ERIC
BASSANESI

"I have a conservative mind and a liberal heart" is how Eric laconically sums himself up. Those who have seen his most recent work with The English Theatre of Rome immediately recognize his "liberal heart." Whether he's playing an overcompensating male chauvinist pig (Brilliant Lies), a blue collar dim wit with an attitude (Mere Mortals), a psychopathic fetishist tormented by violent yearnings (Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love), or a wholesome American boy next door who's obsessed with his brother (The Hardy Boys and the Mystery of Where Babies Come From), Eric can ingeniously make poignant social proclamations often in the guise of frivolous comedy. But dare not talk politics with him over a beer. Winston Churchill, William F. Buckley Jr., Ronald Reagan and... Rush Limbaugh will suffice to make most regular theatergoers sick to the stomach -- yes, undoubtedly a "conservative mind."
Eric is an Australian born who was raised in Italy. He lived six years in Los Angeles where he proudly studied acting with Sal Dano, "the best damned drama coach in LA," and where he performed in many theatre productions. He is a philosophy graduate, summa cum laude, and truly believes that the "unexamined life is not worth living." He is currently expecting his first child with Denise who he met while on stage working in American allegories.

A Eric Bassanesi Portfolio