Legal and medical dramas are a cornerstone of American television. For millions upon millions of viewers, experiencing the highs and lows of professionals in these fields adds color to the often mundane yet safe day-to-day. Teo Celigo has been on the receiving end of a great deal of attention from the public and critics for his recent co-star appearance on one of the most popular series of this genre, FBI. As the Italian doctor responsible for saving one of the team member’s lives, Teo’s character Dr. Gentilli is at the center of one of the most dramatic moments of this season. FBI, created by the legendary Dick Wolf (multiple Primetime Emmy Award Winner and creator of multiple series in the Law & Order universe), is one of the most celebrated series in the CBS current line up with massive ratings and two BMI Film & TV Awards. Teo is a powerful presence on camera and huge addition to this program.
From the moment that Teo appears on camera, his charisma envelopes the scene. That’s no small feat when you’re acting opposite series star and SAG Award-Nominee Jeremy Sisto. As Jubal Valentine, Sisto is central to every major move the FBI unit in the series makes. When a female agent becomes wounded in Italy, Valentine accompanies her to the Emergency room of a local hospital. Panicked and shaken, Valentine is informed and instructed by Dr. Gentilli as to what will course will be undertaken. Teo relates, “Of course, acting alongside Jeremy Sisto for the first time was nothing short of amazing. Add to that the consummate professionals I interacted with on set like assistant AD Alex Chapple (Known for his work on Primetime Emmy Award Winning productions including: Law & Order, The Americans, Blue Bloods, Chicago PD, Queer as Folk) who made this such a great experience for me. More specifically, running through things with Jeremy and the director and revamping things as we go was honestly a thrilling experience.”
Dr. Gentilli was instantly embraced by fans of FBI as one of their favorite surprises amongst the cast. Viewers of the show are anticipating and hoping for more of this Italian medical professional but this might be a stretch as the show’s team is presented as being centered in New York City (though filming usually takes place in Los Angeles). You’ll certainly be seeing Teo Celigo somewhere though it’s not clear if that will be on this CBS series or another. For his part, Celigo has great empathy for those viewers who are uneasy with waiting in anticipation. He relates, “The most challenging part of what I do is the time waiting in the trailer. I’m not kidding! So many thoughts go through your head as you sit there waiting for the assistant AD to come and get you. You’re not exactly sure when that might happen since the filming order of scenes often gets moved around. You try to remain focused and ready to go so it’s really just an exercise in being ok with all of the thoughts and emotions running through you. That experience makes you viscerally understand Pascal’s quote, ‘All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.’ That’s a good exercise for me to work on.”
Writer : Basil Thomson