Because in this story, the fusion of the two sounds, Sicilian and English, is a central part of the story. 'Because in this story, the fusion of two sounds, Sicilian and English, is the central part of the narrative. Paride taught me the Sicilian language.

In an interview with Tudum, Mastrandrea revealed that when he first read the script for From Scratch, he felt a connection.

"It's strange because it's a feeling. It's like explaining the feeling of being cold or warm or hungry. It's something you feel in your body," he continued.

"I put a lot of myself into building up the character, brick by brick."

He also said he deeply empathized with Reno's feelings about Los Angeles. Before filming, the actor had never been to the U.S. and was surprised by the sprawling city.

"That huge mass of population, the buildings, the distances, spending two hours in traffic to get from one place to another, it was a lot to take in," he recalled.

"There was a very strange overlap between me and the role. A lot of the things that were happening to Eugenio in the Hollywood Netflix production, I was like, 'Wow, what the hell is going on? That's what was happening to Reno."