Some people are born performing. It’s the thing they do and Paul Cilia has been at it “professionally” since he was about eight years old. A string of plays in which he participated include Closer, God’s Official, Popcorn (James Calvert is his favourite director), the panto Tarzan, Little Shop of Horrors (Chris Gatt is his favourite director too!), Richard III and Julius Caesar, The Dumb Show, and The Odd Couple. Paul occasionally works for Maltese television on the teleseries Delitti Maltin, and is playing in the locally acclaimed Il-Pesta which he is enjoying as “they are a great team”. Right now he’s taking part in Santa Monica. He also played in the film Julius Caesar, Helen of Troy (not the one with Brad!) and Black Beard the Pirate for BBC and all produced in Malta.

Paul is presently busy in Masquerade’s latest production, which will be showing at Teatru Manoel: Alarms and Excursions, the award-winning comedy by Michael Frayn, who also wrote Noises Off. Alarms and Excursions is a collection of about six different plays, with five different roles for Paul to play. It will be showing at the Manoel Theatre on 22, 23 and 24 February.

How old are you? Star sign and date of birth?

I am as old as I feel I am. If you’d like to send me birthday stuff it is on 2 October 1968.

What would you like to be doing in 10 years’ time?

It’s a cross between living like Hue Hefner and maybe with a sprinkling of Osho.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Happiness is not an idea. Happiness is an emotion. Most have many lovely Ideas of happiness, be them “perfect” or half-baked. They’re all crap. Empty. They will take up your time and money, and satisfy the brain, leaving you scratching your head, saying… “What went wrong?” Happiness. Feel It. Perfect Happiness? Whatever makes me glow and lifts the sides of my mouth.

What is your favourite occupation?

Any activity that promotes happiness, in me or others that I care about. Yea even those I don’t know…

Significant other?

Where?

What is your greatest fear?

Aha! Once a wise man whispered in my ear, that if I was ever asked this question, and I did answer… I was to follow my answer with promptly killing the person. Easy on Baltizar! So I will answer. I suppose I fear what most people fear… either the unknown or whatever crap ideas our parents fed us to be frightened about when we were young. Besides, the close-up of a shark about to remove my eyebrows of course….

What is it that you most value in your friends?

Them being themselves. There is no show greater, on earth. Honestly at some gatherings, when one or more are in the zone, prepare to wet your Levis.

How would you like to die?

Please refer to question 2, that is, I would like to die from a lifestyle – a cross between Hue Hefner and Osho. Their living was/is complete in their own ways and I like those symptoms.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Oh… I haven’t done that yet…..

What is your greatest regret?

Not having done my greatest extravagance yet.

What is your most treasured possession?

Willy.

Which talent would you most like to have apart from the ones you already have?

Cinematography. I love the language of the moving picture. It’s very beautiful to paint in that way.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Oh….mmmm… well I’d have to say… the distance… you are living away from yourself, is directly proportional to your misery. (Why have I got a real vivid picture of me in chemistry class?)

Where would you like to live?

Ah! That’s a good question. Thank you. I’d like to live in various places, so would need plane too. Copenhagen, Japan, Holland (no not for that reason), Germany and Jungle, any Jungle.

What is your most marked characteristic?

Well I wouldn’t know. We’d have to ask someone on the outside of me.

Who are your heroes/heroines in real life?

My friends are some. There’s this man in China who can cut bread with his finger. One Tibet woman has the power to yell, and be heard just under a kilometre away. The guy who managed to sell Michael Jackson that oxygen glass tube bed. Walt Disney, for his ability to turn his dreams to reality. God for designing women and waterfalls. Mothers who love. Teachers who empower. Lovers who enjoy…

What is it that you most dislike?

Caponata! Yechhh!!