It was in England that I discovered theatre. I didn't have any money, but I would just eat yoghurt in order to get some money for tickets.

I don't go back home to Sardinia as much as I would like, just for Christmas and family events.

Modelling was not very satisfying for me. I came to London to model, and I fell in love with the theatre. I was eating yoghurt every day so that I had the money to go to the theatre. I saw everything. It's still my dream to be on stage in London.

My favourite animal is the koala, but his life would be boring. I would rather be a giraffe so that I could contemplate the beauty of Africa.

My parents wanted me to be a doctor, and they weren't very happy at the idea of me choosing acting as a career. Everyone in my family went to university - my older brother is a lawyer - but when they saw me for the first time at the theatre, they thought, 'OK.' They like it very much now.

Back in Rome I did some acting lessons and I realised I loved it more than anything else I had ever done before.