Franco Lo Presti is about to make his Days of our Lives debut as Dante Vitali, and the newcomer already comes with history, family baggage, and enough mystery to make Salem pay attention. The role also carries a personal connection for Lo Presti, who grew up watching the soap with his grandmother. Now he gets to step into the same world that once had him glued to the screen watching Stefano DiMera terrorize everyone in sight.
Key Takeaways
- Franco Lo Presti grew up watching DAYS with his grandmother.
- Landing the role of Dante Vitali fulfilled a longtime goal for the actor.
- Lo Presti said the DAYS cast made him feel welcome from his first day.
- Dante built a life for himself while trying to distance himself from the Vitali name.
- Lo Presti warned that Dante is loyal, layered, and should not be underestimated.
Franco Lo Presti Grew Up Watching DAYS
Lo Presti spoke to TV Insider about joining the soap and explained that DAYS was part of his childhood. “When my grandmother emigrated to Canada from Italy, this is what she watched,” he said. “It literally helped her learn English. As a young boy, I would sit on the couch with her and watch Days of our Lives.”
That made landing a role on the show something much bigger than another job. Lo Presti said he had wanted to work on a soap for years and described the opportunity as “an absolute dream come true.” He also recalled watching Joseph Mascolo’s Stefano with his Nonna, which makes joining one of Salem’s most dangerous families feel rather fitting.
His first day helped settle any nerves. Lo Presti worked with John-Paul Lavoisier (Philip), Cherie Jimenez (Gabi), and Sydney Malakeh (Sydney) and said the cast immediately made him feel welcome. “I felt like it wasn’t my first day; I felt like I’d been there for years and years. Everyone was just awesome.”
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Dante Vitali Comes to Salem With Layers
Dante will want to speak with the Brady family about Sami (Alison Sweeney), but Lo Presti warned that there is much more going on. The character grew up in Italy, attended an elite English boarding school, and later built his own financial empire while trying to distance himself from the Vitali name. That is already a lot of history before he even orders coffee at the Pub.
Lo Presti described Dante as passionate, sincere, generous, and fiercely loyal. He also offered the most intriguing warning about him: “He’s also someone that you probably shouldn’t underestimate.” That sounds like excellent advice in a town where new arrivals rarely show up without a few locked drawers in the family history.
Fans will apparently get those answers gradually. Lo Presti said viewers will “slowly peel back those layers and discover what’s really driving him,” which suggests Dante’s first appearance is only the beginning. Considering his ties to Sami, the Vitali name, and a mysterious Monte Carlo poker game, Salem may want to keep one eye on the cards and the other on Dante.
