The Italian medical series “Doc” returned for its second season last Wednesday on TF1. On the occasion of the broadcast of this new burst of episodes, Pierpaolo Spollon who plays Riccardo tells us more about what awaits his character.
Since last Wednesday, TF1 has been broadcasting season 2 of Doc, an event medical series carried by Luca Argentero.
If the first season focused on Andrea Fanti and her ability to resume the practice of medicine after her devastating accident, this new burst of episodes takes viewers into a post-covid world in which each of the doctors will have to rebuild their life after this devastating tragedy.
On the occasion of the broadcast of season 2, Pierpaolo Spollon alias Riccardo Bonvegna, resident in internal medicine who had touched the fans a lot during the first season, tells us more about what awaits his character in the next episodes.
Allociné: In season 1 we learned that your character had suffered an amputation following an accident when he was a teenager. How did you prepare for this role? Why was it important for you to play such a character?
Pierpaolo Spollon : To prepare for the role of Riccardo, I sought to meet a boy who had had a problem similar to that of my character. I was able to ask him questions and observe his relationships with others before and after losing his leg.
The thing that interested me the most was not how he was in his circle of friends, but rather how he behaved in the presence of people he did not know. And the hardest part is when you have to say that kind of thing to someone you like.
In his contact, I also learned that the handicap does not come from the person who has this handicap, but from the one who looks at it. It was something that I wanted to convey through my character: disability is born in the eyes of others.
What are the challenges that await your character in season 2 of Doc?
In the first season, Riccardo’s difficulties lay in his disability and having to tell the other doctors. But in this season 2, the challenge is even greater, since he now has to deal with psychological problems, which are the result of the situation that we are currently experiencing, that is, the epidemic of Covid.
Erika Kuenka/Lux/Sony Pictures Television
Season 2 of the series is set in a post-Covid world. Why did the screenwriters choose to talk about post-covid?
I think it’s a good idea that the writers chose to talk about Covid in season 2 because it’s something we always hear about. We are still bombarded by news on the subject today.
The scriptwriters especially understood that the true consequences of the epidemic would come later. People had psychological scars. They also didn’t want to intoxicate people with the Covid, because it’s a subject that takes up a lot of space in the media.
But they couldn’t not talk about it either. So they found the solution of talking about the post-covid period, which made it possible to address the fallout from the epidemic so that people could identify with it.
Doc was a great success both in Italy and in France. Did you have pressure and stress when you started shooting season 2?
Yes we were under a lot of pressure! We were aware of the importance of the series on the lives of viewers. As the main character, Luca Argentero gave us a speech before starting the shooting.
SONY PICTURES
He told us that we were living in a historic and important moment, and that we were doing much more than just a series. And that the only way not to stress was to focus on work. It was a bit of an Al Pacino moment in Sunday Hell! (laughter)
Riccardo’s character quickly became a fan favorite. Would you imagine a spin-off on him? And would that be something you might be interested in?
There are many jokes on the subject in Italy (laughter). But I don’t think that’s something that’s being considered. Doc is a global series and I think it’s best that we all continue together. And I don’t think Riccardo is the ideal character to have a spin-off.
Your character will find himself in the middle of a love triangle during season 2. How will it be for him? Did you enjoy playing this plot?
It was a first for me ! Normally I rather play characters who don’t have a lot of chances from a sentimental point of view. It was amazing for me to go from being able to have one girlfriend to being able to have two (laughter).
He finds himself in a stable relationship and here comes Carolina who will make him doubt. But I don’t want to spoil you too much. All I can tell you is that Riccardo is a character who is very traditional in his conception of the couple.