on husband Richard Roxburgh and the men in her life

Silvia Colloca is an actor, cook and author best known for her popular cookbooks. Here, the 47-year-old opens up about her relationship with her father, surviving heartbreak many times, and meeting her husband, actor Richard Roxburgh.

My maternal grandfather, Domenico, was a professional cyclist when he was young, and grew up in a small village in Abruzzo, Italy. When World War II broke out, he fled to France with his mother. When the war was over, they returned to Italy.

Nonno Domenico was a super-skinny, wiry man. He ate like there’s no tomorrow and never gained weight. He was always a bit sickly and had lung issues. Mum [Loredana] told me when she was a child, the priest came to the house three times to read him his last rites, yet he survived. He was funny and loved by his grandchildren. He died suddenly aged 79.

In the 1950s, Domenico left the home village with Nonna Irene and moved to Milan. She worked as a dressmaker. The divide between north and south was huge then; those from the south were bullied a lot. Nonno was the life of the village in the south, but in Milan he didn’t really know anyone.

My dad’s father, Giuseppe, died when my dad [Mario] was 15. We have a photo of him: he looked like Errol Flynn. He had hazel eyes, dark hair and high cheekbones. My dad put himself through evening school so he could work during the day to help his mother.

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Dad met Mum at a New Year’s Eve party in their early 20s. She was there as Dad’s best friend’s date, but they ended up as a couple. Six months later, my parents were married.

Dad worked as a computer programmer. As a child, I used to pick his ties for work. On Saturday mornings when he’d go to buy the newspaper, I would attach myself to his ankle until he agreed I could go with him. I was his constant shadow.

I have a sister, Alessandra, five years older than me, and a brother, Giammarco, who is three years older. I revered them; any validation I got from them meant the world to me.